Yuzu-Yu(Furo) 柚子湯(風呂）

It was very cold yesterday.

The weather forecast predicted that there would be a snowfall in Aomori which is in the northernmost prefecture in Japan,next to Hokkaido and was 561 cm.

Last night,I prepared Yuzu-Yu to warm up our bodied and also for the fun if it.
Yu means hot water (Furo is bath) in the Japanese language and Yuzu is 1 kind is orange which originated from China.

We can make marmalade and Ponzu,which is a sauce made up of vinegar,soy sauce,sake,juice squeezed from bitter oranges and so on from Yuzu.

I cut the Yuzu and let it float on the warm water in the bath tub.
The bathroom was saturated with the perfume of Yuzu.Thus,we enjoy the cold winter.

We are feeling that this year the midwinter is continuing longer than normal year though plum flowers have already started to bloom.

                                      Yuzu-Yu

                                               Yuzu

                                I prepared pickles of Yuzu-  Daikon(radish)

                                                       Sankei News Paper on   Feb.26th    

                                                        Asahi News Paper  on Feb.26

The scent of Plum flowers is fantastic ,while Sakura does not have.it.

                                         

Setsubun has passed and today is Saint Valentine's Day!

The 3rd of February was Setsubun;the 1st day of the Spring season,according to the (Japanese) Lunar calendar.It usually falls on the 2nd or 3rd of February.
Before Setsubun,most of the convenience stores like the 7/11 or the big supermarkets in Japan,prepare fliers of their own roll sushi to collect orders as we like to eat the whole sushi on that day.
My American friend living here in Japan,read my blog about the Setsubun which was updated last year.She got to know the original and traditional way.
http://macromacrobiyoko.blogspot.jp/2012/02/saint-valentines-day-in-japan.html

After buying the roll sushi at the supermarket,her husband and she ate  facing the direction of good fortune,which is the south and south-east for this year.
According to our tradition,we have to eat a whole roll sushi praying for wishes without talking;but my friend failed to follow the rule and talked while eating.
Normally,we slice the roll sushi when we prepare it at home as it is easy to eat and we can see the variety of the fillings by doing so.But,on the other hand,it is said that cutting the roll sushi on Setsubun means cutting off good relationship.After my husband  ate   one  whole sushi, he asked me to slice another one  as  enjoying the sushi was more important than the tradition for him!!

                                                    「 セブンイレブン」means 7/11

「恵方巻 means roll sushi for  Setsubun

                                                    The  second page of the fly of 7/11

                                                   

                                  small roll sushi selling at the  supermarket

sliced roll sushi selling at the  bento shop

                                                       Scattering parched beans

Parched beans

                                                   
Today is Saint Valentine's Day.
My Singapore friend who corrects my script in English for my this blog does

like the topic of [Saint Valentine's Day in Japan] which was updated today last year.
http://macromacrobiyoko.blogspot.jp/2012/02/saint-valentines-day-in-japan.html

I gave many chocolate to men and boys around me on that day till 2004 !
 What a waste!!

                                      14 Feb 2013

                                           14 Feb 2013

                                          14 Feb 2013