Edamame beans are the best nibbles to go with beer!

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't posted for weeks. Are there still someone interested in my blog?

From now on I'll write this blog both in English (probably full of mistakes though) and my native language Japanese. As you can see in my profile, I'm a Japanese teacher and I suddenly felt like doing something a little more beneficial for those studying Japanese.

The Japanese text probably intermediate and advanced level. 

これから日本語を勉強している人のために、日本語でも書きますよ。私、日本語の先生なので。レベルは中級から上級なので、ちょっと難しいかも。

Today's topic is "edamame," young green soybeans usually served in the pod.　It is the ever-popular appetizer that goes very well with beer. When we sit at a the table of an "izakaya,"  a type of Japanese eating establishment that serves a great variety of foods as well as alcohol (and non-alcohol) beverages, many of us half-unconsciously order a jug of beer and edamame.
 

I suppose that edamame is now eaten not only in East Asia but also in some Western countries where Japanese foods are accepted. For example, when I was living in Paris, I often bought edamame at Picard, French frozen food store chain, and I found their made-in-Thailand edamame very delicious, probably even better than average Japanese edamame beans.

Frozen edamame is available all year around, but you should buy fresh ones in summer, found at any supermarkets and vegetable stores. This time I bought the ones still attached to the branches. It was 390 yen at a nearby store, a bit more expensive than the average price for edamame.  

This is how it looks when you remove the plastic bag. I can tell it is still very fresh from the look of the leaves. Not bad at all.
  

Cut off the pods from the branch with scissors. It would be better to cut off one or both ends of the pods, so that the salted water comes in the pods when boiling them.
Like this...oops! Sorry the photo is blurry (again). I cannot blame for these bad photos on my camera, because it is new..

Wash edamame beans with running water, and then rub the pods with about 10 grams of salt to remove fine hair covering the surface. Don't rinse after that.

Boil 1 liter of water and add 40 grams of salt. Put edamame in it and cook 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to overcook to keep the texture.
 

Drain edamame in a colander and cool it as quickly as possible to keep the green vivid color. In this photo, I'm fanning edamame with a ”sensu” (folding fan). Looks strange, but I don't have ”uchiwa” (round flat paper fan). Taste one and if it is not salty enough, sprinkle salt over edamame.

Edamame is not only tasty but rich in dietary fiber, protein, iron, magnesium, vitamin K, etc. In short, it is good for your health.

Pods are not edible. Push the beans out of the pod with your fingers and pop them into your month. Enjoy!!


Today's useful expression or tourists. At izakaya,
「とりえず、なま（ビール）の　ちゅうジョッキ　と　えだまめ　ください。」
"Toriaezu nama no chujokki to edamame kudasai."
= First of all, one draft beer in middle-sized jug and edamae, please."
chu-jokki (middle size) is most common here for some reason. Beer is a beverage
**********************************
From here, I'll write in Japanese. ここからは日本語で。

今日のトピックは枝豆です。枝豆は未成熟の大豆で、日本ではビールのおつまみの定番です。居酒屋では多くの日本人が枝豆をたのみます。生ビールもね。

枝豆：えだまめ
未成熟：みせいじゅく　immature
大豆： だいず　soybeans
定番：　ていばん　must-have items
居酒屋： いざかや


多分今は日本だけでなく、他の国でも枝豆を食べていると思います。フランスの冷凍食品店のピカールでも冷凍の枝豆が売っていて、私はパリに住んでいるときによく食べていました。タイ産でしたが、とてもおいしかったですよ。日本のよりもおいしいかも。

多分：たぶん
冷凍食品：れいとうしょくひん　frozen food

日本にも冷凍枝豆はありますが、夏は八百屋やスーパーに新鮮なものが出ますから、それを買いましょう。　今回私は枝付きのものを買ってみました。 近くの店で３９０円。

八百屋：　やおや　
新鮮：　しんせん　fresh
今回：　こんかい　this time
枝付き：　えだつき　with branches

ビニール袋を取ると・・・こんな感じ。葉の感じを見ると、新しそう。よかった。

ビニール袋：　ビニールぶくろ　a plastic bag
葉：　は　leaves
　
はさみで豆を枝から切り離します。このとき、鞘の端を少し切ると、塩茹でしたときに味が良くしみます。写真がぼけていて、すみません。

離す：　はなす　to detach
鞘：　さや　pod
端：　はし　end
塩茹で：　しおゆで　to boil in salted water
ぼける：　out of focus, blurry

枝豆を洗ったら、塩を振って、もみます。枝豆の表面の細い毛を取るためです。この後、水で洗い流さないほうがいいです。

塩：しお　salt
振る：　ふる　sprinkle
もむ：　to rub
表面：　ひょうめん　surface
細い：　ほそい　fine
洗い流す：　あらいながす　to rinse

湯を沸かして、塩を加え、5-７分枝豆を茹でます。茹ですぎると歯ごたえがなくなから、注意して！

湯：　ゆ　hot water
沸かす：　わかす　to boil
加える：　くわえる　to add
茹でる：　ゆでる　to cook in boiled water
歯ごたえ：　はごたえ　texture
注意：　ちゅうい　attention


茹でたら、すばやく冷やします。 私は、「うちわ」がないので、扇子であおいでいます。
すばやく：　quickly
扇子：　せんす　folding fan

枝豆はおいしいだけじゃなくて、食物繊維、たんぱく質、鉄、マグネシウム、ビタミンKが豊富です。要するに体に良いってこと。

食物繊維：しょくもつせんい　dietary fiber
たんぱく質：　たんぱくしつ　protein
鉄：てつ　iron
豊富：　ほうふ　rich

食べるときは指で鞘を押して、豆を口の中に放り込みます。鞘は食べられませんよ！
指：ゆび　fingers
押す：　おす　to push
豆：　まめ　beans
放り込む：　ほうりこむ　to pop something into～