Sep 10, 2007

"Ichijiku" & "Seigo"

Ichijiku
On Saturday, we bought figs whose Japanese name is "Ichjiku" at the farmer's shop. It is expressed "無花果” in Kanji character. "無" means "nothing or without. "花" means flower. "果" means fruits. So it grows to a fruit without a flower.

It is suitable season for eating a fig, now, in Japanese "Shun"(旬). Japan has four season, so "Shun" is a very important idea and word. In "Shun" season, "Shun" foods are sold at cheaper price because there are large harvests of them in this season. And they are very fresh!

I heard that Adam & Eve used leaves of fig because they have no cloth. Is it really?

Seigo
On Sunday, I went fishing with my daughter and my father again(but different place). We fished a lot of tiny sardine. My father got a "Seigo"(but only one).

We call a small Japanese Sea Perch "Suzuki"(鱸) "Seigo" because it is a kind of "Shusse-uo"(出世魚). "Shusse-uo" means that it has several names in their developing stage. It includes "Suzuki", "Bora"(鯔) and "Buri"(鰤). "Seigo" → "Fukko" →"Suzuki". "Ina" →"Bora" →"Todo". "Hamachi" →"Buri".

7 comments:

ジョン said...

Yup, Adam and Eve are often depicted as wearing fig leaves. I believe this is done basically as censorship when it's considered inappropriate for them to appear nude.

Anonymous said...

in italy, we call a small sea perch "branzino". only in north italy, we call it "spigola".
↑意味通じる?

イチジクは無花果と書きますか!
イタリアでは、1個の時"fico(フィコ)"、複数の時"fichi(フィキ)"、性別は男性です。
食べ物に性別があること、日本の人たちは面白いでしょう?(笑)

あと、リンクをしてもいい?

bikenglish said...

Jhonasan san e

I learned the words "censorship" and "inappropriate" from your comment. Thank you.

Censorship means "検閲" in Japanese.

Former U.S.A president Bill Chlinton used the word "inappropriate" in that situation?

マリさんへ

ヨーロッパの言語に、男性名詞・女性名詞があるというのは聞いていますが、日本人には、なじみがないので、わかりにくいですね。

リンクは是非お願いします。私のブログにもマリさんのブログをリンクします。

ジョン said...

No problem. I don't recall if Bill Clinton used that word or not, but it's very possible that he did, I suppose.

Krimson said...

Figs are growing in Russia too, on the south, on the coast of the Black Sea. I tried jam, made of it by my grandma (shi lives in on south seaside town, as all of my father's relatives do), but didn't like it =)

bikenglish said...

To Krimson san!

I also have an experience to eat a fig jam made by my father. But, I like it.

Anonymous said...

The story of Adam and Eve is that they were innocent until they rebelled against God. When they lost their innocence, they realized they were naked. Because they had no clothes, they had to cover themselves with whatever they could find, which were fig leaves. Paintings of Adam and Eve being covered by fig leaves are depicting the "loss of innocence."

Jonathan-