In Japan New Year is an especially exciting time, full of promise.
This month we’d like to share some of that fun with you - as well as some delicious seasonal food.
2012 will be the Year of the Dragon. One way of celebrating all the promise of the next twelve months is with mochi rice cakes, which are a symbol of purity and new beginnings. The cakes are believed to represent the spirit of the sacred rice, and at this time of year piles of ‘kagami’ mochi cakes are found stacked up at shrines.
They get their name from the Japanese word for mirror (kagami), which is one of the three sacred treasures of Japan, and the cakes are believed to represent the spirit of the sacred rice itself. When Japanese children look at the new moon, they don’t ‘see’ a man, but a rabbit making moch.
This month we’ve included mochi in our steaming ‘nabe’ dish: a wonderful hot-pot of winter vegetables, chicken and Cornish fish, all cooked at the table.
COMPETITION
Tell us your top 5 favourite fish to go in your nabe, and win a complimentary nabe dinner for two!
Email your top 5 fish to us at: info@moshimoshi.co.uk. The best 5 – as judged by our ever-wise chefs – will be announced in March.
Deadline: February 3rd
SO WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2012?
To help you get the most from the next twelve months we’ve asked for some advice from Moshi’s resident Zen master:
“The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend. In ancient china, the celestial Dragon represents an emperor and power. Today, it is the ultimate auspicious symbol signifying success and happiness. The dragon usually clutches a pearl symbolic of its super-natural powers. Invariably accompanied by thunder and rain, dragons move like lightning and whirlwinds - all powerful yet totally unpredictable.
Expect the unexpected in 2012 “
Great Deals with a Moshi Membership
As a Member Moshi card-holder, you will be entitled to a range of monthly offers communicated to you via email which may include complimentary tasters of our seasonal menus or our popular £2.30 plate offer. New Members are also entitled to a monthly draw for a dinner for two worth £50. At the beginning of the month of your birthday, we will send you an email inviting you to choose your birthday gift. Click here to sign up! Click here to sign up!
