The same “Black Sesame Seed Chocolate” was given to Hiroko by Okinawa-san, but they are different. Last years’ one made in Okinawa and this years’ one from Hokkaido. This chocolate is very tasty with black sesame seeds.
The Chicago’s famous chocolate is Frangomint. As you guessed this chocolate is mixed with mint. Hiroko thinks chocolate and mint is not a good combination, so she has not eaten this chocolate. However, many Japanese said this minted chocolate is very tasty. It is very surprising and strange to Hiroko.
The three different kinds of tea were also given. Two of them are powder tea and other one is seasoned tea. There are many different seasoned teas now days in Japan. Seaweed tea has been there long time but the tea seasoned with plum, shiitake mushroom, other mushrooms, and many others. The seasoned tea makes people relax after a hard days’ work.
Many thanks to those who have been giving many different green tea to Hiroko since Hiroko came to Chicago. She has never missed the Japanese tea because many tasty green tea are always in her freezer. Air tight packaged green tea is best kept in the freezer, but the freeze tea bag should be opened at the room temperature.
Shiho-san gave Hiroko this “Kuri Tea” and “Shoga-suko” named for the combination of Shoga and Tabasco. Shoga-suko made with vinegar, ginger, hot pepper, salt and konnyaku powder. It gives very good season for any boiled vegetables.
The mug in the second photo is Hiroko’s tea cup used every day. It is very safe and does not tip over because of the wide bottom. Hiroko had used the tea cup from Osushi-ya at first in Chicago, which gave her a very pleasant feeling like in Japan, but it got broken. Now she is using this mug, and sometime has a strange feeling with this mug, because no one in Japan drinks Japanese tea from a mug. Hiroko’s American life has been a very long time, so there is no different feeling using the mug for drinking Japanese green tea.
Ohio Kumiko sent Hiroko these presents, tasty furikake and DVD "99 Years of Love" (the story of Japanese American).
She arrived Japan at the day before the big earthquake. On the earthquake day her tourist group was in the airplane almost all day at Haneda Airport. However, they could leave Tokyo next day for Kyushu Onsen tour. She was staying Tokyo area after the Kyushu Onsen tour, and experienced the after shock earthquake and Nuclear problems. Hiroko heard the true voice of the Japanese problems from Ohio Kumiko.
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About Green Tea
In America, the green tea is a very special drink now days, but many are drinking it with sugar. Many are drinking the green tea because it is said the green tea takes the fat out, so it’s good to lower the cholesterol and lose some weight. Well, hopefully it is true.
The tea brought to Japan from China by the Kentoshi sent by the Shotoku Prince (574-622). Since then, much have been changed, but the origin of tea was in China. The Chinese, who works at the office where Hiroko used to work was drinking the tea different way than the Japanese. They put tea leaves in the cup and pour the hot water on top of the leaves, and sometimes they eat the leaves. Hiroko thought it was strange, but the maccha is the same. The maccha is powder. Taking the tea leaves as it is or powder, it contains more nutrition than just drink said by the Japanese nutritionist. Chinese has been doing better way. Maccha is good way to take the tea leaves.
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In the Bible, it is not mentioned what foods or drinks are better for the health. Listing in the Bible is the foods we shouldn’t eat. Some of the foods in this list contain too much cholesterol, or easy to spoil. It is good to read the list in the Bible to maintain our health.
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