Microseason: Heavens and Earth Cool
AUTUMN
HEAT BREAKS
HEAVENS AND EARTH COOL
28 August - 1 September
Phrases such as “break bread” or “bread and butter” showcase the prominence of bread or wheat in English-speaking regions of the world. “Rice” is used similarly in Japan.
Eating from the same rice pot
同じ釜の飯を食う A sense of comradery after sharing in the same experience, often referring to an experience that included some level of overcoming hardship
Daily tea and rice
日常茶飯事 Commonplace, business as usual, nothing out of the ordinary
From these everyday phrases, it’s clear that rice is the staple of the country. Not only is it nourishment but it is also culture. The process of cooking rice alone can tell the story of the country and its countrymen.
As Japan is an island country that is said to be made of one part mountain and one part sea, in cooking rice we must blend the energies of the mountain (rice) with the energies of the sea (sea salt).
Once the rice has steamed thoroughly and the lid is lifted for the first time, particularly when cooking brown rice, there should be small holes seen across the surface of the rice that we call “crab holes” (mimicking breathing holes on the surface of the sand).
Before serving, the rice must be folded by cutting the rice into quarters and then flipping each section over, which we call “inverting the heavens and the earth”.
Photo and video credit: Momoko Nakamura