miso soup | oh my omiyage

– Shijimi Clams (here) –

I have never been able to avoid getting nasty hangovers. The Japanese have been dealing with this problem for centuries and have found a simple cure: shijimi clams. Technically, the proper name for the part of shijimi clams that helps you get over a hangover is called ornithine. Ornithine is an amino acid that is naturally made by the body and has shown to remove liver toxins and reduce the effects of cirrhosis of the liver and liver disfunction. It also helps support muscle growth and fight the signs of aging.

– Shijimi Clam Miso Soup by Nagatani-en –

Nagatani-en’s Shijimi Miso Soup has 70 times the power of shijimi claims in one serving. I’m not sure if this equates to 70 times the hangover-curing power, but I do know that it tastes great. Plus there’s nothing like a warm bowl of soup (or pho for that matter.. but that’s another post) after a night out. It was released in 2009 but has been popular ever since. They have expanded to other flavors and mixes too. There are other brands that also use shijimi clams, but this is the only one I know with the most potency and strongest shijimi flavor. For about 120 yen a pack, what’s to lose? You can buy it through Rakuten, Yahoo and their online store.

– Nagatani-en’s range of products –

Last week, I featured packaged mochi from the supermarket. I want to share with you a simple and quick recipe using this mochi, soy sauce, and nori! Nori (pronounced: noh-rlee) is Japanese for seaweed. Aside from the typical nori used for sushi and hand rolls in the US, I never knew there were so many types of nori … but that’s for another day :)

I learned this recipe from (…get ready for it…) my husband! We typically eat this for breakfast or as a snack. Interesting tidbit: this snack is called yakimochi, which is also synonymous for jealousy in Japanese. Like mochi, jealous people ‘puff up’ when they’re heated!

Prep Time: 0 min (<- awesome, right??)
Cooking Time: ~10 minutes
Servings: 1

Materials Needed:
– 1 packaged mochi ‘block’
– a strip of nori
– soy sauce to taste (~2tbsp)

1. Grill the mochi for approx 10 minutes, until the mochi puffs up.
2. Pour soy sauce on the mochi. If you’re unsure about how much flavor to use, you could also use the soy sauce as a dipping sauce instead.
3. Wrap the mochi in nori. Eat!

Other optional toppings & sides: hot sauce, tsukemono (Japanese pickles), rice vinegar, or miso soup! Hmm.. am I sensing a fun mochi bar idea?