In my area, the days are quite hot, ranging from 35-40° Celsius during the day. Hot summers are normal in Japan, but it seems to be getting hotter every year. We have to spend our time with care.
Now, have you ever heard of the Midsummer Day of the Ox? Yesterday was just that day. The day of the ox means the “ox” in the Chinese zodiac. We customarily eat eel on a midsummer day of the ox in Japan.
According to one theory, during the Edo period, at the suggestion of a man named Hiraga Gennai, eel restaurant that had low sales in the summer were forced to put up signs saying “Today is the day of the Ox” and they became very prosperous. Later, other eel shops began to imitate him, and the custom took root.
Eels are high in nutritional value, and they also have an appetite-enhancing effect, which they say helps prevent summer fatigue.
In recent years, demand has increased in China and prices have tended to rise, so it is not an easy food to eat, but it is still one of the foods that I would like to eat on a regular basis.
<Reference> 土用の丑の日を英語で説明してみよう！うなぎは英語で何て言う？, 【7月】「土用の丑の日」になぜ、うなぎを食べるの？, 「うなぎ」価格高騰 “稚魚不漁”で争奪戦 頼みの中国も…メニュー進化で国内需要増
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