Menma
is a Japanese condiment made from lacto-fermented bamboo shoots. The bamboo shoots are dried in the sun or through other means before the process of fermentation. Menma is a common topping for noodle soups, notably ramen. Menma is primarily produced in China, with brands imported from southern China and Taiwan being popular. Menma is also known as , "Chinese bamboo". Etymology The trading company that would later become Marumatsu Bussan had been exporting dried bamboo shoots produced in Taiwan as ''shinachiku''. In 1946, responding to a formal objection to the use of the term Shina from the Taiwanese government, the Japanese Foreign Ministry issued a memorandum recommending that the term be avoided.See :wikisource:支那の呼稱を避けることに關する件 Marumatsu Bussan founder Shūsui Matsumura claims that he came up with the new product name menma, a portmanteau of ''ramen'' (拉麺) and ''machiku'' (麻竹), the type of bamboo from which it is made, after seeing ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bamboo Shoot
Bamboo shoots or bamboo sprouts are the edible shoots (new bamboo culms that come out of the ground) of many bamboo species including ''Bambusa vulgaris'' and ''Phyllostachys edulis''. They are used as vegetables in numerous Asian dishes and broths. They are sold in various processed shapes, and are available in fresh, dried, and canned versions. Raw bamboo shoots contain cyanogenic glycosides, natural toxins also contained in cassava. The toxins must be destroyed by thorough cooking and for this reason fresh bamboo shoots are boiled before being used in other ways. The toxins are also destroyed in the canning process. Harvested species Most young shoots of bamboo are edible after being boiled to remove toxins, but only around a hundred or so species are harvested regularly for edible shoots. These are usually from species that are also cultivated for other uses. These include: *''Acidosasa'' – native to South China and Vietnam :*''Acidosasa edulis'' – endemic to the pr ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ramen
is a Japanese dish, Japanese noodle dish. It consists of served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese noodle dishes. Nearly every region in Japan has its own variation of ramen, such as the ''tonkotsu'' (pork bone broth) ramen of Kyushu and the ''miso'' ramen of Hokkaido. History Etymology The word ''ramen'' is a Japanese borrowing of the Standard Chinese, Mandarin Chinese ''lamian, lāmiàn'' (, "pulled noodles"). However, historian Barak Kushner argues that this borrowing occurred retroactively and that various independent Japanese corruptions of Chinese words had already led to Japanese people calling this Chinese noodle dish "ramen". One theory suggests that the Japanese mistook the Chinese particles "le" (了) or "la" (啦, a contraction of 了啊) for a "ra" sound when Chinese cooks would announce "hăo le" (好了) to communicate t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tsukemono
are Japanese preserved vegetables (usually pickled in salt, brine, or a bed of rice bran). They are served with rice as an ''okazu'' (side dish), with drinks as an '' otsumami'' (snack), as an accompaniment to or garnish for meals, and as a course in the kaiseki portion of a Japanese tea ceremony. Alternate names Tsukemono are also referred to as , or , all carrying the meaning of "fragrant dish" in Japanese. The ''ko'' or portion in these names means "fragrant", and the term was used as a ''nyōbō kotoba'' or "woman's word" for miso in reference to the smell. Over time, this term was also applied to pickles, again for the smell. ''Oshinko'' ("fresh fragrance") more specifically referred to vegetables that had been only lightly pickled and that had not yet changed color that much. The term is now also used more broadly to refer to pickles in general. Making tsukemono To make tsukemono, one needs a container, salt, and something to apply downward pressure on top of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Shina (word)
is a largely archaic Japanese name for China. The word was originally used neutrally in both the Chinese and Japanese languages, but came to be perceived as derogatory by the Chinese during the course of the Sino-Japanese Wars. As a result, it fell into disuse following World War II and is now viewed as offensive, with the standard Japanese name for China being replaced by . Origins and early usage The Sanskrit word ' ( ), meaning China, was transcribed into various forms including (), (), () and (). Thus, the term ''Shina'' was initially created as a transliteration of ''Cina'', and this term was in turn brought to Japan with the spread of Chinese Buddhism. Some scholars believe that the Sanskrit ''Cina'', like Middle Persian '' Čīn'' and Latin ''Sina'', is derived from the Qin state or dynasty (, Old Chinese: ') which ruled China in 221–206 BC, and so ''Shina'' is a return of ''Qin'' to Chinese in a different form. The Sanskrit term for China eventually spread ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsGarner's Modern American Usage , p. 644. in which parts of multiple words are combined into a new word, as in ''smog'', coined by blending ''smoke'' and ''fog'', or ''motel'', from ''motor'' and ''hotel''. In , a portmanteau is a single morph that is analyzed as representing two (or more) underlying s. When portmanteaus shorten es ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Chinese Cuisine
Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many other cuisines in Asia and beyond, with modifications made to cater to local palates. Chinese food staples such as rice, soy sauce, noodles, tea, chili oil, and tofu, and utensils such as chopsticks and the wok, can now be found worldwide. The preferences for seasoning and cooking techniques of Chinese provinces depend on differences in historical background and ethnic groups. Geographic features including mountains, rivers, forests, and deserts also have a strong effect on the local available ingredients, considering that the climate of China varies from tropical in the south to subarctic in the northeast. Imperial royal and noble preference also plays a role in the change of Chinese cuisine. Because of imperial expansion and trading, i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Japanese Condiments
Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspora, Japanese emigrants and their descendants around the world * Japanese citizens, nationals of Japan under Japanese nationality law ** Foreign-born Japanese, naturalized citizens of Japan * Japanese writing system, consisting of kanji and kana * Japanese cuisine, the food and food culture of Japan See also * List of Japanese people * * Japonica (other) * Japonicum * Japonicus * Japanese studies Japanese studies (Japanese: ) or Japan studies (sometimes Japanology in Europe), is a sub-field of area studies or East Asian studies involved in social sciences and humanities research on Japan. It incorporates fields such as the study of Japanese ... {{disambiguation Language and nationality disambiguation pages ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pinyin
Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese form, to learners already familiar with the Latin alphabet. The system includes four diacritics denoting tones, but pinyin without tone marks is used to spell Chinese names and words in languages written in the Latin script, and is also used in certain computer input methods to enter Chinese characters. The word ' () literally means "Han language" (i.e. Chinese language), while ' () means "spelled sounds". The pinyin system was developed in the 1950s by a group of Chinese linguists including Zhou Youguang and was based on earlier forms of romanizations of Chinese. It was published by the Chinese Government in 1958 and revised several times. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) adopted pinyin as an international standard ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Zhajiangmian
Zhajiangmian (; pinyin: Zhá jiàng miàn), literally "fried sauce noodles", commonly translated as "noodles served with fried bean sauce", is a Chinese dish consisting of thick wheat noodles topped with ''zhajiang'' sauce. Zhajiang sauce is normally made by simmering stir-fried diced meat or ground pork or beef with salty fermented soybean paste. ''Zhajiang'' also means "fried sauce" in Chinese. Even though the sauce itself is made by stir-frying, this homonym does not carry over into the Classical Chinese term. The topping of the noodles usually are sliced fresh or/and pickled vegetables, including cucumber, radish, and pickles edamame, depending on regions. Chopped omelette or in lieu of extra firm tofu can also be alongside. Low-fat dieters often use minced skinless chicken for the meat portion. History Origin Zhajiangmian originates from Shandong province and is an iconic Northern Chinese dish. It is unknown how the dish came to be and only a few folktales are availabl ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Yokohama Chinatown
is located in Yokohama, Japan, which is located just south of Tokyo. It is about 160 years old, with a population of about 3,000 to 4,000. Today, only a few Chinese people still live there, most being from Guangzhou ( Cantonese people). Yokohama Chinatown is the largest Chinatown in Japan, larger than both Kobe Chinatown and Nagasaki Chinatown. There are roughly 250 Chinese-owned or themed shops and restaurants scattered throughout the district, with the highest concentration centered on a area. History In 1859, when the sea port opened in Yokohama, many Chinese immigrants arrived in Japan and formed settlements. In its early days, American and British trading companies, many of which had already engaged in trade with China, expanded their operations into Yokohama, with accompanying Chinese agents. These agents were entrusted to negotiate with Japanese merchants in the buying of raw silk and tea, which, at the time, was a major product imported from Japan. Later, ferry ser ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Japanese Foreign Ministry
The is an executive department of the Government of Japan, and is responsible for the country's foreign policy and international relations. The ministry was established by the second term of the third article of the National Government Organization Act, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Establishment Act. According to the law, the mission of the ministry is "to aim at improvement of the profits of Japan and Japanese nationals, while contributing to maintenance of peaceful and safe international society, and, through an active and eager measure, both to implement good international environment and to keep and develop harmonic foreign relationships". Policy formulation Under the 1947 constitution, the cabinet exercises primary responsibility for the conduct of foreign affairs, subject to the overall supervision of the National Diet. The Prime Minister is required to make periodic reports on foreign relations to the Diet, whose upper and lower houses each have a foreign af ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |