Nanakusa-gayu is a rice porridge with seven spring herbs. If you live in the country, you can pick the herbs (which are really just weeds) along the edges of fields and roads. Here in the city, we buy them in plastic containters at the supermarket.
The combination of herbs and rice is thought to cleanse the system after too much rich holiday food. And eating nanakusa-gayu on January 7th ensures health throughout the year. Or so they say. It was part of last night’s dinner, so we will see how the year pans out.
