Soup Weather and Sleeping Beauties
31 March 2009
It looked as if we were going to have an early cherry blossom season this year. Some unusually warm and pleasant days made the first blossoms come out as soon as March 21st, well ahead of average. Everyone was expecting the peak to be on the weekend of the 28th, and all the sakura ("cherry blossom") festivals were set up accordingly.
Last week, however, a sudden front of cold swept over the island and put the process on hold – for several days the cherry trees seemed to be in a state of hibernation, all movements frozen (not literally, it wasn’t quite that cold) like in the fairy tale of the Sleeping Beauty. Some blossoms are open but many buds still remain closed, already swollen as if the flowers were eager to come out but not quite daring to under these unkind conditions. I can well understand them – I’d rather stay inside, too, as I keep shivering with this humid chill lingering deep in my body.
On Saturday it remained rather cool and cloudy, and picknick under the trees certainly didn’t seem like a very appealing thought. When the sun finally showed its face on Sunday, Simon and I went to check out the sakura festival just outside our apartment building, which was held this weekend anyway, even though the cherry tree alleys surrounding our block have really not yet revealed their full beauty. We enjoyed a sip of sparkling wine in the sunshine, but there was kind of a weird touch to the atmosphere, as if everyone were waiting for the protagonist to appear, like at a concert where the star is arriving late.
With a deep bow, weather presenters on Japanese TV profoundly apologized for the inconvenience caused to all the people who, based on recent forecasts, had been planning for hanami (lit. "flower viewing") this weekend. But as a matter of fact, these sudden weather swings are really not so unusual here – after all this is an island…
Temperatures are expected rise to more spring-like levels towards the end of this week, so I look forward to the "real" thing on the coming weekend, should the weather permit. For the time being, instead of suggestions for a hanami picknick, I’ll post a recipe for a tasty miso soup, which I think rather suits the recent conditions…
Miso Soup with Aubergines, Egg and Soba
| serves 4 |
| 1l dashi broth |
| 3 Japanese aubergines (or about 1 big one) |
| 200g cotton tofu |
| 2 eggs |
| 2 tablespoons miso paste |
| soy sauce to taste |
| a pinch of nutmeg |
| shichimi to taste |
| spring onions to garnish |
| about 320g soba noodles |
Boil the soba noodles in salt water (check the instructions on the package for the cooking time). When done, drain into a sieve and rinse well so the excess starch comes off the noodles and they won’t stick together. Set aside.
Prepare the dashi broth. To the dashi, add a dash of soy sauce; don’t fully season to taste yet, though, as the miso will add more saltiness later.
Chop the aubergines into bite-sized chunks and add them to the soup. Simmer for about 10 minutes or so. Cut the tofu into similarly sized pieces and add, too. Stir in the miso paste and season to taste with a pinch of nutmeg and some more soy sauce, if necessary.
In the end, gently crack the eggs into the soup, leaving the egg yolks intact for the time being, and let simmer lightly for a few minutes. When the egg white clots but the yolks are still soft, tear the eggs apart so the yolk bursts, and stir the soup until smooth.
Serve right away with some finely chopped spring onions and some shichimi as garnish, as well as the soba noodles on the side. (I prefer serving the soba in a separate bowl rather than within the soup, so everyone can add them bit by bit and they won’t get overcooked as you take your time eating the soup (I’m a slow eater…). But any way is fine.)
| Suggestions to Combine |
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