What's this?

Do you know what this is?

Last night Y-kun brought me pumpkins, eggplant, chili peppers, cucumbers, beans, chestnuts and THIS!  

 

He was so happy with himself.

   

 Y-kun still brings me things weekly.  In the summer months it has been vegetables and let me tell you, Tetsu and I are eating well!  I think Y-kun must go out to his grandfather's field and pull up vegetables himself because he always arrives at my house sprinkling dirt here and there and his hands are FILTHY!  He has definitely learned the English phrase,

"Please wash your hands!"

This is ginger.  Wow, I have bought ginger but hadn't realized how these little nubs can be used.  Y-kun claimed that his grandparents eat the nubs raw with miso (fermented bean paste) spread on them.  

"Okay...  Let's try it."

And we did.  

"Wow!  That ginger packs a strong punch!!!"

Y-kun gasped and asked for a drink of water.  

"How can my grandparents eat this stuff?"

I don't think I'm going to eat raw ginger much either.  This ginger will find its way into my cooking.

 

I gave Y-kun my camera (a teacher has to trust her student... even if he is a hyper) and he took some pictures, including the top photo by holding the ginger up with one hand.  Pretty good picture, huh!  (And I took this picture of Y-kun with my little Sony that is slowly giving out...)