January 7th is the Day of XX. Let's Enjoy Nanakusa-gayu Easily: I Tried Making Nanakusa-gayu the Kireido Way.

This is Kireido.

This may be sudden, but January 7th is the day for "Nanakusa-gayu" (seven-herb rice porridge).
Let's remember it as "Ina is Nanakusa" (Seven herbs on the 7th).

I'm sure many of you have heard of "Nanakusa-gayu" but don't actually know much about it.

(I was one of those people myself. How embarrassing.)

"Nanakusa-gayu" is one of Japan's traditional ceremonial foods.

Even if you usually skip it, why not give it a try this year?

What are the origins of Nanakusa-gayu?

When you go to the supermarket this time of year, you'll see Nanakusa-gayu sets lined up. It's quite common to be reminded, "Oh, right, it's Nanakusa-gayu season..." when you see them.

Now, here is a question.
When do we eat Nanakusa-gayu?

...

That's right, January 7th.
It's already tomorrow.

(Wait, I already gave the answer at the beginning.)

Ina is Nanakusa.

(Still pushing it?)

Now, let's get to the main topic.

It is said to be part of the same group of seasonal festivals as the 'Peach Festival' and 'Boys' Day'.

Did you know?
(I didn't know that)

It is said that the custom originally came from China.

It is written as 'Jinjitsu' (Human Day).

In ancient China, the first day of the year was for chickens, the second for dogs, the third for boars, the fourth for sheep, the fifth for cows, and the sixth for horses.

Then, the seventh day was considered the day of 'humans,' and they used to perform divination by associating the days with animals and people.

It is said that there was a custom of eating soup containing seven types of young greens on January 7th to pray for good health and longevity.

It is said that this was passed down to Japan and combined with the custom of eating young greens at the beginning of the year, leading to the Nanakusa-gayu we have today.

'Eating gentle porridge to rest the stomach and intestines tired from overeating during the year-end and New Year holidays'

I thought that was the reason, but Nanakusa-gayu has more meaning than just that.

An important Japanese event.
An important food culture.

By eating seasonal ingredients, you can fully receive energy from nature.

Especially in winter, vitality tends to drop due to the cold.

That is precisely why it is the "wisdom of the Japanese people adapted to the seasons" to ward off evil spirits and regain vitality by taking into our bodies the "vibrant energy" of "sprouting" that green vegetables possess.

The appeal of the Seven Herbs

Some people may have heard this phrase.
It is a tanka poem said to have been composed in the Heian period.

What are the seven herbs...

These are the 7 types.
Can you name them all?

By the way,

Nazuna = Shepherd's purse
Suzuna = Turnip
Suzushiro = Daikon radish

is what they refer to.

There are many that we don't often see, and honestly, they are not very familiar.

Each has various benefits and is packed with nutrients that mainly help the digestive system function.

It heals the digestive system tired from overeating and drinking, and replenishes vitamins that tend to be lacking in winter.

People of the past naturally chose what they needed most at this time of year, which resulted in this form.
It is a combination infused with wisdom from the past.

So, I thought I'd make Nanakusa-gayu right away, but...

While it's fine to go to the supermarket when you feel like making it, if you could make it with what you have at home, more people would be able to adopt the custom...

In the first place,
going out just to buy ingredients to make Nanakusa-gayu

is quite a high hurdle.

If more people stop doing this important, long-standing tradition because the hurdle is too high, won't this custom eventually die out?

Tradition is important, but isn't it better if more people adopt it, even if they deviate from it a little?

Kireido thinks so.

In that case, why not just make Nanakusa-gayu with what you have at home?

If you use seasonal vegetables and
make it with a heart full of gratitude,

that is also a perfectly fine 'Nanakusa-gayu'.

Form is important, but doing it is definitely better than not doing it at all.

It is definitely not better to be so particular that you don't do it at all.

So, I crunched through the snow that piled up the other day
and headed out to our home greenhouse.

What is Kireido-style Nanakusa-gayu?

And here are the Nanakusa I found, Kireido-style.

This is it.

Nazuna = Turnip
Suzushiro = Daikon radish

Green onion
Mizuna
Garland chrysanthemum
Spinach
Komatsuna

These are perfectly fine Nanakusa too.

(I insist)

(Because there's no turning back now)

Even if they aren't the regular Nanakusa, their health benefits are just as impressive.

They're not losing to the originals.

Even so, it's truly a blessing that these greens are able to grow so well even in the cold Niigata winter.
(Grandma's greenhouse is the best!)

There are more leafy greens than I thought, so it looks like it will end up looking quite similar to Nanakusa-gayu.

Shall we get started?

First, cook the rice porridge.

For 1/2 cup of rice, cook it from the start with 750ml of water.
First, soak for 30 minutes.
After heating over medium heat, simmer on low heat for 30 minutes once it boils.

Finally, chop the vegetables that were boiled separately and add them in.

It's easier than I thought.

Nanakusa-gayu
= 2021 Kireido ver. =

It really looks like Nanakusa-gayu.

Until now, the days just passed by somehow.

It felt like my own life came first, and the seasons followed after.

I rarely felt the seasons.
Compared to now, significantly so.

But, actually doing things that have been cherished since long ago, in line with traditions and the changing of the seasons.

It takes a little bit of effort, but I feel like just doing it makes me feel refreshed.

Ah, I really am Japanese after all.

It's calming, or perhaps reassuring.

So, what I thought was that even if you don't have all the proper ingredients, or even if you don't have all seven types, there is meaning in passing on the tradition of "Nanakusa-gayu" to children.

It's fine to just sprinkle some leafy greens over rice porridge.

If cooking porridge from raw rice is too much trouble, you can make it quickly from cooked rice.

You can also make porridge in a rice cooker.
Just add more water when cooking.
(Some rice cookers probably have a porridge mode, too.)

If anything, there are even retort pouches of porridge available.

Come to think of it, I've even seen retort Nanakusa-gayu for sale.

There are even freeze-dried Nanakusa sets.

In any case, it means you can lower the bar as much as you want.

Rather than just explaining it in words, seeing it and eating it is better.
Even if the contents are slightly different from the authentic version, this is definitely more effective and will leave a lasting impression.

Instead of thinking, "Old traditions are...", these are customs that have continued from our ancestors for a reason, so I want to maintain the attitude of preserving them, even if just a little.

Showing that attitude might be what I can do for the future of Japan right now.

Thinking about that, I decided to make Nanakusa-gayu a day early and write about it on note.

If someone who read this article

learns that January 7th is the day for Nanakusa-gayu.

If they actually try making Nanakusa-gayu.

(Even if it's just porridge)

I would be happy if this could be the spark for that.

And, let's give your stomach and intestines, tired from the New Year holidays, a rest.

Enjoyment in every day
Kireido