朝から陽が差して洗濯日和。仕事も一段落ついて買い物に出る前に一息ついていると、ピンポーンと玄関でチャイムの音。出てみると、彦根のNさんがお連れのMさんとご一緒でした。手には赤い実のついた枝をお持ちで「はい、ヤマモモ」と手渡してくださいました。お二人はカフェが定休日であることをご存知なかったようでしたが、せっかくだからとカフェを開けて中に入っていただきました。
ヤマモモは初めて見る枝で、小さな赤い実がたくさんついて何とも可愛らしく嬉しくなります。Nさんに勧められて赤い実を口に入れてみると甘酸っぱい味が口の中いっぱいに広がりました。早速、壺に入れて床の間に飾りました。地味な書の掛け軸の床の間にヤマモモの朱色が心を弾ませてくれます。
ネットで調べると、ヤマモモはヤマモモ科の常緑高木で、赤い実に比べて花は茶色で目立つ色ではないようです。カウンターにお座りになったNさんとMさんのお二人はもっぱらヤマモモで作る果実酒の話で盛り上がっていました。
It was a beautiful day and when I was taking break after finishing my daily work, someone pressed the doorbell. It was Mr. N and Mrs.M from Hikone. Mr. N brought branches which I had never seen before. He told me it was "Yamamomo (Japanese Bayberry). Although they didn't know that it was a regular closing day of my cafe, I opened the entrance and let them in and served coffee for them.
There were two branches and each one had many red berries. They looked so cute. Mr. N said I should eat one, so I did. It was sweet and sour. I put the branches into a vase and placed it in the alcove of the guest room. The red berries are a beautiful accent to the modest calligraphy behind.
According to the net information, the flowers of the Yamamomo are brownish and don't stand out. Two people, Mr. N and Mrs.M were talking at the counter seats about how to make fruit wine from these berries.
It also seems to taste good.
