Setsubun, the beginning of spring in Japan was February 3rd this year.
On the day of setsubun, Japanese eat eho-maki (thick sushi rolls).
Eho is the good fortune direction and it varies every year. This year’s eho is south-southeast.
We eat the thick sushi roll which preferably contains seven ingredients, facing eho (this year, south-southeast).
The roll should not be sliced. Slicing the rolls means slicing good luck.
And we eat it in complete silence.
It is said that if you talked while eating the roll, your good luck would fly away.
You should remain silent, thinking about your wish.
Happy setsubun!
Setsubun (節分), a traditional event marking the beginning of spring, usually falls on February third or fourth, according to the Japanese lunar calendar.
Japanese celebrate setsubun in many ways depending on the regions, and the bean throwing is one of the common ones.
We throw roasted soy beans around our houses, shouting, “”Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (“Devils out, Luck in!”)
Sometimes, someone in the family (usually the father) wears a devil’s mask and the rest of the family members throw the beans to “the devil” to scare him away.
And we eat the number of beans, which corresponds to our age for good luck and health.
To make roasted soybeans, soak the beans in boiling hot water for three hours. Drain for one hour and roast them in a pan with low heat for half an hour. You can roast the drained beans in the oven of 320 F for forty minutes.
With the roasted beans, hojicha, roasted green tea would be a perfect match.
Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!
Mecha (芽茶）is green tea powder made of new buds of tea plant. The baby leaves are packed with a natural umami component called theanine.
It has a strong, yet rounded flavor.
Many sushi restaurants in Tokyo choose to serve this tea to their customers.
Our parent company in Japan sells 30 tons of this tea a year.
Try our best-selling mecha for yourself!
Organic Mecha Teabags
Let’s say NO to plastic and paper. Let’s say YES to ceramic cups and mugs!
Teas taste way better and it’s friendlier to environment!
Happy 2018!
The tin can was invented in the early 1800’s in Europe.
Funny thing is…the can opener wasn’t invented until 1858. For almost half a century, people hacked, chopped and chiseled to open the cans!
Jugetsudo’s tin cans are easy to open and there is an inner lid to keep the tea fresh!
Sencha in a Tin
Genmaicha in a Tin
Hojicha in a Tin
New Year’s Resolution #4: Look for quality rather than quantity. The price of a good product most likely reflects its quality. Treat yourself with high grade tea!
Happy 2018!
January 12th is National Hot Tea Day.
Let’s celebrate with a nice cup of hot green tea. Cheers!
Start a new habit of drinking green tea rather than sweetened drinks. Green tea has lots of health benefits and boosting your metabolism is one of them. It doesn’t happen in one day. Drink tea every day!
Happy 2018!
Take a moment and make some tea. Slowly and carefully. Relax and enjoy the flavorful tea. Happy 2018!
Get a thermos so that you can make tea and bring it with you everywhere you go. Happy 2018!
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