Ebi no Garlic Shoyu Itame
(Stir-fried Shrimp in Garlic-Soy Sauce)

Garlic is one of the main ingredients in Mediterranean dishes. In Spain where I live, there are lots of dishes with garlic, such as garlic soup, garlic bread, and alioli sauce. As I love the taste of garlic, I sometimes mix it with soy sauce, just to add a slightly Japanese flavor.
Garlic originated thousands of years ago, probably in central Asia. It was introduced into Japan through China around the 8th century. But popularity came slowly to the lowly bulb. This may be related, in part, to a legend about Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543−1616), the founder of the Edo era and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. According to this legend, he died of food poisoning after eating an extremely large helping of his favorite food, tempura with garlic sauce. Its ill fame is also reflected in the facts that eating garlic was forbidden to samurai and nobility, and Tibetan monks could not enter monasteries if they had done so.
These prohibitions against garlic were possibly related to its long-standing reputation as an aphrodisiac. It is usually recognized as healthy − but sometimes considered too healthy for refined society. However, the situation changes when seen from a European context.
In Europe, garlic has always been used more and enjoyed a much better reputation. As a matter of fact, it was believed to ward off vampires, as often shown in horror stories and movies. It was thought to be chewed by Greek Olympian athletes and to be important for guarding themselves from evil. Roman soldiers ate garlic to inspire them and give them courage.
Such uses could be partly because garlic was known to have various health benefits − such as destroying bacteria, keeping your heart healthy, warding off coughs and colds − all of which have been confirmed by modern science. It is also interesting to know how differently garlic is considered, depending on the continent. For example, dreaming that there is a bulb of garlic in the house is supposed to mean good luck, whereas dreaming about eating garlic is said to symbolize the discovery of hidden secrets.
Of course its smell has been cited many times in literature. References even appeared in the Tale of Genji (11th century), a classic work of Japanese literature (sometimes called "the world's first novel"). The Roman poet Horace disliked its smell and considered it to be a sign of evil spirits. Shakespeare also mentioned garlic in A Midsummer-Night's Dream, "And, most dear actors, eat no onions nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath." In Don Quixote, one of Spain's most famous novels, eating garlic is discouraged "for its smell will reveal that you are a peasant."
Garlic gained popularity in Japan after the Meiji era. Its increasing popularity, especially over the last few decades, has given rise to garlic festivals all over the world. In Japan, Ichinoya-yasaka shrine in Ibaraki prefecture has an annual garlic celebration. The name was taken after an anecdote in which garlic used to be distributed to local people to ward off evils. Many garlic festivals take place across the States and the U.K.: in the towns of Delray Beach, Florida, and Gilroy, California (one of the world's largest and most well known), as well as on the Isle of Wight.
Since soy sauce is essential in Japanese dishes, garlic-soy sauce can be a tasty and useful element for fusion recipes where East meets West. This sauce can be used in any kind of stir-fry, but this time I'm using it with stir-fried shrimp.

Written by Yuko Tamaki-Welply
A member of TranNet and freelance translator based in Southern Spain

♦ INGREDIENTS
(4 servings)
T   = tablespoon
t   = teaspoon
c   = cup
g   = gram

160 g  shrimp
80 g   mushrooms, especially "oyster" mushrooms (hiratake)
2       garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 T     extra-virgin olive oil
1 t     soy sauce

♦ How to make Stir-fried Shrimp in Garlic-Soy Sauce
1. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over low heat until golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the shrimp, stirring until the tail curls (about 2-3 minutes).
3. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry until the aroma starts to come out.
4. Add soy sauce, continuing to stir the shrimp and mushrooms. Stir for about 1 minute and it's ready to serve!

Fish species are written using a variety of kanji. Each epecies has its own kanji name. It's said that not all such kanji names originated in China: many were created in Japan. Let's study the origins and meanings of fish names.