Devoted to my favorites! "Oomasari" and "Hosui"
Early autumn, the time when my sense of prefectural pride in Chiba reaches its peak!
"Hosui is a pear, right?"
"Oomasari? What's that?"
To those of you who answered that way,
Hosui is a pear variety widely grown across the country, so you know it, right?
Then what about Oomasari ?
Although it has become more well-known compared to over a decade ago, it might still be an agricultural product that makes people ask, "What's that?"
True to the name "Oomasari" (great victory), it is an extra-large peanut that is perhaps twice the size of a regular one.
"Oomasari" is a peanut variety created by crossing "Nakatetuyutaka" with the super-large variety "Jenkins Jumbo."
As a new variety of peanuts, which represent Chiba Prefecture,,the extra-large "Oomasari" peanut is the pride of Chiba, having been registered as a variety in 2007 after 14 years of selection.
No wonder I want to support it.
The first time I bought it and tasted it with great excitement was in the autumn of 2012.
I had never tasted freshly boiled peanuts before, and I was completely captivated by the flavor of boiled peanuts—different from roasted ones—with their fluffy, chewy, and slightly sweet taste.
Since then, buying a lot every autumn, boiling them, shelling them, and freezing them to enjoy for a long time has become a tradition in our household.
When you shell them,
the nut is wrapped in a soft, white, thin skin.
You eat it together with the thin skin.
It's also great with tea.
It goes perfectly with beer, highballs, and delicious sake!
In the foreground are the quail beans from a mix of beans.
The freshly boiled Oomasari shelled from the pods and bottarga from Tainan Meiko Shoko (in the back of the photo).
Something I want to make during peanut season is peanut sticky rice (okowa).
Oomasari shows the difference in grain size, doesn't it?
Oomasari actually goes well with ethnic cuisine.
Massaman curry!
It is no exaggeration to say that I freeze seasonal Oomasari just to make this.
Hybrid rice, soft-boiled egg, onion pickles,
Cucumber stir-fried with cumin, mustard seeds, and curry leaves
Cherry tomatoes, Sicilian-style stir-fried purple cabbage
Beef, Oomasari, and Potato Massaman Curry
Grilled red flowering kale, sautéed grilled carrots, cucumber and lemon
Quick South Indian-style curry!
Sri Lankan curry with Oomasari, beans, cabbage, and other vegetables
Butternut squash and coconut milk mash
Grilled paprika marinated in balsamic vinegar and olive oil
Pol sambol, hybrid rice
Sometimes pâté!
|Pâté| de |Chiba| is what I named it.
Using Oomasari instead of pistachios.
The white parts areOomasari
It's Pâté de Chiba because I use Oomasari
How to boil raw |peanuts (Oomasari)| and how to use frozen Oomasari are described in my attached my recipes.
It is said that the amount of salt when boiling peanuts should be 3-5% of the water, but since you can add salt (or seasoning flavor) even after boiling, I use 1.5%. (1 tablespoon = 15g)
If it lacks saltiness, like with edamame, sprinkle salt on the boiled |pods| containing the Oomasari and let them sit for a while.
The condition of the peanuts varies depending on the time elapsed since harvest and the harvest season, so I don't use a pressure cooker; I use a regular pot and boil them to my preferred softness while tasting a peanut to check the doneness.
Nostalgic photo
When I look toward the stage
Ohhh!
Something
yellow and egg-like object! I can see it!
Those
round, glistening eyes!
Yay!
Funassyi!
I'm satisfied with this, nassyi!
Superstar Funassyi!
Their way of life is consistent, they don't pander, and they are kind. There is love.
With a pear juice splash, they instantly strongly promoted Pear Prefecture Chiba!
Chiba is Japan's number one pear prefecture in terms of cultivation area, harvest volume (production), and output value!
They are cultivated in Funabashi City, Shiroi City, Ichikawa City, Kamagaya City, Yachiyo City, etc., and there are many sales locations.
For me, coming from Yamaguchi Prefecture, pear = 20th Century, and I had truly never tasted any other variety. After I started living in the Tokyo metropolitan area,
|Kosui| was a pear I discovered, and I was surprised, saying 'Oh my.' From the day I ate the |Hosui| from a Kamagaya pear farmer that I have been having sent to me for ten years, I had a change of heart, thinking |Hosui| is the true pear!. Pears are this sweet, have just the right amount of acidity, a softer crunch than the 20th Century, and the pear juice spreads throughout your mouth when you |bite| into it!
Since they pick and send them to me at the very moment they are ready to eat,
they must be the most luxurious and delicious.
Since last year, I have started visiting my usual pear farmer to buy pears, and my love for pears has only deepened.
Nikkori Top left: Akizuki Bottom right: |Kanta| I like Kanta the best. A pear that is fine-textured, sweet, and rich in pear juice, just like Hosui.
Every pear is so inexpensive that I feel guilty. For several years now, I have also been sending Hosui to my relatives and sharing them with acquaintances and friends, and when they arrive, everyone says
'I was waiting for this again this year. They are truly delicious.' in thank-you calls and emails, which makes me feel proud too. Pears grown for generations by a sincere and honest family. I heard that the pear harvest was significantly reduced this year due to the extreme heat. While eating the pears, when I imagine the effort that goes into the harvest,
I am filled with gratitude for the producers.
Another pleasure of the pear season.
Luxuriously, I use pears to make Pear and Japanese Pepper Red Wine Beef Curry.
The pears do a fantastic job.
Pickled onions, warm vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes with parsley, basil sauce), leaf salad, and new rice with spicy butter.
Autumn.
Autumn of harvest has arrived. My absolute favorite!