At Monday's English lesson I was so surprised to be presented with these!! Everything, minus the jar, are Onenga, or Japanese New Year's gifts. 2009 is the year of the cow and it is customary to welcome the New Year by giving one another small gifts. The gift in the forefront is from Tokyo. It is a basket containing konpetto, Japanese hard candy dating back more than 500 years, and sembei, Japanese rice crackers. Written on the front is Happy New Year and Happy Cow. Moving counter-clockwise, there is a tenugui (cotton hand-towel), with this year's cow. On its back are bundles of rice, a symbol of wealth in yesteryears. On the front it says, Ushi-doshi, the year of the cow. And in the back is another package containing a handkerchief and tenugui. On it's front, it reads Ushidoshi no haru, or Spring Cow.
Lastly, in the jar is Kazumi's homemade yakiniku no tare, or Japanese grilling sauce. It makes a delicious marinade or dipping sauce for everything!! During one of our first lessons, I showed Kazumi a bottle of my favorite sauce that I buy at a local farmer's market and asked what was in it and if she had a recipe. Kazumi is the director of an Okinawan cooking school so I knew I could trust her and today she brought me a jar and the recipe! I am looking forward to trying it and making my own in the future.
I am so lucky to have great friends who enjoy sharing the Japanese culture with me!!
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