🌿WHOLESOME HERBS🥣

[camelliakyoto@mastodon.social]

You can find the 7 herbs you need for your rice-congee conveniently packaged at supermarkets.

🌿water dropwort (せり)
🌿shepherd’s purse (なずな/ぺんぺん)
🌿cudweed (ごぎょう)
🌿chickweed (はこべら)
🌿nipplewort (ほとけのざ)
🌿turnip (すずな/かぶ)
🌿daikon (すずしろ・大根)

[camelliakyoto@mastodon.social]

Atsuko-san is here to show you what the 'nanakusa' (七草 '7 herbs') look like.

In the depths of winter, when frost covered the ground, the 'nanakusa' were some of the only plants still growing. Their lush green colour came to represent hope and renewal.
#Kyoto #京都 #七草の節句

[camelliakyoto@mastodon.social]

The Nanakusa song:

7 herbs, shepherd's purse
before the birds of China fly to Japan,
let's get shepherd's purse
chop-chop-chopping!
chop-chop-chopping!

ななくさ なずな
とうど の とりが
にほん の くにへ
わたらぬ さきに
ストトン トン トン
ストトン トン トン

https://youtu.be/FoFuOLz3zTo?si=Ll4tuWyv5MIDS7Nf

[camelliakyoto@mastodon.social]

On the eve of Nanakusa-no-sekku a very strange ritual once took place.
When the 7 herb porridge was being prepared, the remainder of the shepherd's purse (なずな) would be steeped in water. The family would soak their fingers in this soup.

#七草の節句 #Japan #7herbsofspring

[camelliakyoto@mastodon.social]

For the first time that year fingernails and toenails were cut.
It was believed the protective property of the herb would be transferred, guaranteeing a sick-free year (and safeguarding you from any nail-related accidents).

This odd custom was known as 'nanakusa-zume' (七草爪)😯

[camelliakyoto@mastodon.social]

It was once common to prepare the porridge the night before, chopping the herbs while singing a special song and facing that year's 'lucky direction'.
The dish is eaten as a prayer for health and longevity (in China it was eaten to ward off evil spirits)🥣🌿

#Kyoto #Japan #京都

[camelliakyoto@mastodon.social]

Sei Shōnagon (清少納言 ?966-1025?) in 'The Pillow Book' (枕草子) says "On January 6th, a person brought young grasses for January 7th, and people grew excited...."
It seems that a game was made of collecting the herbs on the 'first day of the rat of the New Year' (初子).
#Japan

[camelliakyoto@mastodon.social]

It was in the 'Kakai-shō' (河海抄), a commentary on 'The Tale of Genji' written by Yotsutsuji Yoshinari (四辻善成) around 1362, that we first see the current combination of 7 herbs: water dropwort, shepherd's purse, cudweed, chickweed, nipplewort, turnip and daikon.
#七草の節句

[camelliakyoto@mastodon.social]

During the Edo period, as with many courtly traditions, the custom of eating nanakusa-gayu porridge (七草粥) spread to the masses. The bakufu and samurai classes incorporated 'Nanakusa-no-sekku' (七草の節句) into their annual celebrations.
It remains popular to this day.
#Japan

[camelliakyoto@mastodon.social]

The herbs are good for you!

🌿Seri (せり)=increases appetite
🌿Nazuna (なずな)=iron rich
🌿Gogyō (ごぎょう)=antipyretic
🌿Hakobera (はこべら)=rich in Vitamin A
🌿Hotokenoza (ほとけのざ)=full of fibre
🌿Suzuna (すずな/かぶ)=vitamin rich
🌿Suzushiro (すずしろ)=promotes digestion