♥ Matcha Castella // 抹茶カステラ ♥ « Angry Cherry. ♥ Mitarashi Dango // みたらし団子 ♥ « Angry Cherry. Botamochi for spring, Ohagi for fall: Sweet Japanese rice and bean cakes. [From the archives: Today (September 23rd) is the first day of the fall o-higan (お彼岸), when ohagi or botamochi are offered to ones ancestors, as well as oneself!
My mother and my grandmother always made these at home around this time of year - I love their not-too-sweet stickiness. O-higan ends on the 26th, so if you like wagashi, why not give these a try? Originally published March 2007.] The seven days centered around the bi-annual days of the vernal equinox is a Buddhist festival period known as higan (or o-higan for the honorific term) in Japan. Homemade Gyoza Wrappers. “Luck is like having a rice dumpling fly into your mouth.” — Japanese Proverb I’m a huge lover of all types of dumplings, especially Japanese gyoza.
Living in Japan meant I was able to feed my inner gyoza monster on a regular basis. In our apartment complex in Tokyo we had a little mini supermarket in the courtyard. Squirrel and I would make daily pilgrimages there for things like milk, fresh veggies, or a piece of fish for dinner. Every week a stand was set up in the middle of the store where a vendor sold something special, like a variety of miso pickles or tea.