Kisetsukan at the table
Kisetsukan 季節感 The Sense of the Seasons
Kisetsukan (季節感, きせつかん) can be translated as “a sense of the seasons” an awareness of the subtle changes that take place throughout the year and an appreciation of what each season brings.
Although every country experiences seasonal change, Japan has an especially strong cultural appreciation of the seasons. Rather than simply marking the four familiar seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, the traditional Japanese calendar observes a much more delicate progression. The year is divided into 24 seasonal periods, which are then divided again into 72 micro-seasons, each reflecting small changes in nature, weather, plants and wildlife.
This way of looking at the year encourages us to notice things that might otherwise pass us by, the first blossoms appearing on a tree, the arrival of a particular bird, the emergence of insects, the changing colour of the leaves or the first signs that summer is beginning to fade.
There is something very beautiful about this attention to the natural world. In Japan, seasonal awareness can be seen not only in nature but also in festivals, traditions and national observances that celebrate and respect elements of the natural environment, including the mountains, the sea and the greenery of the countryside.
This deep connection with nature has roots in Shinto, where the natural world has traditionally been regarded with reverence. The changing seasons therefore become more than simply changes in temperature or weather; they become something to observe, appreciate and experience.
One of the easiest ways to experience kisetsukan is through colour.
Spring arrives in delicate shades of pink as the sakura, or cherry blossoms, appear. The rainy season brings the beautiful blues and purples of ajisai, the hydrangea. Summer is filled with vibrant greens bamboo, trees, vegetables and the young rice growing in the paddy fields. Then, as autumn approaches, the landscape slowly transforms into deep reds, oranges and russet tones, particularly when the momiji, or Japanese maple, begins to change.
But there is another colour that sits quietly between the fullness of summer and the richness of autumn: yellow. Late summer has its own golden beauty.
As August moves towards September, the intense greens of summer begin to soften. Rice fields gradually take on a golden hue as the grain matures, while other crops begin to ripen. In Japan, vast areas of agricultural land can create wonderful swathes of yellow and gold across the countryside.
The same feeling can be seen closer to home here in the UK, where fields of wheat and barley turn golden towards the end of summer. It is a colour that seems to announce that one season is gently giving way to another. Yellow is therefore a lovely late summer colour, warm and full of sunshine, but with a hint of autumn to come.
Kisetsukan at the table
Kisetsukan is perhaps even more noticeable when we look at Japanese food.
Seasonality has always been an important part of Japanese cuisine. There is a great appreciation for eating ingredients when they are at their best, freshest and most flavoursome. This is expressed through the word shun (旬), meaning the peak season of an ingredient.
Shun is an important concept in Japanese cooking because food is not simply about taste. The ingredients on the plate can also tell us something about the time of year.
Summer brings its own collection of ingredients, including cucumber, goya or bitter melon, bell peppers, edamame, okra, myoga ginger, tomatoes, shiso, aubergine and sweetcorn.
Many of these summer vegetables have a high water content and are naturally refreshing, making them particularly welcome during the hot and humid Japanese summer. Eating seasonal foods is therefore not only about enjoying them at their best but also about responding to the conditions of the season.
There is even a Japanese word for the tiredness and loss of energy that can accompany the intense summer heat and humidity: natsubate (夏バテ). Refreshing, seasonal foods can be part of the way people look after themselves during this demanding time of year.
The taste of late summer
And then there is sweetcorn….
Sweetcorn seems almost made for late summer. It develops its sweetness as it grows beneath the warmth of the summer sun, and freshly harvested corn is wonderfully juicy and naturally sweet.
For me, sweetcorn is one of those ingredients that captures the feeling of the changing season. It belongs firmly to summer, yet by the time it reaches its sweetest point, we are already beginning to sense that autumn is approaching.
This brings us to another beautiful Japanese expression: shiki no aji (四季の味) — “the taste of the seasons.”
It is the idea that food can express the character of a particular time of year. The ingredients we eat, the colours on our plates and even the way food is presented can all remind us where we are in the seasonal cycle.
Perhaps this is one of the things I find most fascinating about Japanese culture. The seasons are not simply something that happens around us. They are something to be noticed, celebrated, tasted and experienced.
So as summer begins to soften into September, look out for those flashes of yellow and gold ripening fields, late summer vegetables and the warm colour of the evening light.
They are small reminders that the seasons are always moving, and that there is beauty to be found in the transition from one to another.
Kisetsukan is, after all, about paying attention.
I was eagerly anticipating locally grown organic sweetcorn coming in to season and as soon as it did I added some straight away to my Abel & Cole veg box order.
Corn can simply be boiled and eaten to enjoy its sweetness, but it is also a vegetable that can be used in a variety of dishes.
Have you thought of using sweetcorn to make ice cream?
Sweetcorn Ice Cream A Taste of Late Summer
Sweetcorn may not be the first ingredient that comes to mind when we think about ice cream, but in Japan it is a flavour that celebrates the sweetness of summer.
Corn is in season in Japan from around July to September, and as the summer progresses the kernels become plumper, sweeter and richer in flavour. This makes it a wonderful example of shun enjoying an ingredient when it is at its seasonal best.
I love the idea that something so familiar can be transformed into something completely unexpected. Sweetcorn already has a natural sweetness, particularly when it has been warmed by the summer sun, so perhaps it isn’t such a strange idea after all.
For my version, I have taken the idea and made it completely plant-based, using soya cream and tofu instead of dairy cream and egg yolks. The tofu gives the ice cream a lovely creamy texture, while allowing the sweetcorn itself to remain the star of the recipe.
There is something very kisetsukan about this ice cream. Its beautiful golden yellow colour reflects the fields of late summer, while the sweetness of the corn captures the warmth of the season.
It is also a lovely example of shiki no aji “the taste of the seasons.” Rather than simply eating an ingredient because it is available, we are celebrating it at a particular moment in the year.
So if you have never tried sweetcorn ice cream before, don’t be put off by the unusual combination. Think of it as summer captured in a scoop sweet, creamy, golden and just a little bit unexpected.
Recipe For Sweetcorn Ice Cream
Ingredients:
x1 corn on the cob “husk removed”
150ml of single soya cream
30g of sugar
60g silken tofu
A few drops of vanilla essence/extract
Method:
1. Steam the corn and then remove the kernels
2. Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into a container, cover and freeze, stirring half way to break up the ice crystals. (You can go one step further and put the semi frozen ice cream back in the blender then pour back into your container.)
5. Scoop into a chilled glass and enjoy
Abel & Cole
I have been an Abel & Cole customer for over 12 years, loving their Fruit, Veg and Produce which is 100% organic, seasonal goodness. Abel & Cole veg is chemical free and with no needless plastic, just fresh, flavourful produce the way nature intended.
I’m so pleased that I have teamed up with them again this September to offer all my followers an “Amazing Discount Code”offering you not one but a whole months worth of 1/2 priced small fruit & veg boxes.
Yes your first x4 boxes 50% off !
Organic & responsibly grown
No pesticides, no nasties
Minimal, recyclable packaging
Supports sustainable British farming
It’s food that’s as real as it gets. Let’s unprocess what we eat one box at a time, by making delicious homemade food.
Use my exclusive discount code TOKYOPONY50 at the checkout
Don’t fancy any of the items in the box ?
You can also swap them reducing food waste!
It’s a perfect way to feel Kisetsukan “a sense of the seasons”
Look out for more recipe ideas over the following weeks on my instagram as we celebrate the seasonal change together.
I have used pumpkin before but the colour is supposed to be more yellow than orange. Mash the tofu with the squash. To one of the other bowls add a teaspoon of sifted matcha. Then add your Shiratama flour around 2 and 1/2 tablespoons to each until a dough forms. Roll each dough ball into logs and cut into sections.
2. Make your dough into little moon balls .
3. Boil them until they float .
4. Drop them into ice water
Add the chopped burdock, carrots, daikon radish, lotus root and taro and simmer for 10-15 minutes then add the kabocha and tofu. 
Add two tablespoons of tamari or soy sauce and one tablespoon of mirin. When the kabocha is tender add the azuki beans, as they are already cooked you just need to heat them through. You can also add a little green vegetables for colour if you wish.
Drain the kabocha 
Lay 6 shiso leaves out on to a surface. Scoop up balls of dough with floured hands and work each ball into a patty. Lay each patty onto a shiso leaf, keep doing this until all your dough has been used. Then push some flaked almonds into the surface and maybe a sprinkle of black sesame seeds if you have some.
Lift the fritters out of the oil on to some kitchen towel to absorb any oil. Serve warm with sweet azuki beans.
To make Shimi-dofu place a pack of tofu still in its original water in the freezer and freeze until completely hard. Then remove from the freezer and leave to defrost (I normally do this over night).
Then added cabbage and leek next, Japanese sweet potato, daikon radish and lotus root, sliced onion and carrot.
The basic layered stew uses three types of vegetables: mushrooms, onions, and carrots. However you can use other seasonal vegetables.
Make diagonal slices in the tofu be careful not to cut all the way down, this will help soak up the marinade and also give it that flaky fish texture when cooked.
Lightly dust the tofu on the cut side without the nori with potato starch. Heat some oil in a frying pan and gently lift the tofu into the pan. Fry until the nori is crispy then flip the tofu over to brown the other side. Remove and put to one side.
Japan is only the second nation after France to have its national cuisine designated heritage status.
Satoimo have a rough textured, earthy brown skin with fibrous hairs, similar to a coconut. Satoimo is high in fibre, containing vitamin C and the B group of vitamins, they also contain more potassium than any other potatoes. Taro is low in calories and when heated is easy to digest.
The heated slurry becomes Nigo and is then squeezed to separate soyamilk and okara (soy bean pulp).
Tofu slabs are then cut into 300g sizes and packed into individual containers.
The packs of tofu are filled with water, sealed and go into a pasteurisation system for 3.5 hours. Finely the tofu is checked for weight and quality .
First drain your tofu from the packet and wrap gently in kitchen towel to soak up any excess liquid. Unwrap the tofu and add to a large bowl and mash the tofu, then take out two tablespoons, you can use this in a smoothie or dessert later, or make extra pumpkin dango with extra shiratamako.
Add one tablespoon at a time of shiratamako and start to combine it cream the tofu adding more until it forms into a stiff dough (people say to think of what an ear lope feels like and this is what dango should feel like when you press it). I like to add it in stages like this so you get the correct consistency and you can use your judgment as you go rather than weighing it out and tipping it all in at once. I used just under a 130g pack of shiratamako flour to make 15 dango balls.
Split the dough in two then into four equal portions and roll them out into a log shape. Cut the logs into four equal portions and then roll each portion into a ball.
Heat up a large pan of boiling water and drop your dango balls into the boiling water, when they float to the top give them a one extra minute and they are done. 
Scoop them out using a strainer and drop them into iced water for 30 seconds. 
Transfer to a plate lined with parchment so they don’t stick. If you would like to arrange an offering to the full moon you can stack them in a pyramid shape having three rows of three balls then two rows of two balls on top finishing with two balls to make fifteen altogether to represent the lunar calendar 15th night. Some people like to finish with two pumpkin dough balls on top this is easy to do by just adding some steamed pumpkin when making your dough. Just add a tablespoon of precooked pumpkin to some of the tofu and keep adding a little of your flour the same until a dough forms.
Enjoy by relaxing and celebrating at home 
Roll each portion into a ball and form into a teardrop shape. Drop the dango into boiling water again until they float leaving them a little longer to cook through.
Flatten with a rolling pin between muslin cloth then add a teardrop dango to the middle, fold over the cloth so that the anko covers the outside of the dango.
It has many medicinal properties used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 3,000 years helping fight viruses, bacteria and strengthening immunity, it is also high in vitamins B,C,E and K . This fruit is very popular in Okinawa the southern most prefecture of japan and one of the world’s five blue zones (where people live the longest). It must be an important fruit over there as they even have a day spent honouring it.
Fu (dried wheat gluten)
Cut the Goya lengthways and scoop out the seeds and inner white pith then slice. Place the goya slices in a bowl with x2 teaspoons of salt, rub the salt into the goya and leave for ten minutes.
After this time rinse with cold water then blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds.
Plunge the Goya in cold water to stop the cooking process and sprinkle with a few drops of mirin to add sweetness.
When everything is prepared add a few teaspoons of sesame oil to a pan and start to stir fry the onion and peppers. 
Then add your fu or spam replacement then the bean sprouts, goya and baked tofu.
Serve with rice pickles and miso soup.
You may of quenched your thirst with Ramune or 
Don’t be afraid of overfilling the pan. Professional takoyaki vendors always overfill the wells of the pan. You will eventually tuck in the excess batter underneath and it’ will still cook up a perfectly round dumpling.
