As we come to the end of this class, I want to express my gratitude to each and every one of you.
I learned about unique foods I had never tried before, as well as their
cultural backgrounds and how they are eaten, by looking at everyone's posts.
I look forward to crossing paths with you again at the university.
Thank you all very much.
I felt the arrival of spring by eating Yomogi mochi and Sakura mochi purchased
from a local dumpling shop.
These mochi dango is a traditional Japanese sweet, typically enjoyed
during the spring season.
Have a great spring!
Thank you for giving us good knowledge about yomogi. The ancient people who tried sakura leaves must be really challengers, I suppose. Most foreign people tend to hesitate to try as they think sakura leaves contain poison like coumarin.
ReplyDeleteThank you for leading the class and providing valuable opportunity to notice, Professor Takashi.
ReplyDeleteCoumarin, found in cherry blossom leaves, is a natural fragrance component known for its sweet aroma. As you have indicated, studies have shown that coumarin can be hepatotoxic at high doses. Coumarin is found in cinnamon as well as cherry blossoms, and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has set an acceptable daily intake range for coumarin at 0.1 mg/kg/day. The amount of coumarin in salted cherry leaves is 0.03-0.1 mg per leaf, so it is not a problem if you just enjoy the aroma.
I can understand the feeling of ancient people wanting to eat the leaves after seeing the beautiful cherry blossoms.