Transcript Japan

Hard Work
Respect
Family
Nature
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Japan is a little smaller than
Montana, yet Japan’s population
equals nearly half that of the
United States
¾ of Japan’s total land area is
mountainous or hilly
The mountains have made
farming difficult and have
caused crowded living
conditions in few lowlands
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Southern part of Japan
is subtropical
 Summers are hot and
humid and winters are
mild
 The bulk of the
population live in this
area
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Northern Japan has
cold winters
 Snowfall is heavy and
temperatures are below
freezing for 4 months
out of the year
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Japan receives more than
adequate moisture
Seasonal winds, called
monsoons, bring rain in summer
and snow in winter
During September severe
storms, called typhoons, bring
heavy rains and damaging winds
What is the difference between
a monsoon and a typhoon?
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Rice is Japan’s most important crop
 Other important crops include sweet potatoes, wheat, and sugar
beets
Mandarin oranges and strawberries are grown in the south
Peaches, pears, cherries, apples, and other fruits are grown in the north
Land has always been scarce and the teachings of Buddhism forbid the
eating of animals
 In recent years, livestock production has increased partly due to the
abandonment of Buddhist dietary laws
Seafood provides most of the protein in the Japanese diet
 Sardines, salmon, herring, cuttlefish, yellowtail, and other kinds if fish,
as well as seaweed, live in coastal waters
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The New Year Festival
 Eat long noodles as a
symbol of long life
 Make offerings of rice
cakes to the New Year
god
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http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=CQfptvd_
ZV8
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Kuromame, Kamaboko and Datemaki
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Setsubun
 Takes place in early
February
 Eat one soybean for
each year of life
 Throw handfuls of
roasted soybeans in and
around their homes to
chase away demons
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Cherry Blossom
Celebrations
 Welcoming of spring
 Eat cherry blossom
cakes
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Staple foods include rice, fish, soybeans, fruits, vegetables, and seaweed
An important element of Japanese cuisine is the subtlety of taste
Another important elements is aesthetic appearance
 Japanese cooks place great emphasis on color, shape, and
arrangement
 Many times an arrangement may suggest a particular season or mood
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Sesame oil, mild rice vinegar, daikon, mirin,
and sake
Common spices include salt, pepper, sugar,
chives, onions, mustard, and scallions
The four most common ingredients in
Japanese cooking are: rice, soybeans, fish,
and seaweed
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Rice
 Japanese word for “meal”
is gohan which means rice
 Short grain, usually
steamed and served plain
 Sake (Japanese rice wine)
and mirin (sweet wine) are
obtained from rice
 Rice is served at every
meal. Which food item
would you like to eat that
often?
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Fish
 Tuna, bass, flounder, cod, mackerel, ayu, carp, and squid
are popular
 Katsuo (dried bonita) is an essential ingredient of
Japanese dashi (Japanese fish stock)
 Fugu (blowfish) is a Japanese delicacy
▪ Contains lethal toxins that can kill a diner unless the fish has been
properly cleaned
▪ Licensed fugu chefs perform this task
▪ Would you feel comfortable eating fugu?
 Two of the most popular fish dishes
▪ Sashimi- raw fillets of fish eaten alone or with a sauce
▪ Sushi- balls of cooked rice flavored with vinegar. Served with
cooked fish, vegetables, or seaweed
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBc8e7fk
c6E
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Soybeans
 Legume with seeds, rich
in protein and oil
 Miso is a fermented
soybean paste used in a
soup served for
breakfast
 Tofu is a custardlike cake
made from soybeans
▪ Sumashi- a soup with tofu
and shrimp
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Seaweed
 Used in fresh and dried
forms
 They roll nori, a dried
variety, around fish and
rice
 They use konbu (dried
kelp) in dashi
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Meat traditionally was not
part of the Japanese diet
Because it is costly, the
Japanese usually serve
meat in small amounts
with other foods
Eat both pork and beef
Poultry production in
Japan has grown in recent
years
 Chickens are less costly to
raise
 Tamago dashimaki is the
Japanese version of an
omelet
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Grilling and Pan Frying (yakimono)
Fish is the most common grilled food
Most households do not have an oven, most cooking is done on
stovetop
Steaming (mushimono)
Seafood and chicken most popular steamed dishes
Cook quickly without loss of flavor, nourishment, or aroma
Deep-Frying
Originally introduced to Japan centuries ago by chinese and Europeans
Tempura are the most common deep-fried foods
One Pot Meals (Nabemono)
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When one Japanese person says to another, “Come and have some sukiyaki,” it
means they desire to be friends (they like them enough to dip their chop sticks with
them in the same pot)
Diners do their own cooking, choosing what they like from an overflowing platter of
raw ingredients to be cooked in a communal pot of broth
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Do not use napkins, instead use small soft towels called oshibori
 Brought to the table at the beginning and end of meals
 Warm, damp, and fragrant
 Used to wipe faces and hands
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Bowls used for hot foods are served covered
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Diners will remove the cover of the rice bowl first, indicating rice is Japan’s most
honored food
 Rice bowls must be placed on a tray for refilling with both hands, using one hand is a
breach of courtesy
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Drink soup from a cup instead of a bowl
The oldest guest always picks up his or her chopsticks first as a token of
respect
To show appreciation for the cook’s skill, it is quite proper to smack the
lips or make sucking sounds
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Guests often exchange sake cups with their host as a sign of respect
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Breakfast
 Some eat eggs and other popular breakfast foods in the United States
 Other breakfast foods include umeboshi (tiny, red, pickled plum, and miroshiru
(hearty soup made of dashi, miso, and rice)
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Lunch
 Simple, usually consist of morning rice reheated and served with leftover
vegetables and mear or a simple sauce
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Evening Meal
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Much more elaborate
In Japan businesses stay open later, so this meal is usually served later
Young children eat their meal first
Usually serve broiled or fried meat, poultry, or fish as a main course
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Rice, soup, and tsukemono (soaked foods) MUST be served
 Japanese rarely eat sweet treats, usually end meal with fruit
 Another meal enjoyed by the Japanese is Kaiseka (delicate meal served after tea
ceremony)
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Tea is Japan’s national drink
Japanese serve green tea which they call nihon-cha
Perform the tea ceremony just as their ancestors did hundreds of years
ago
Each step of the ceremony is done according to established rules
 Each movement the host makes is designed to bring pleasure to the
guests
 Harmony must exist among all the elements of the ceremony and
among all people present
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDsRfmSqAtI