Room Forty

Baking and mindfulness day!

I’ve just been asked about our festive afternoon tea in a box (eek). I’ve definitely set some dates aside for people who want a small order, but if there’s 10 or more people I will do them on any date to suit you £20 per person. I’ll post the dates for smaller numbers later and include in the newsletter if you’re signed up !

Join this Wednesday as we teach you step by step to make autumnal cinnamon buns, English muffins and crumpets. This class loved it! Who’s in?? 30 October. Lymm. 6pm. £65 no booking fees!!

Another couple for the definitely ‘No Way am I eating that’s. This was the only stall we saw selling sparrow, for which I’m grateful, but we have noticed that there are not many birds around, even when we were in the mountains🧐?!

From one tea lady to another, passing on knowledge across the world! And what better way to celebrate almost 40 years of friendship, and our love of tea, than with a traditional tea ceremony in Kyoto, Japan with @maikoya.kyoto. It was my first time making matcha, which is everywhere in Kyoto - ice cream, lattes, yoghurts, cocktails, you name it and you can find matcha in it! Our host June took time to explain the meaning of the ceremony, just as I do in England in our tea parties, and dressing up just added to the special occasion. The kimonos are beautiful! I’d definitely recommend the experience if you’re ever in Kyoto! #teaceremony #kyoto #tealady

Have you ever tried one? Sometimes I have to just accept that there are foods out there that I just don’t want to eat, but am curious about! This cracker with a flattened prawn in it 🦐 is one of the things that I saw on the market in Osaka yesterday and was fascinated by. But it didn’t tempt me, nor the puffer fish. I wonder if it is crunchy? And if you’re supposed to eat the candy floss with the cracker - it’s certainly a strange combination for one stall to sell together, don’t you think? Have you ever tried one ?? 🤔 #japan #seafoodcracker

The fish here is so fresh and supersized. That tuna weighed 150kg! I’m trying to limit myself to how many pictures I take as I could just spend all day gawping at the wonders of Osaka. If you love food, this is your place. There’s Kobe beef 🥩 everywhere too!

I’ll have a lifetime supply of these joyful biscuits please!!!

Kinosaki is such an amazing small town to visit on the coast of Japan. It was a gift that kept on giving at every turn. Our traditional Ryokan was beautiful, with superb hospitality. The festival of the fighting shrines was confusing but spectacular fun to watch. Think Lymm rugby club lads at the May Queen strapping their pillows to their backs to carry the most enormous shrines, with people inside them beating drums. We were a little worried at times that they would topple over (I think they were too!). A morning hike up mountain Daishi was perfect as there was no one around so I had the place to myself, maybe that’s because of the warning of bears 🐻 or because the temples were closed because of the festival, I’ll never know. And the Onsen were a total experience in themselves. Very hot natural waters in communal (female baths) that you bathe in each evening. Generations bathe together, and benefit from the healing waters, in respectful silence of course. And if you love fish, this is the place to come. There’s not many vegetarian options here, but we did get pizza last night, just for a change 😅. Next stop Osaka. #japan #japantrip #lymmrugbyclub #kinosaki

How to boil an egg. This was an unexpected breakfast after a hike up mount Daishi this morning. I’d seen a lady eating boiled eggs, and asked the stall if I could have one. She passed me a bag of eggs and a leaflet to cook them, in the Onsen outside. These spring waters are 80 degrees at the source, next to the stall, and therefore boil your egg in 11 minutes. By the time the water reaches the Onsen spa baths they’ve cooled to a still roasting 60 degrees 🥵. I’m reluctant to leave Kinosaki as it’s been so interesting, but tomorrow we head to Osaka - the capital of food! Bring it on 🇯🇵

The dinner tonight was like a bush tucker trial. As I generally am vegetarian but eat a little fish. This was an excellent meal from our ryokan, but a little too much for me! A lot of raw fish, but also some conga eel soup, snail 🐌, and fish head…. All served in our own private dining room.

A real life Bento box Sunday lunch, at around 200 miles an hour on the infamous Shinkansen 🚅. Buying and eating the meal was an adventure in itself. Step one, navigate the bento 🍱 shop in Tokyo station. Not for the faint of heart or, indeed vegetarians as there was literally no option. I found a couple of boxes with fish, and no added animals - there are pictures to help guide you. Step two, pay on a machine (the man took pity (as have so many others) and helped me. Step three open the stunning box, which had it not had fish in, I might have kept, and see what I’d bought. It’s a very pot luck experience as all I saw is what you see here - the pretty box and word sushi, without a symbol of a pig, chicken or cow! Step four decide how to eat it. I thought, and now it does seem very silly, that you eat the leaf, like stuffed vine leaves. What I got was a very tough leaf 🍃. On the second I opened it, and voila, a little perfectly formed sushi 🍣. Added some ginger and devoured. Alys guide book explains what it actually is, and how to eat it. If only she’d read that chapter an hour ago …. And now for a six hour journey to a very different part of Japan, and more traditional experience. Kinosaki Onsen here we come.