This video proves that cats do eat sushi and Mochi is really into it and dressed in Kimono for the occasion. She can really chow down. The owner must love her to pieces that she cooked the pieces of fish and made sure that no wasabi on them. She is so lucky to have a loving master. You would think that all cats love fish, but our cats Michi and Jerry do not. Strangely enough they only eat dry foods or canned chicken or turkey. They are bird eater. One of them still hunts for real birds. She wakes me up at 3 pm every morning to go hunting. She gets lucky once in a while.

Japanese Customs – What is Sushi?
By Nancy McDonough

Once virtually unknown in the USA, sushi is now a common food associated with the Japanese. So what is sushi? Basically, sushi is cooked rice that has been treated with vinegar and then topped with other ingredients, most commonly seafood. It can also be rolled into a cylinder and sliced, which is called makizushi. Sushi is different from raw sliced fish (served without a bed or rice), which is called sashimi. The traditional form of sushi is fermented fish and rice, preserved in salt. Sushi literally means “it’s sour”, not raw, a misconception of the Western world.

So how is sushi made? Sushi rice is special, short-grained variety of white rice. After cooking, it is mixed with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Sometimes sake is added. The rice has to be seasoned at room temperature or it will be too sticky to handle. Traditionally, it is mixed in a hangiri, a round wooden tub, with a shamoji, a wooden paddle. The consistency of the rice is different from the long-grain rice of India and Vietnam. What makes the Japanese rice so desirable for sushi is its stickiness. While different regions of Japan use different types of vinegar and seasonings for the rice, the rice variety remains consistent throughout Japan.

Traditional Japanese sushi is topped with raw fish. Uncooked fish of course must be fresher and of higher quality than fish that is cooked, which is why professional sushi chefs are trained to recognize high quality fish. They have to be able to judge a fish’s characteristics, which include smell, color, and firmness. Commonly used fish are tuna, snapper, yellowtail, mackerel and salmon. Nori, the black seaweed wrapper used to make sushi rolls, is a type of algae. Pressed, dried and flavored with teriyaki and salt, the nori is often eaten alone as a snack, though nori used in sushi making is rarely flavored with teriyaki.

Condiments used to compliment sushi include soy sauce, pickled ginger, gomashio (roasted sesame seeds and sea salt) and wasabi (a green horseradish paste). True wasabi has anti-microbial properties which reduce the risk of food poisoning. A commonly used substitute is horseradish and mustard powder mixed with a green dye, sometimes called “Japanese Horseradish.” In traditional Japanese sushi bars, green tea is always included with the meal. Sake is another common drink served with sushi. Sake, a wine made from rice, is normally served hot in the winter and cold with lemon in the summer months.

Want to impress your friends or family? Host a sushi party – it’s easier than you think. Prepare a low table with some cushions or mats surrounding it. Place a simple vase with a flower or two on the table. Purchase or download some traditional Japanese music that includes the shakuhachi (flute) and shamisen (stringed instrument) to play in the background. Buy a low cost vintage kimono for your guests or just one for yourself if you are serving. Purchase fresh sushi to go at your favorite restaurant or food store (make sure you use it right away). Use a wooden platter for the sushi and small plates for each guest. Don’t forget the chopsticks! Heat some sake, make some green tea, light the candles, turn down the lights, and you are ready to go. A wonderful evening in Japan for your guests!

Nancy McDonough was for many years an English teacher in Japan. She is conversant in Japanese and travels to Japan yearly. She founded her retail kimono company in 1992. Nancy currently manages her kimono retail company Kyoto Kimono and her blog is here, Kyoto Kimono Mania.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_McDonough

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Author: Anita Satin Choudhary

Netsuke was the functional pieces of art worn with the original Japanese Kimono. One of the most commonly known Netsuke styles is the Katabori-Netsuke. The Sashi-Netsuke or also known as the “Stab” Netsuke, averages around 6 inches long in length and literally resembles a stick like artistic formation. The Men-Netsuke, but also known as the “Mask Netsuke” is definitely the largest in size and dimensional being. The Flat-lidded Netsuke, or the Kagami-buta Netsuke is a flattened rounded, and hollowed out piece of artistic works, that ran the average size of the palm of a hand.

The artistic works of Netsuke can be placed at its height of necessity during the Edo time period of 1603 – 1867. Netsuke was the functional pieces of art worn with the original Japanese Kimono. It was specifically the fastening toggle of the bag or sash placed around the waste of the Japanese for carrying any needed or desired objects, as we would carry in our purses or clothing pockets nowadays. But since the traditional clothing of the Japanese had no pockets, the functional formations of Netsuke was a small piece of artistic works of need, along with the beauty and wide variations of expressions pertaining to everyday life and on into areas, that were somewhat culturally taboo topics of open conversation during that time period.

There had always been numerous types of materials that the traditional Netsuke carvings were created from. Some of the known materials have been, and still are various kinds of ivories and hard woods. The sizes of Netsuke was traditionally smaller in sizes, due to being physically worn, instead of being collected and displayed the way contemporary Netsuke has overtime come to be known. Since there has always been a tradition of beautiful, expressive and even story telling formations, the Netsuke of the past moved from a functional place of daily life to a worldly collector’s delight.

Due to the many variations of sizes, shapes and formations , there are many different tools that are specifically used for its carving. One of the most commonly known Netsuke styles is the Katabori-Netsuke. The more familiar name is the “Sculpture Netsuke”, and the average size is only 1 inch to 3 inches in height. The Sashi-Netsuke or also known as the “Stab” Netsuke, averages around 6 inches long in length and literally resembles a stick like artistic formation. The Men-Netsuke, but also known as the “Mask Netsuke” is definitely the largest in size and dimensional being. These will be approximately the dimensions and size of a full humanistic face. The Manju-Netsuke is one of thickest, and in the rounded, flat formation, usually has a slight size variation of only the size comparable to a Japanese confection. The Flat-lidded Netsuke, or the Kagami-buta Netsuke is a flattened rounded, and hollowed out piece of artistic works, that ran the average size of the palm of a hand.

There are several different categories of Netsuke artworks, totaling seven basis formations, and more of them than not, these beautifully exquisite pieces run smaller than the average hand size, but are packed with detailed expressions. It takes many different sizes and shapes of tools for the real Netsuke carvers to work the various materials to create such unique, but yet, story telling works of art.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/types-and-sizes-of-japanese-netsuke-412577.html

About the Author:
Anita Satin Choudhary writes for Ivory and Art Gallery. Browse the gallery for unique collection of artifacts ranging from Netsuke to Porcelain and Silver Judaica.