It is customary in Japan to have kabocha and take a "yuzu buro" (bathe in a bathtub with yuzu floating on the water) on this particular day.
今年の冬至は12月22日だと知らせたかっただけです。
日本では、この日にカボチャを食べ、柚子風呂に入る（柚子を浮かべた風呂に入る）習慣があります。
I simmered one small kabocha and made kabocha soup with two others.
小さなかぼちゃを一つ煮て、他の二つでかぼちゃスープを作りました。
柚子を二つ入れた柚子風呂に入りました。
I absolutely love simmer kombocha! When you bathe with yuzu, do you cut it up first or leave it whole?
ReplyDeletemuskratbyte: I personally just leave it whole, but some people cut it in half or into slices. In that case, it is recommended to put them in a cloth bag.
ReplyDelete年末年始、ご家族とどう過ごしますか。御節料理を作りますか。
ReplyDeleteひろゆきさんとご家族、メリクリスマス！良いお年を迎えください！
Here, where I am, Christmas is near!
I like to wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Looking forward to learn more Japanese cooking! よろしくおねがいします。
okasan: 寝正月 ne-shougatsu, meaning that we will just stay home most of the time. I'm not very keen on making osechi, but I will probably make one or two.
ReplyDelete良いお年を yoi o-toshi wo to you, too!!!
The wife and I forgot all about the solstice until it was too late and we didn't have any citron to use for baths last night!
ReplyDeleteMy mother-in-law is very fond of the kabocha soup I make from time to time, but I feel it needs improvement myself. Are you adding any spices or flavors to your soup when you've gotten it blended together?
Ruminating Roy: It's never too late for almost anything. You can always have kabocha, and you can always take a yuzu bath.
ReplyDeleteSalt, pepper, and milk only. Absolutely no sugar! The natural sweetness of the kabocha stands out!
Yuzu bath sounds so eccentric to us Europeans ;-) Do you know what is the reason behind this tradition? Only symbolic?
ReplyDeleteSissi: For one thing, yuzu are in season around this time of year. For another, yuzu sounds similar to yuuzuu 融通, meaning flexible.
ReplyDeleteIn Japanese, winter solstice 冬至 and hot spring cure 湯治 are homonyms.