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七草粥 / Japanese New Years Food, Nanakusa Gayu
2014.01.07 [CULTURE,FOOD,WHAT'S NEW]
七草粥
Japanese New Years Food, Nanakusa Gayu
一年の無病息災を願って食べられる七草粥。
年末年始にかけての食事やお酒で疲れた胃を休めるために食べるとも言われている。
At this time of year, Japanese partake in a traditional dish called Nanakusa Gayu.
Nanakusa means “Seven Grasses”, and eating Nanakusa Gayu is said to bring continued good health
during the coming year. It is also a way to refresh the stomach after all the rich year-end food and
drink too!
七草粥に入るのは「春の七草」。塩味のおかゆに、セリ、ナズナ、ハハコグサ(ごぎょう)、ハコベラ、
コオニタビラコ、スズナ(かぶ)、スズシロ(大根)の七草を細かく刻んでいれるというシンプルな料理だ。
これを1月7日の朝に食べるのが、日本の古るくからの習わしであり、平安時代からスタートし、江戸時代に
定着したと言われている。
Nanakusa Gayu really does contain seven edible grasses or weeds. Mixed into a simple gruel of salty rice
porridge are servings of seri, or water dropwort, nazuna, also known as Shephard’s Purse, hahakogusa or
cudweed, hakobe, chickweed, koonitabirako which is also called nipplewort, kabu, turnip and daikon raddish.
This is all enjoyed on the morning of January 7, and said to have started in the Heian period, and formalized
during the Edo period.
「七草がゆを食べ終ると、正月が終った」ことを実感する人も少なくないのではないだろうか。
ちょっとした癒しをもたらしてくれる、 愛すべきJapanese Foodだ。
Apart from it’s health benefits, it’s said that eating Nanakusa Gayu also helps the Japanese realize
that the new year is well and truly underway too!
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