We're eating a little white rice this week becaue we were given new crop rice (called shin mai -- new rice) and you can't look a gift horse . . .
New anything is generally a big deal in Japan, interesting for a country that sticks to so many traditions. But "the tradition of the new" is a tradition too. TV and radio ads love to stick in the term shin hatsubai, new goods, as a strong selling point, and so it is with rice, as well as wine.
Even though Japan isn't much of a wine producing or consuming country, you can buy wine in any supermarket and nearly any convenience store. Now that fall is here, can Beaujolais nouveau be far behind? November 19th is the third Thursday in November and, all over the world, afficionados will be lining up at their favorite wine shops or, in Japan, their favorite convenience stores for a taste of mildly fermented Gamay grapes (as you can tell, I'm not a fan). Are there any other countries in the world where you can reserve Beaujolais nouveau at a convenience store?
Maybe it goes well with new rice. Let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment