Locomotoring

Early in the year is chockfull of celebrations. And they all seem to to be saying – I am done with the winter and so ready for the spring. In India, Lohri is mid-Jan! This time for the monthly cultural celebration, I decided on Setsubun (Feb 3), a Japanese cultural festival, marking the end of winter. My Narcissus are in bloom so I feel a little more justified.

Setsubun rituals focus on warding off the devil and inviting good fortune. Olden times?

Soybeans play an important part during Setsubun. You throw roasted soybeans inside and outside the house and ask the devils to FO. You also eat roasted soybeans (#beans = age+1). I took a raincheck on both. I didn’t want to eat my ~age in soybeans! And I felt dubious throwing them around.

Then there is the curious decoration theme, Hiiragi Iwashi – impaling cooked sardine head on holly branch. I am sure I can scare up some holly branches from the yard. But cooked sardine head? My tinned sardines arrive headless. Next year, I will do some more research to figure out what I can do about sardine head.

Then there is an uncut sushi roll (Eho-maki) that you eat in silence. Mind you, making sushi is hard. Not having to cut it, doesn’t make it any less hard. I am terrible at rolling a sushi. Long ago, I had a bamboo mat, but I had tossed it. So, I decided I would use my silpat instead. I did find a nice piece of frozen broiled eel to stuff in my sushi. It had defrosted into something fatty-licious. It was a busy day at work and by the time the evening arrived, I forgot all the accompaniments I had especially procured for the occasion – the edamame, and a lovely ale. Even the sushi rice was overcooked. I didn’t listen to the last minute youTube advice – “do not put too much rice on the nori sheet”. I ended up what can be best described as a “sushi burrito”. It wasn’t something one could eat in silence.

I am not done with winter…