Christmas Fu
Can you guess what this is?
Contrary to what most of you will guess, this is not a peppermint candy. It is beautifully colored Japanese Fu. What is “fu” you might ask. It is the Japanese name for wheat gluten – yes, the wheat gluten that people with celiac disease try so hard to avoid. In some Asian countries, wheat gluten is eaten as a vegetarian source of protein or as an interesting addition to soups and other dishes. You can read all about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_gluten_(food)
This particular piece looks like it’s ready for Christmas simply because the Japanese like their food to be pretty. They are turned off by some of the bright artificial colors that are used in western foods, but often make very beautifully colored foods using various plant extracts. This particular fu was served in a clear broth with some very thin onion and mushroom as part of the dinner we had this past Friday night with the Koikawa family. Mrs. Koikawa (who is a deaconess at the Lighthouse Church) and her daughter are both Christians, but her son and husband are not.
The Koikawa family along with us and our friend Megumi.
Speaking of things that look like candy, today was a candy holiday in Japan called White Day. Due to a mix-up (that I will have to save for another post), White Day became the day in Japan for men to give the women in their lives candy. In Japan, White Day and Valentine’s Day are celebrated similarly to how children in America do, giving something to various friends as opposed to romantic interests.
Pray for many of the women at the Lighthouse Church (and across Japan) who have unsaved husbands and other family members. Pray that they would be able to live out their faith while being a good example to their husbands.