１月２０日（土曜日）２０２４
１９日は毎年絵馬通りに獅子舞がやってくる日で、昨日もお昼を過ぎて笛・太鼓・カネの音が近づいて我が家にもお獅子がきてくれました。カフェのお客様にも喜んでいただけたのは何よりでした。
さて、土曜日のもんぜん市で珍しいものを見つけたので買ってきました。「さわし柿」。祖母がいた頃に聞いたことがあるような.....。柿の季節はとっくに過ぎているのに今頃柿？レジの地元のかたに聞いてみると渋柿だけど渋抜きをして甘くなってるよとのこと。「丸かじりも美味しいよ」と書いてあったので、早速買って家で食べてみました。うわ〜っ、甘〜い！おいし〜い！ヘタのところを焼酎に漬けて作るそうですが、猿も渋柿だけは食べない嫌われモノの柿がこんなに美味しくなるなんて、人間の知恵って大したものだなと思います。
January 19th is the day the Shishi-mai troupe comes to our neighbourhood every year. The troupe was approaching with the flute, drum, bell and finally a big Shishi (lion) came into my cafe. Customers and I all welcome the troupe.
Now, I found very special persimmons at the morning market. It is called "Sawashi-gaki". I felt a little strange because persimmons usually appear in the fall but it is January and out of season. A local cash register woman told me that they were astringent persimmons but had already removed bitterness and became sweet. I purchased them and ate one of them. Wow, it was so sweet and good! According to the net information, Shochuu (distilled spirits) was inserted into the calyx of each one and stayed for a certain number of days. Nobody likes astringent persimmons like even wild monkeys hate them. I admire human's brain changing an astringent persimmon into such a sweet wonderful one.
