CHRISTMAS CAKES
In Japan, the Yule season is symbolized by the "Christmas Cake," whose origin has escaped me (much like the flavor of the traditional Japanese Christmas Cake) mainly for want of interested pursuit, but these frothy strawberried constructions seem to have come a long way since the amazingly bland (not even vanilla!) cakes of the seventies, when the term "Christmas Cake" horrendously also referred to unmarried women 25 years of age (of no value after the 25th)... What a long, frosty distance we have traveled...But flavorful as these cakes may have become, I can't help but think it's still just image. I also wonder briefly where the tradition came from, but that's way less important than the fact that Japanese women over 25 are now as valuable as any other. Happy holidays, all.
7 comments:
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Bob!!!! I think I'd enjoy the Christmas cake!
P.S. When I got to be 24 and still single here the the States, my friends started nagging me about getting married. I got married a month after my 25th birthday -- biggest disaster of my life.
Being inveterately curious, I went looking for the origins. This isn't very enlightening on the cake, but is fascinating nevertheless: OLD JAPANESE CHRISTMAS
AND SAMURAI SANTA - written by someone from a Japanese Christmas museum - who would have thought?
Here is wishing you a happy and prosperous new year! (Someone please pass the cake...)
Merry Christmas bob and Echo! I am still around, and am getting better at blogging and blogwalking too!
That Old-Maid Christmas-Cake label - (arising from something out of date being half price)- was still very much in my Japanese friend's mind in the late 1980s when I was visiting Osaka. Of course she might not have BEEN a Christmas cake in her mom's eyes had her mom liked foreigners.... But ... things move on. Thank heavens.
Hope you and yours had a happy holiday. :)
I have enjoyed reading your blog! I found it quite by accident, but you write so beautifully!! I locw rhw cake!! And didn't know about the women over 25 before today. Very interesting, I am going to have to research that info.
Also love the big bass!! That would be a WOW over here in USA. We eat them all the time, and love the way they taste, but also helpful in the way they are prepared! We soak the cut up meat in clean water for a day or two in the reftigerator. Than either bake or fry. I prefer to bake. Good luck with yours hope you enjoy them also. Will be back often to see how things are going with you! My Japenese is non existant, so hoping this translates for you.
Have wonderfully blessed day!
Debi
http://whatscookninjunk.blogspot.com/
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