Canadian Japanese Dietary Habits on Festival Occations.

Abstract

Purpose: In quest of identity as Japanese in terms of dietary habits of Japanese Canadians who live in Flazer Vally, Steveston, Vancouver, Canada. Summary: 225 Japanese Canadians who are sons and daughters of Japanese immigrants, and grandsons and granddaughters of Japanese immigrants, aged from 27 to 90, were interviewed in September and October, 1992.
Results: 1.They have Western events (Christmas, Halloween and Easter) and Japanese events (Shougatu-New Year's Day, Bon-the day on which the souls of one's ancestors return to this world for a visit, Doll's Festival and New Year's Eve) in parallel. Special food They cook at home on these festival events are of traditional style. They cook typical food to celebrate Japanese events are Sekihan {red rice-Mochigome (glutinous rice) mixed with azuki (pour beans) and steamed}, Sushi, Nishime {consists of artistically arranged boiled vegetable such as carrots, gobo (burdock root), renkon (lotus roots), Konnyaku (devils tongue jelly)} and Manjyu (the most popular form of wagashi-Japanese cake). They make the jelly themselves.
2.Zoni, cooked on New Year's Day, is mainly of the kind which prevails in the western part of Japan, miso soup or plain soup with unbaked rice cakes.
3.BC roll is one of Canadian type dishes, and is popular as a dish served in restaurants as well as California roll.
4.Chow-men has been popularized as a special dish for Canadian Japanese on festival occasions.