Everyone knows that rice is the staple food of the Japanese, and it really is — most people in Japan eat a big bowl or plate of rice with nearly every meal, and they pretty sure that Westerners always have a big basket of bread beside their plate when we eat. The “other” staple food in Japan would have to be soybeans, which are the source of a great variety of Japanese foods. Miso soup, a hot soup made from fermented miso paste, is an extremely healthy dish that’s enjoyed with every traditional Japanese breakfast, and served with other meals. Tofu is another popular food, used in many Japanese and Chinese recipes, or good served chilled on a hot afternoon with soy sauce poured over it. Natto are the famous fermented soybeans that are popular in much of the country, although less so in the Kansai/Osaka area, to say nothing of my mouth. My kids eat it all the time, and when they want to tease me they come up to me and breathe Natto breath on me — ugh. Japan couldn’t get through a day without soy sauce, the single most common condiment in Japanese kitchens, even more than salt and pepper. Finally, soybeans play an important cultural role each February on Setsubun, the traditional end of the year according to the old lunar calendar, which is this Sunday. On that day, children will throw dried soybeans at an oni (devil), usually the father of the house wearing a scary paper mask, and shout 鬼は外！福はうち！oni wa soto! fuku wa uchi! (“In with happiness! Out with devils!”). As with most Japanese customs, it’s quite old, dating back to the Muromachi Period (1337-1573).
Setsubun is a day for throwing soybeans at ogres.
