When I was staying on the farm in Fukushima, the kids would lead us in a little pre-eating chant that I hesitate to call grace, but anyway, a pre-meal chant.
o te te o pon!
oishii gohan
itadakimasu!
Which roughly means, "Hands together! Yummy rice, itadakimasu!"
Adults mostly just say the itadakimasu part. I'm not sure what the literal translation would be, but it's what you say before you eat and both has the connotations of bon appetit as well as thanking your host for the meal. You bring your hands together and bow slightly as you say it all together in unison. Then you can start!
When you're done eating, you do the same thing but instead you say gochisousamadeshita, thank you for the delicious food, more or less. Again there's both a sense of thanking the host or chef, and saying that the food was delicious, and maybe even thanking the food for being delicious. At a restaurant you say it to the staff as you're leaving.
Gochisousamadeshita, Japan!
Edited to fix the spelling mistake I persistently made. Thanks to Raph for pointing it out. He also points out that itadakimasu is usually translated as "I humbly receive".
Edited to fix the spelling mistake I persistently made. Thanks to Raph for pointing it out. He also points out that itadakimasu is usually translated as "I humbly receive".
1 comment:
Thank you for this wonderful blog!!! I feel like I am getting to know Japan from far away and its enticements are growing with every description and insight shared by you. I hope that you are finding a pace that works for you. I can't offer you advice for such a long journey but am keen to learn from you how to find the balance of experience and relaxation.
XOXO
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