I take great interest in things that have a sense of history.
When I had a chance to visit the Roman Wall in London and touch the
structure that dates back to A.D. 200, it gave me goose bumps. I
felt the same sense of awe when I was a child, watching family
members cook and learning recipes. I knew it was something very
special.
I take great interest in things that have a sense of history. When I had a chance to visit the Roman Wall in London and touch the structure that dates back to A.D. 200, it gave me goose bumps. I felt the same sense of awe when I was a child, watching family members cook and learning recipes. I knew it was something very special.
We are fortunate in the South Valley to have many public gatherings that celebrate history and have a rich cultural value. Once again, it gives me goose bumps to think that we have a festival that combines history and grilling.
Next weekend marks the 46th annual Haru Matsuri festival at the Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center, one of the longest-running history-based festivals in the South Valley. According to the center’s Web site, the first festival, originally called “Oriental Food Sale,” took place in 1959. It grew to become the “Fall Festival” in 1962, and in 1965 it became the Haru Matsuri festival we know today.
Throughout the festival’s history, many long-standing traditions have continued. Music, art and food are just a few. In more recent years, the Northern California Taiko Expo and vendors of various items, including Asian Crafts and Arts, were added.
One of my favorite parts of the festival, besides the beautiful flower arrangements, is the food. From the festival’s first days, the Haru Matsuri featured a variety of fare. Beef teriyaki, sushi and manju – a traditional Japanese steamed cake – are some of the current favorites that will be available for purchase. The most popular item of the festival is the teriyaki chicken boxes, which contain half a teriyaki chicken, salad, steamed rice, half an orange and a fortune cookie.
Many of us have a general idea of what teriyaki is. There are a few restaurants that offer teriyaki as a sauteed mixture served over rice. However, these sorts of dishes are teriyaki only because of the use of teriyaki sauce – they’re not authentic teriyaki.
As I researched the meaning of the word, I learned “teriyaki” consists of two Japanese words. “Teri” means to shine or to luster, and “yaki” means broiling or grilling. Every traditional teriyaki sauce contains soy sauce and mirin, a thick and sweet version of sake. Some recipes I found feature variations that include ginger, green onion and garlic. Your favorite recipe for teriyaki will vary depending on your personal tastes.
There are a variety of ways to grill your own teriyaki chicken. Some recipes I found suggest marinating the chicken in teriyaki sauce a few hours prior to grilling. This helps the flavor penetrate the meat, but it also may create a little problem: Because teriyaki sauce contains sugar, it could lead to the possibility of burning. Other methods avoid this through constant basting or dipping the chicken in the teriyaki sauce halfway through cooking, a method I prefer to use with medium heat. Other methods suggest applying the sauce about 10 minutes before the chicken is finished cooking. How you choose to grill your chicken and when you decide to add the sauce also depends on your taste.
The following recipe for teriyaki sauce is very simple. It is the base of many recipes I found in my research. This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a few months. If you decide to add other ingredients such as fresh ginger, green onion or garlic to make the recipe your own, use the sauce immediately.
Mirin is sold at many grocery stores and can be found in the wine section or the Asian foods section. The Haru Matsuri festival bottles the teriyaki sauce they use for their chicken, and the bottles will be for sale at the festival. If you decide to marinate your chicken in the sauce prior to grilling, take special care to have a fire of medium heat, and check for possible burning.
Haru Matsuri
What: 46th annual Haru Matsuri festival, featuring Asian arts, crafts and food
When: 10:30am April 2
Where: Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center, 16450 Murphy Ave. in Morgan Hill
Teriyaki Sauce
From Mitch Mariani
1 part soy sauce
1 part mirin
Step 1: Mix the soy sauce and mirin in a small pot and simmer over medium low heat for a few minutes.
Step 2: Cool the teriyaki sauce if you will be marinating the chicken. If you are not marinating the chicken, you may use the sauce immediately.
