Book of Days Tales

The third Monday in September is Respect the Aged Day in Japan which strikes me as redundant given that old people are supposed to be respected as a simple matter of course in all Asian cultures — all the time.  But there is a small twist in Japan. The day was first celebrated in 1966 on September 15^th, but then was moved to the 3^rd Monday as part of Japan’s Happy Monday policy of moving holidays to Mondays to create long weekends.  The government used to give a solid silver sake cup to people who turned 100 in the previous 12 months, but they had to change the policy as the number of centenarians in the country grew.  There are now around 30,000 people over 100 in Japan – largest number for any country in the world.

It is common to take a bento box to an aging relative on this day which gives you an idea. Many Japanese recipes using miso, nori, ramen, udon, etc. etc. can be made at home, and you can usually find what you need if you live anywhere near a substantial Japanese population.  Here in Cambodia I can get anything I need because some of the major supermarkets are Japanese owned. I’ll give a standard recipe for teriyaki chicken.  First the sauce (which you can also buy ready made):

Ingredients

½ cup (125 ml) soy sauce
⅓ cup (80 ml) mirin
⅓ cup (80 ml) cooking sake
2 tbs white sugar

The quality of your teriyaki sauce is very much determined by the quality of the ingredients. Choose your favorites carefully. Place the ingredients in a small saucepan and heat them gently whilst stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and cool. Place the sauce along with 6 boneless chicken thighs in a zip top bag. Squeeze out the air and seal the top. Refrigerate for at least several hours, preferably overnight. Remove the chicken from the marinade and cook.  You can grill it (preferable) or sauté it to a nice golden color. Meanwhile, return the marinade to a saucepan, and reduce it until it thickens. Pour this glaze over the chicken and serve.

This dish would certainly work as a component of a bento box for the “aged” person of your choice.  I am only 73 so I do not count.