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Recently, my mother left temperatures of 40℃ a peculiarly hot Perth, Australian autumn. She put on a scarf, warm coat, and thick socks and visited the chilly early spring in Japan. We had a week of girl's fun, visiting temples in Kyoto, posing for a quick photo with young women dressed for the day as Maiko-san, philosophising on the philosopher's path outside the
Kinkaku-ji, biking around Matsuyama in search for the first cherry blossoms of an unusually late spring, painting pottery in
Tobe, eating tarai udon in Oda, bathing in hot, hot springs, and eating sushi and drinking homemade plum wine with friends under not yet blossoming cherry trees on the Ishite riverside.
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When,
after a very full week of sightseeing, my mother was asked to name her favourite
aspect about her trip, she did not answer visiting her much missed daughter, but
said without hesitation, "Japanese food!" I asked her to elaborate.Here are her top three
favourites, firstly zenzai, secondly ichigo daifuku, and thirdly her spring
favourite, sakura mochi. Yes, I am sure you have recognised the pattern, my mother loves
mochi. So, tearfully I fare welled my mother at the Matsuyama airport and she boarded the plane with a bag stuffed full of mochi and a recipe for adzuki bean paste.
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English Academy