Well the forecast gale blew all night and the noise of wind through the rigging of numerous yachts was horrendous. It seemed to have eased off this morning so it was another wonderful experience of Japanese culture today when Junko invited Mena and Pam to her house to participate in more mochi making for the New Year celebrations.
The delightful entrance room to Junko's house has this low table with a charcoal fire pit in the middle. Here a ceramic pot dry roasts some sweet potatoes for us to snack on while Junko cracks some gingko nuts before zapping them in the microwave so we can eat them as well.
No bashing the glutinous rice with a hammer in this house. Junko has had this machine for 30 years - it steams the rice and then similar to a bread maker kneads it into a hot sticky ball.
This batch had a local herb added to it - something very good for you apparently!
Junko and her friend divide the finished mochi for sharing with several of their neighbours.
And then it is time for lunch - an unexpected bonus of a meal of okinomiyaki - a pancake type batter with vegetables, squid and wild boar pieces mixed through it and then cooked on a grill plate. Here bacon is cooked first before the pancake mix is added in meal size batches.
While away from Tweed the gale had been downgraded to a near-gale for us. Maybe some peace and quiet in the marina tonight!
A sweet-smelling winter-flowering plum in Junko's garden
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