Now your supper is also our business, okay? (that means, of course, I'll be here 'til eight, not really late.)As the title of this post says, we Japanese eats "eel" on the day of "ox". You may have no idea what I meant.
In the summertime, we traditionally eat grilled eel (yes, it's grilled with "eel sauce"!) because it is believed to beat ”summer fatigue". Is it myth or truth? I believe it has appropriate reason.
Eel is known as good source of vitamin A and E. In the summertime, that's really hard to escape from UV exposure and get tan or burnt. But did you know? Vitamin E works to prevent skin damage from the sun. And vitamin A works to heal skin problem if it's too late. See? It's not just our grandma's secret.
And we eat eel on specifically on the day of "ox", is called " Do-Yoh no Ushi". The day in between Summer Solstice and Autumn Solstice is called "Risshu", "Do-Yoh" is 18-19 days of period before "Risshu". The day of ox (according to Chinese zodiac) during "Do-Yoh" is called "Do-Yoh no Ushi ("Ushi" is ox in Japanese)". We eat this nutritious fish to survive in the muggiest season the year in Japan from ancient.
Someone said, "Unagi(eel)" and "Ushi" both started with the letter U, that's the reason why we eat eel on the day of ox. If it's true, it's no necessary to eat eel - we have bunch of stuff starting with U. But out great-great-great-granpas thought that fatty food makes people more energetic. Maybe that's the reason why, at least I believe so.
And the day of ox in 2009 is July 19th.
But if you want to blow summer fatigue, it's always here at Washoku Cafe!