O-bon is a Buddhist ritual to welcome the ancestral spirits to the home shrines on August 16th, brings Japan to a standstill for the whole week as people working away from home travel back to visit the family cemeteries. Think Memorial Day celebrations in the USA, but Japanese style, in my opinion, Obon is more fun and more reverent toward the dead because MOST japanese during Obon GO to their ancestors graves instead of camping, etc.
Many festivals range throughout the country in Japan, each city or village and family spends it in their own way, from private ceremonies to visits to the shrines to family dinners to huge festivals. What they all have in common is the traditional summer style dishes they serve. There are many to be had at Obon festivals, but one of the most popular is one of my favourite dishes Futsu's and my RL Japanese born martial arts sensei tought to us. It's okonomiyaki! Also known as "supper pancakes". Although this dish may be enjoyed anytime and in Tokyo is served at many food stalls, I wanted to point out it is widely consumed in Japan and is very connected to obon festivities as a popular food.
Okonomiyaki comes in many varieties and is usually made the same way in every family, but there are variants to the ingredients. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1/4 cup flour
4 eggs
8 oz (227g) roast pork, cut in slivers
10 large cabbage leaves (regular or bok choi), cut in slivers
1 cup dried baby shrimp (hoshi-ebi), or bite sized pieces of pre cooked shrimp or crab
a pinch of salt (yes I know very old school LOL)
1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable or conola oil
4 tablespoons each: Worcestershire sauce (I use Lea Perrins) and ketchup
Nori seaweed, in powdered form (aonori), OR dried Bonito flakes (katsuo bushi)
Mayonnaise in a squeeze bottle (optional--but I use Best Foods brand it's the best hahaha...DO NOT use Kraft because its usually too sweet, however, you may use squeezable Japanese mayonnaise you may get at local asian/Japanese markets^^)
Directions
* Mix the 4 Tbs of ketchup and 4 Tbs Worcestershire sauce in a bowl real good and set aside^^
Mix flour, eggs, pork, cabbage, and half the dried shrimps and the pinch of salt in a large bowl,
until you have a thick, smooth batter. Heat a small amount of vegetable or conola oil on a hot plate or griddle or a large frying pan and pour the batter on it forming "pancake-like" round shapes.
Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, or when you see small bubbles form around the edges.
Place the remaining shrimp on the "pancake" and flip over to cook the other side, for about 2 minutes.
Brush the cooked side with the ketchup/Worcestershire sauce mixture, then squeeze or pour mayonnaise in thin lines or a small dab will do in the center about the "pancake" (optional) and sprinkle the powdered nori seeweed on top.
*Serves 4 as a main dish
*Also other fave dishes at O-bon festivals inclued takoyaki (yum!) octopuss in balls of batter on a stick
and grilled corn (yakitomorokoshi ) another fave of mine. And let's not forget the dango! Those recipes are coming soon!
Enjoy!
Domou Arigatou Gozaimasu
Matsubaya Okaasan, Shurayukihime
*Also a nice video "Cooking with Dog"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeUHy0A1GF0&feature=plcp
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