Tsukimi

Tsukimi (月見) or moon viewing is celebrated in Japan on the eighth month of the lunar calendar, which,  this year fell on September 22. Although rain was predicted, the skies remained clear, and the rising harvest moon was brilliant. Traditionally various autumn vegetables and fruits are set out as offerings of gratitude along with susuki grass and pyramids of mochi dango. When we lived in a house that had a garden patch of susuki we would set up the foods by a window where the moonlight shone in.

Round foods are often on our dinner menu on tsukimi nights:

rounds of carrots and shiitake beside a tsukimi burger

dango with azuki and and montblanc with chestnut

and this week's tsukimi menu--skewers of tsukune (chicken meatballs), round tofu, sweet potato rounds in rice, zucchini rounds, , and, okay, salad in a round dish.

This year we were able to eat our tsukimi meal outside by candle- and moonlight. Perfect.