The Ninja Diet of Feudal Japan

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  • Опубликовано: 23 май 2022
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    INGREDIENTS & RECIPE
    2 ⅓ cup (450g) raw sugar.
    ¼ teaspoon (1g) glutinous rice flour
    ¼ teaspoon (1g) non-glutinous rice flour
    3 tablespoons (19g) cinnamon
    A couple slices or (19g) yam
    ¼ cup (19g) dried lotus seeds
    2 tablespoons (19g) coix seeds
    An inch or (1g) Asian ginseng root
    1. Crush all of the ingredients and mix together.
    2. Line a steamer with parchment and add the mixture. Steam for 10 to 12 minutes or until the mixture has melted. Carefully remove the mixture and pour into a bowl.
    3. Stir until the mixture is cool enough to handle, but don't let it cool so much that it becomes difficult to shape.
    4. Shape the mixture into small balls then place them on parchment to fully cool and dry.
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Комментарии • 3,1 тыс.

  • @Null_Experis
    @Null_Experis 2 года назад +4670

    Just FYI, Japanese yams have FAR less water in them than western yams, so account for that if making these with western yams.

    • @RonJohn63
      @RonJohn63 2 года назад +160

      _Western_ yams as in "fat sweet potatoes"?

    • @zenkakuji3776
      @zenkakuji3776 2 года назад +192

      Although not the same flavor, I have substituted canned pumpkin for mashed yams. Definitely, the water content is different. Also, ginseng tea powder is a convenient way to add ginseng to this recipe without going through the challenges of crushing the dried root oneself. Not the same as using fresh yam or freshly crushed ginseng root, but practical alternatives.

    • @parkchimmin7913
      @parkchimmin7913 2 года назад +138

      @@RonJohn63 Yeah, for some reason, grocery stores in the US label sweet potatoes as yams when they look nothing alike.

    • @fluffytom82
      @fluffytom82 2 года назад +128

      @@RonJohn63 aren't yams and sweet potatoes completely different vegetables? To me, yams are whit/light yellow, and available in Asian and African stores. Sweet potatoes are deep orange (common) or purple (less common) and freely available in grocery stores.

    • @strider04
      @strider04 2 года назад +90

      @@fluffytom82 they are different, yams are from africa, and asia, where as sweet potatoes are from south america, they arent related at all

  • @Lauren.E.O
    @Lauren.E.O 2 года назад +648

    “Yes, these were ninja hardtack.” *(clack clack)*
    One day, there will absolutely be a video compilation of hardtack variations from around the world.

    • @TastingHistory
      @TastingHistory  2 года назад +126

      I’d love that

    • @Taolan8472
      @Taolan8472 2 года назад +31

      @@TastingHistory i think we'd all love that

    • @subtleknife1073
      @subtleknife1073 2 года назад +50

      This is slowly morphing into the hardtack channel, isn't it? (No complaints.)

    • @toneddef
      @toneddef 2 года назад +48

      Hardtack is this channel's nutmeg!

    • @limeparticle
      @limeparticle 2 года назад +12

      hardtack.gif

  • @gatocles99
    @gatocles99 2 года назад +824

    The "ninja" hunger pills were actually just common Japanese travel food of the era. Everybody made it and used it. Like Yesterday's hardtack and portable soup, and today's beef jerky and corn nuts for a road trip. That being said, it is very useful information.
    Also, some of the "hunger pills" had herbs that were specifically to prevent traveler's diarrhea.

    • @ThisNameWasTaken0
      @ThisNameWasTaken0 Год назад +91

      You’re right. I saw ninjas use it in the documentary ‘Naruto’.

    • @w415800
      @w415800 Год назад +7

      There is no way it's common, considering the cost of sugar alone

    • @jobi6953
      @jobi6953 Год назад +22

      @@w415800 There might have been some variation depending on what was available in different areas. My guess is the sugar is either substituted for honey or simply omitted completely.

    • @alexanderhood8993
      @alexanderhood8993 Год назад +4

      @@shadowsonicsilver6 well batman wasn't unintentional ninja considering that he was trained by a actual ninja and/or was trained by legendary assassin who In turned trained league of assassin who is quite literally a ninja clan so batman being a ninja wasn't accidental if you read about the lore of Batman training you'll find out that batman is a intentional ninja.

    • @sethguest781
      @sethguest781 Год назад +6

      Very true, can totally picture a ninja, far from his clan's castle, stopping in a secluded area somewhere to replenish his strength. Downing enough of these til he's satiated, moves on with his mission. Basically, going by your info, these were generally an early variety of MRE.

  • @hiselbii5326
    @hiselbii5326 2 года назад +452

    About the cut off heads: In ancient Japan when you killed someone in battle (or in an assassination), you had to take their head as evidence, so you could collect your reward later. But if you were in battle and killed a lot of people, carrying all those heads could be hard. That is probably why the scroll teaches us how to attach them on a horse. If you still had trouble carrying them all, you could just keep the nose and get rid of the head, since the nose could be enough to prove your kill.

    • @kirbyculp3449
      @kirbyculp3449 Год назад +53

      And now we know how the japanese Pinochio earned enough money to retire by the age of thirty.

    • @ltcinsane
      @ltcinsane Год назад +15

      The funny thing was they were apparently even sillier in the early samurai era, i remember reading of a case during the mongol invasions where a hot headed samurai lead his men in a fool hardy charge against the commander's advice got whooped came back with the remaining troops & demanded payment. XD

    • @RikuIshmaru
      @RikuIshmaru Год назад +52

      Another note here is that the “nose” also has to include the upper lip; as it was to include the mustache to prove that you didn’t try to turn in a woman for the reward.

    • @SarafinaSummers
      @SarafinaSummers 11 месяцев назад

      Why do you think there was a pyramid of ears and noses after the second world war in Korea, thanks to Japan?

    • @Serai3
      @Serai3 8 месяцев назад +20

      So basically, "be sure to save your receipts".

  • @Meoiswa
    @Meoiswa 2 года назад +853

    Loads of sugar, loads of flavor, and some ginseng and other medicinal things. These were basically energy drinks in solid form, very clever!

    • @DEADMALLANGEL
      @DEADMALLANGEL 2 года назад +102

      I was thinking the entire time "this is basically a feudal Japanese Monster" (as in the energy drink, not like... a yōkai)

    • @arobotwithepilepsie6053
      @arobotwithepilepsie6053 2 года назад +17

      I wonder what it would taste like if mixed in water...

    • @SimuLord
      @SimuLord 2 года назад +10

      @@DEADMALLANGEL Six of one, half dozen of the other... :D

    • @Ironclad17
      @Ironclad17 2 года назад +2

      G fuel

    • @mwater_moon2865
      @mwater_moon2865 2 года назад

      Bonus is that cinnamon contains coumarin which is an appetite suppressant-- much like caffeine in energy drinks. Be careful though, it's also bad for you in high quantities (was a rat poison) -- much like caffeine....

  • @joshuakim5240
    @joshuakim5240 2 года назад +2398

    These might have not been the main diet of ninjas, but rather something similar to chocolate in world war rations: emergency energy boosters. It would explain the absurd quantity of sugar and why it's recommended to feed to horses for energy since they'd be energy supplements.

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja 2 года назад +92

      These seem a bit tastier than D rations.

    • @darthplagueis13
      @darthplagueis13 2 года назад +154

      Most certainly. If you were to live on nothing else but these for a few days, you'd probably run into a bunch of issues, chief among them probably constipation (because they're basically all sugar and no fiber) and possibly some health issues related to the copious amounts of cinnamon in these, since cinnamon contains coumarin which is not healthy in large quantities.

    • @typhvam5107
      @typhvam5107 2 года назад +55

      makes perfect sense, better than using rice for those purposes, also sugar keeps fairly well as it kills bacteria so far lower chance of something made predominantly made of sugar of spoiling.
      The roots i wonder what are they for, probably some herbal medicine thing, if it has any real effect or not would be curious to know. The cinnamon balances out the sugar (and gives flavour), i can see this working fairly fine for a week or two

    • @lushedleshen
      @lushedleshen 2 года назад

      @@darthplagueis13 the coumarin thing is a myth. The quantities of herbs you’d need to consume to get a medically significant side effect are absurd.
      This stems from the FDA cracking down on companies using pure coumarin as an adulterant to replace vanilla. In THOSE quantities, yeah, I’d be concerned.
      Coumarin is technically a precursor to a blood thinner, but it’s not going to spontaneously react and become a blood thinner in your digestive tract.

    • @swytchblayd
      @swytchblayd 2 года назад +45

      Pre-modern era energy boosters. Makes sense.

  • @00Klingon
    @00Klingon 2 года назад +158

    Fun fact: Kaopectate used to use a form of clay as an active ingredient called 'Kaolinite' to absorb toxins and sooth the stomach. Today they use Bismuth subsalicylate which is the same active ingredient in Pepto. A compound derived from minerals. It would seem that Ninja knew their medicine.

    • @thatalbinofurry6855
      @thatalbinofurry6855 11 месяцев назад +4

      Kaolinite? Like, as in kaolin clay, which is commonly used as a clotting agent in bandages?

    • @joshuawells7415
      @joshuawells7415 8 месяцев назад +3

      ​@@thatalbinofurry6855Kaolin clay has been eaten to soothe nausea in what is now Georgia since before the colonists arrived.

    • @tilasole3252
      @tilasole3252 7 месяцев назад +2

      Charcoal can also help with toxins or poisons in the body. And as a lining in clothes as a first defense from chemical attacks. And used for water filtration.

  • @mokko759
    @mokko759 2 года назад +248

    The type of yam might be more important than we realize. It is possible the intended yam was not just your regular sweet potato, cook-it-in-a-stew style yam. It might actually have been a konjac yam ( which isn't actually a yam at all but that's what people call it). The yam itself has so-so nutritional value but its starch is used to make foods gelatinous and springy. I wonder if by using the konjac yam, it would improve the texture and workability of the energy balls.

    • @MrAsaqe
      @MrAsaqe 2 года назад +13

      Technically they are used for proper ration pills which used the following
      For carbs you had millet and buckwheat, though wealthier rural tribes can set aside some hulled rice flour instead.
      For protein, tofu and cereals rich in protein was used as well as dried fish. Since there was a meat eating ban, something like salted/corned meat would be seen as a last resort item.
      Then came the dietary supplement parts for fat and fiber, plant oil, pickled plums and medicinal plants will help fortify the ration pills.
      Additives was finally added for both preservation and flavor, honey, alcohol amd vegetable was added to make the pill relatively edible or be able to be cooked.
      Finally flavorings were added to hide the flavor of less pleasant ingredients like dried fish.
      Usually it can eaten straight or turned to a porridge.

    • @sabin97
      @sabin97 Год назад +10

      i just wanna point out that a sweet potato and a yam are two completely different things.
      here we grow both.
      they both grow from a vine, underground, but the yam usually produces one or two pieces.
      the sweet potato usually produces many(unless you give it really bad conditions).
      and the yam tend to be white, while the sweet potato tends to be bright orange, or a green-ish colour....
      also the skin of the yam tends to be rather hard, like a thin bark.
      the skin of the sweet potato is pretty much like the skin of a potato.
      and lastly the taste.
      yams are very midly flavoured......while sweet potatos are...well...sweet....

    • @tams805
      @tams805 Год назад +15

      Only in the US do you mistakenly call sweet potatoes yams. The recipe calls for Japanese yam (yamaimo - 'mountain yam') - a true yam, not sweet potato.
      Konjac also isn't a true yam. A good guess as it is also used medicinally and is also a corm like yams. (Sweet potatoes are bulbs, not corms).

    • @mokko759
      @mokko759 Год назад +6

      ​@@tams805 Sweet potatoes are not bulbs. They are a tuber. Not the same thing at all.
      I actually looked into why the term yam and sweet potato are used interchangeably in the US and it's kind of stupid.
      Since sweet potatoes need a lot of heat and are not frost tolerant at all, they actually don't grow well in most of North America. Because of this, they were exported to Africa to be grown there in larger numbers (Instead of just growing them in much closer Central and South America where they originated but that's imperialism for you) When shippers from Africa started exporting sweet potatoes back into the US, they labelled them as nyami, a West African word for yam (even though it's not a yam) as a way of distinguishing the sweet potatoes from the regular potatoes people were used to.
      The name stuck.
      To make matters worse, the US Department of Agriculture requires the term yam to have the term sweet potato accompanying it.
      Luckily, here in Canada, sweet potatoes are indeed labelled as sweet potatoes and not yams but I've noticed many in the older generations still call them yams, likely from American cookbook influences.

    • @melonsodagirl
      @melonsodagirl 10 месяцев назад +1

      Came here to say this! The specific yama imo is also used in okonomiyaki for us texture/binding properties. It has a slimy/gooey consistency when grated finely

  • @slimee8841
    @slimee8841 2 года назад +2062

    "And they literally mean "hardbaked", and can last for years"
    YES, SAY IT
    "Yes, this were Ninja hardtack"

  • @FelisTerras
    @FelisTerras 2 года назад +386

    Since you're going to soak the kikatsugan three years, you can also make some soy sauce from scratch at the same time; since it takes at last two years to ferment to ripeness.

  • @joshschneider9766
    @joshschneider9766 2 года назад +192

    The Ninja museum in Iga is run by the Iga clans official grandmaster. He's mentioned these in several documentaries on ninja history. I'm sure he'd give you his recipe. They give demos on the weapons use, I can't see the food recipes being secret. Ill try and dig up the contact info if you want. Cheers as ever Max!

    • @owenparris7490
      @owenparris7490 9 месяцев назад +4

      Wait, they're still around?

    • @tilasole3252
      @tilasole3252 7 месяцев назад

      ​@@owenparris7490
      This may help a little. I heard some where there is a survivor of the clan, a descendent rather. But I do not think this link talks about it, but I can not find the other. ruclips.net/video/IoZ8xzGXh2I/видео.htmlfeature=shared

    • @Kamamura2
      @Kamamura2 6 месяцев назад +1

      Movie simulacra never die! ;-)

    • @necrophage5248
      @necrophage5248 4 месяца назад

      I could definitely see the particular recipes for the mission food being secret. Herbs and medicine in specific amounts. And prepared in ways to preserve the medicinal components. Like adding certain ones after cooking. Example Adding gensing in equal amounts as you roll the balls.

    • @MegaZeta
      @MegaZeta 2 месяца назад

      And the museum and the history of ninjutsu is a fraud originating in the mid-20th century, yes.

  • @nowknow
    @nowknow 2 года назад +186

    I think it's important to note that the yams in the original recipe were most likely neither western nor Japanese yams (both of which are from the Solanaceae family). For the time period it had to of used true yams (Dioscorea) often called African Yams and sometimes Chinese yams. These are a completely different vegetable than what you would find as a yam at your normal supermarket.

    • @sabin97
      @sabin97 Год назад +11

      i dont know why the anglosphere calls sweet potatos "yams".
      african yams are yams.....everything else, isnt.

    • @nowknow
      @nowknow Год назад +26

      @@sabin97 I actually know the answer to this! Slaves brought over from Africa didn't know what a potato was so they called them yams. Some slave owning farmers thought it would boost sales if they advertised their crop as "Sweet potato yams!" And it worked.

    • @sabin97
      @sabin97 Год назад

      @@nowknow
      slaves never got to name ANYTHING or decide on ANYTHING.
      look up what slavery was.
      yams are not potatos, they are not even remotely similar.

    • @nowknow
      @nowknow Год назад +26

      @@sabin97 lmao i never said slaves got to name them. It's what they called them because it was the only tuber vegetable they knew. The farmers (the slave owners) overheard this and turned it into a marketing brand.

    • @sabin97
      @sabin97 Год назад

      @@nowknow weird. first you say " i never said slaves got to name them", and then you say "It's what they called them"("they" being the slaves).
      the slavers didnt listen to slaves.

  • @regeoberon3676
    @regeoberon3676 2 года назад +1138

    Lots of video games have used things like "medicine balls" or "pellets" as healing items. I never really thought about it, but they were likely referencing these hyorogan. Medicinal ingredients thought to heal you from your injuries? Sounds like a video game item to me, but hey.

    • @EvanYoungMusic
      @EvanYoungMusic 2 года назад +74

      Pellets from Sekiro.

    • @user-hm4yi7um9d
      @user-hm4yi7um9d 2 года назад +70

      As soon as I saw this my head went to the food pills from Naruto.

    • @Meoiswa
      @Meoiswa 2 года назад +85

      Those pellets and pills are more closely related to medicinal ones, as in healing, and "cultivating" pills, secret alchemical recipes meant to "strengthen the Qi", reverse aging, or other mystical things.

    • @2avcrm
      @2avcrm 2 года назад +33

      now you just need to find the cat glowing in the sunlight and you are ready to start your quest.

    • @Narokkurai
      @Narokkurai 2 года назад +49

      Admittedly, medicinal pellets were fairly common in feudal Japan. An experienced physician would have known how to mix and combine all sorts of remedies into portable balls, which you could bite into or crush and dissolve into water. Hyōrōgan would have been in this tradition.

  • @robertcornhole5197
    @robertcornhole5197 2 года назад +1335

    The "ninjas wearing all black" image came from Kabuki theater, from the 17th century onwards!
    Without being able to dim the lights in between scene changes, stagehands wearing all black would rush in to change the set. It was supposed to indicate that they weren't part of the play and should be disregarded.
    So having a ninja character also wear black would mess with your expectations because you had been conditioned not to pay as much attention to them. Or they could even do some sneaky "4th wall" stuff where they blend in with the rest of the staff but SURPRISE! IT'S A SPY!

    • @eagle162
      @eagle162 2 года назад +36

      That's not actually true, that's a popular theory but doesn't hold water when ninja were in the story they were dress in flamboyant outfits.

    • @leongolgo9950
      @leongolgo9950 2 года назад +17

      I think if you saw a theatre hand operating outside of a production it wold be quite jarring.

    • @eagle162
      @eagle162 2 года назад

      @@AnimatedStoriesWorldwide sorry don't quite understand your broken English.
      Or half-assed attempt of a insult.

    • @Antonio-fl3nr
      @Antonio-fl3nr 2 года назад

      Nice

    • @icarusbinns3156
      @icarusbinns3156 2 года назад +7

      I think one particular theater would have the stage hands wearing all black, but if he was carrying a sword, then you’ll know he’s actually in the story. I think. Not totally sure on that.
      As a former stage hand, you’d think I would know it

  • @ralphralpherson9441
    @ralphralpherson9441 2 года назад +144

    I have more confidence in Max's ability to keep this channel interesting for 3 years than I do in RUclips Corporate keeping RUclips a relevant platform that long... I hope BOTH exist in 3 years, but if it had to be one or the other, my vote is for Max.

    • @thatwastakenagain
      @thatwastakenagain Год назад +6

      i almost wish this video was 3 years old and he makes a mr beast style video of the food

    • @Kamamura2
      @Kamamura2 6 месяцев назад +5

      Only 2 years to go now...

    • @christopherleatherwood1670
      @christopherleatherwood1670 6 месяцев назад +1

      1 year later and we are still here

    • @telebubba5527
      @telebubba5527 5 месяцев назад +1

      I soooo completely get you!

  • @Punkini
    @Punkini 2 года назад +95

    I love this channel so much. So much heart and passion goes into every single recipe, and the history lessons that come with them are super interesting. Reminds me a lot of watching those travel/history documentaries as a kid, but better. Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into your videos.

  • @rummskullvonchang
    @rummskullvonchang 2 года назад +463

    Some of these have echoes of dwarf bread. "The dwarf bread was brought out for inspection. But it was miraculous, the dwarf bread. No one ever went hungry when they had some dwarf bread to avoid. You only had to look at it for a moment, and instantly you could think of dozens of things you'd rather eat. Your boots, for example. Mountains. Raw sheep. Your own foot."

    • @sinvector8020
      @sinvector8020 2 года назад +49

      GNU Terry Pratchett

    • @spawniscariot9756
      @spawniscariot9756 2 года назад +27

      @@sinvector8020 Always missed, never forgotten

    • @susanmaxwell6033
      @susanmaxwell6033 2 года назад +12

      GNU Sir Terry.

    • @sethrivers5303
      @sethrivers5303 2 года назад +23

      The only baked good in the known universe that's improved by having cats pee on it!
      GNU PTerry; that was a hell of a mental image, though....

    • @Julia-lk8jn
      @Julia-lk8jn 2 года назад +6

      RIP Sir Terry Pratchett, we love you.

  • @sonipitts
    @sonipitts 2 года назад +1176

    Another fun bit of trivia: The information on how to properly tie someone up was called shibari, which some folks in the comments might recognize as the art of aesthetic erotic rope bondage. The whole point of OG shibari was to be able to control the restraints to achieve the desired result (including torture using stress positions and circulation impairment that could be tightened, shifted, and loosened readily and easily as well as in very specific ways and areas), and to ensure your restraints properly fit the size, build, strength, and shape of your captive, while at the same time ALSO creating a pleasing arrangement of ties and knots, because bob forbid you do anything in Japan, including restrain and torture your enemy, in a manner that isn't also artfully aesthetic 😆

    • @rebeccaburrow7199
      @rebeccaburrow7199 2 года назад +178

      They take "if you are going to do it you might as well do it well" to a whole new level 🤣

    • @Ristro44
      @Ristro44 2 года назад +55

      ... Now I'm curious how a legit torture method found its way into the erotica scene. Fascinating.

    • @zacharylandes5109
      @zacharylandes5109 2 года назад +123

      @@Ristro44 Funnily enough, being able to control the pressure and restraint of ropes on someone in order to position them how you may has use in that scene. It was kind of a natural development, I feel

    • @Earthenfist
      @Earthenfist 2 года назад

      @@Ristro44 I mean... whips. Chains. Hanging people from their arms... The 'plum'...

    • @sonipitts
      @sonipitts 2 года назад +44

      @@Ristro44 I mean...most of them have, tbh.

  • @kuriboh635
    @kuriboh635 2 года назад +39

    I made these about 5 years with ingredients from the local Asian market. My aunt loved them so much I only ate 3 and she would eat them at work. She would constantly ask me to make them but I never had the time before she passed but I've been thinking about making them again since I'm far closer to that market and it does taste great

    • @jugo1944
      @jugo1944 3 месяца назад

      I hope she didn't starve to death

  • @moguera
    @moguera 8 месяцев назад +11

    Fun fact about why Ninja are depicted dressed in black…It actually comes from Kabuki, and other forms of traditional Japanese theater. In Kabuki, the stage hands, called Kuroko, were always dressed in black. This was a form of visual shorthand, a signal to the audience that these people are “invisible” and are not an actual part of the scene or characters in it, and that they should be ignored. From there, the idea in popular culture was for ninja to dress in black because, thanks to that tradition from Kabuki, black symbolizes stealth and invisibility, so the audience is meant to perceive them as being stealthy…while still actually being visible to the audience for purposes of entertainment.

  • @zenkakuji3776
    @zenkakuji3776 2 года назад +455

    In feudal Japan, commoners were limited by law as to what color clothing fabrics they could wear. This included Indigo (blue) and brown so the recommendation for a ninja to wear these colors to blend in makes sense. Also, looking forward to the segment on making 飢渇丸 (Hunger balls) 3 years from now. May I suggest creating a short teaser segment now that includes just the creation of the sake infusion so some viewers can start their own sake soak in preparation as well??? Marking my calendar now! Arigatou!!!

    • @debrathornley2974
      @debrathornley2974 2 года назад +8

      Ooh! I will make the balls now too, if you provide us with the recipe! It could be a really fun livestream!

    • @23Lgirl
      @23Lgirl 2 года назад +3

      Ninjas are mostly a myth

    • @jemm113
      @jemm113 2 года назад

      @@23Lgirl not really. Every civilization has some form of espionage and Shinobi were a more institutionalized form of spy, not unlike the US’s, with people being trained in acts of espionage, survival, and fighting. The lack of texts is likely because people were taught directly from masters or regularly had their manuscripts destroyed to avoid techniques falling into the hands of enemies.
      Many were actually samurai themselves that disguised themselves for missions that could normally hurt their reputation. While some texts on ninjas are known to be fraudulent, a fair amount of it is historically accurate to the best of our knowledge. The ridiculous spy gadgets of the 20th century go a long way to dispel most doubt that spies in medieval times wouldn’t have come up with odd instruments of their own. Especially those that have been tested to work.

    • @marcosdheleno
      @marcosdheleno 2 года назад +26

      @@23Lgirl yes and no, they did exist, but of course, most of the modern imagery of ninjas are made believe. i wouldnt even put it past themselves as rumours they made on their own to scare and aquire more jobs. but basically they were spies and assassins. something that many cultures had as well. its just that they got their own lore and myths around them.

    • @zenkakuji3776
      @zenkakuji3776 2 года назад +12

      @@debrathornley2974 I searched for an original recipe posted on a Japanese forum, and this is the translation of the recipe. I have not confirmed with the original source. Note that there is a "fast-food" method for Ninjas on the go that just can't sit around for 3 years....
      Hunger Maru (Rounds or Balls) is a ninja's portable food that is written in the ninjutsu secret book "Bansenshukai" in the early Edo period.
      According to " Illustration / Ninja and Ninjutsu Definitive Edition-Ninja / Mystery / Secret Collection (History Group Image Series) ", "It is close to the taste of unripe bananas".
      How to make (3 grains)
      ① Ginseng 150g, buckwheat flour 300g, yam 300g, dried hakobe (ear grass) 15g, pigeon wheat 150g, rice cake flour 300g are all powdered, and 2 sho of sake is poured and mixed lightly.
      ② Leave it for 3 years until the sake dries. If you are in a hurry, put it on a fire to remove the water.
      ③ When the sake dries, knead it well and roll it into peach pit size balls (about 4 cm in diameter). It's done.
      .....
      Could a modern food dehydrator help out with the process? After all is said and done, these are expected to taste like unripe bananas. Hmmm. Not really my fave as far as tastes go. I actually prefer well ripened bananas. I guess as Hunger Balls go though, these might do the trick when starving. You certainly won't be tempted to gorge on your stash with that taste in your mouth! 🤣
      Itadakimasu!!! (A polite phrase offered before eating anything)

  • @Heydodoakskdkdjf
    @Heydodoakskdkdjf 2 года назад +510

    Cinnamon has a compound in it similar to insulin, and doses of medicinal cinnamon can help balance blood sugar. Some people with prediabetes will supplement with cinnamon because of that. My guess is that the huge amount of cinnamon helped prevent a sugar crash and keep them satiated longer.

    • @MegaGullas
      @MegaGullas 2 года назад +41

      If that's what the cinnamon does in these, and what it is for, that does bring up the question of how they learned that mixing cinnamon and sugar like that had the desired effect.
      What I wouldn't give to get to listen in on the discussions of the men whose teachings and knowledge went into ancient works of writing.

    • @thekingsbard6132
      @thekingsbard6132 2 года назад +76

      @@MegaGullas Probably just noticed via observation over time what it did. Most folk and herbal medicine was based on observations about what did and didn't work; it was largely conventional medicine that relied on things that were based on theory rather than on evidence (though there are some exceptions).

    • @mildryfrr9970
      @mildryfrr9970 2 года назад +9

      That’s actually genius

    • @RomanvonUngernSternbergnrmfvus
      @RomanvonUngernSternbergnrmfvus 2 года назад +4

      Thank you for sharing.

    • @ballboys607
      @ballboys607 2 года назад +33

      The cinnamon here would exacerbate a sugar crash, not help, if it actually did anything. Sugar crashes happen when there is too much insulin when the sugar is all gone, causing hypoglycemia. Cinnamon has been shown (in SOME studies) to increase insulin sensitivity, which would cause cells to consume too much sugar from the bloodstream. It's unlikely the purpose of the cinnamon here was to prevent hypoglycemia, but maybe it does help satiate.

  • @TheMiyacat
    @TheMiyacat 11 месяцев назад +21

    How is the sake soaking going Max! One year down, two to go!🙌 Thanks for another amazing episode

  • @CatchThesePaws
    @CatchThesePaws 2 года назад +21

    It’s so cool how energy bars today are very similar to these! I wonder how many foods are the same

  • @merrianith2589
    @merrianith2589 2 года назад +238

    "They weren't turtle, they were actually ALMOST exclusively human".
    Well, this left space for a tiny population of non-human ninjas.

    • @marcosdheleno
      @marcosdheleno 2 года назад +19

      well, there are tales of ninjas training and making use of various animals, mostly dogs, but also frogs(probably something like hidding something inside a frog, or in a lake with frogs).

    • @lhfirex
      @lhfirex 2 года назад +12

      This might account for some of the ninjas that worked for the samurai cats of Japan.

    • @mwater_moon2865
      @mwater_moon2865 2 года назад +9

      You need to meet my child's ninja gerbil. It climbs the top of its cage upside down ALL THE DANG TIME, runs on the outside of it's wheel, and happily leaps 3 times it's body length to snag the edge of a ledge she likes to be on-- even though there is literally a log toy that is an inch away from the ledge....
      Though once doing her acrobatics she fell and knocked herself out, gave us all a horrible scare, we thought she was dying.

    • @davidclark9619
      @davidclark9619 2 года назад +3

      Teenage mutant ninja tortoises

    • @Belgand
      @Belgand 2 года назад +1

      @@lhfirex Do any records survive of the pizza-like food that they traditionally prepared?

  • @kuchenjaeger2164
    @kuchenjaeger2164 2 года назад +568

    "Can you touch your nose with your toungue?" is a fun thing to ask at parties.
    "Can I count your teeth?" will never not make you sound like a serial killer.

    • @thecommonsenseconservative5576
      @thecommonsenseconservative5576 2 года назад +3

      What country are you in? That's a fun RUclips game

    • @janetmackinnon3411
      @janetmackinnon3411 2 года назад +7

      Hey , I'm a king!

    • @jacobb5484
      @jacobb5484 2 года назад +9

      @@janetmackinnon3411 seems like it’s based on the level of malnutrition and hygiene at the time.

    • @Gaspode257
      @Gaspode257 Год назад +2

      and now imagine the one you ask has 38 teeth xD

    • @geekfreak2000
      @geekfreak2000 Год назад

      A max quotes compilation should be made lol

  • @dmd_design
    @dmd_design Год назад +14

    I am an American living in Japan and these Japan videos are so wonderful. Japan’s food culture now, despite western influences still shows evidence of it’s past and some dishes have literally gone unchanged.
    A quick note, in Edo time period there was a particular type of red rice that was widely in use. Currently there are only two farmers that i know of who still grow it.
    In early 2020 I volunteered to help plant the rice. The farm uses no machines or chemicals. The water comes directly from a spring that comes from underneath Fuji-san and is filtered through volcanic rock.

  • @MelancholicKnight_
    @MelancholicKnight_ Год назад +5

    Love this channel, so great. Love the mix of the casual talking tone, the history lessons, and cooking parts, such a good mix. So interesting.

  • @jreese46
    @jreese46 2 года назад +300

    I remember reading about how the Army required emergency rations to taste ok but not great, so they would be edible but still there when you really needed them.

    • @kevinsullivan3448
      @kevinsullivan3448 2 года назад +19

      You just described the 1st generation of MREs as used by the US Army and Marines. On average, C-Rations tasted better, but the steel cans were a pain in the rear.

    • @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721
      @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 2 года назад

      Huh, that's got to be an entire art and science of its own.

    • @reddixiecrat
      @reddixiecrat 2 года назад +2

      Just add a little Texas Pete hot sauce and any MRE tastes good…almost

    • @thomasbecker9676
      @thomasbecker9676 2 года назад +4

      Enter Steve1989.

    • @jreese46
      @jreese46 2 года назад +2

      @@thomasbecker9676 The hero we never knew we needed.

  • @sean.alphonse
    @sean.alphonse 2 года назад +342

    About the head/nose thing, Japanese soldiers were often rewarded based on head collection of enemies. For samurai it was proof they'd done their duty, but for the average person having someone's head was like your job resume. Particularly after the rise of Oda Nobunaga who elevated peasant warriors (see Toyotomi Hideyoshi), people would bring heads to the local daimyo as a way to curry favor. Regular villagers and bandits would sometimes catch retreating or fleeing people of interest after campaigns if they could - after the Battle of Sekigahara, Ishida Mitsunari (whose forces had just lost) was captured by villagers and given to Tokugawa Ieyasu (who had won). After large battles or conflicts, daimyo would often have a "head-viewing ceremony" where the heads were washed and cleaned and had makeup applied and done up nice for the daimyo to inspect, sort of a way of seeing the prowess of your army in action. You mentioned Imagawa Yoshimoto - he was a powerful daimyo who was up against Oda Nobunaga in the race for Kyoto. The Imagawa army had taken a lot of territory initially and so Yoshimoto indulged himself in a little head-viewing ceremony and his army had taken off their armor because it was hot and started relaxing, which allowed Nobunaga to charge directly into their main camp from the mountains at Okehazama and they killed Yoshimoto. Tying heads to the horse was a way to show your achievements when the battle was done and to show you'd done your job if you were a samurai. If the head was too much or it would take a while, you could present noses instead especially if there were lots of dead - check out "hanazuka" or "nose tombs" and you'll find more information on it.

    • @Sphenkiller
      @Sphenkiller 2 года назад +74

      I mean, I'm pretty sure they cut off the noses to prevent the heads from smelling...

    • @esmith8818
      @esmith8818 2 года назад +25

      @@Sphenkiller Ha! I see what you did there

    • @LoJo
      @LoJo 2 года назад +5

      @@Sphenkiller boo! 🤣

    • @Ristro44
      @Ristro44 2 года назад +9

      Fascinating! Thankyou so much for sharing. I suppose everyone needs a head to move and a nose to breath (usually) so its more accurate than say a finger or an ear.

    • @dnisey64
      @dnisey64 2 года назад +1

      @@Sphenkiller 😂

  • @benmoi3390
    @benmoi3390 2 года назад +8

    when I saw the amount of sugar and the ginseng I thought exactly about energy drink... but in that case energy balls.

  • @AriadneDoCastelo
    @AriadneDoCastelo 2 года назад +8

    Hey Max! I've been your follower since you've started the channel. I love your content, recipes and stories. Your videos really brighten up my day. Above all, I appreciate your personal vibe, and you have been helping me fight depression. Thank you!

  • @chunkymilk
    @chunkymilk 2 года назад +710

    honestly impressed how you’re able to churn out quality videos so frequently.

    • @TastingHistory
      @TastingHistory  2 года назад +230

      I wish I could do more; it’s been a while since I’ve had a Drinking History. But thank you!

    • @justintr4888
      @justintr4888 2 года назад +39

      @@TastingHistory I'm still itching to know what's in that Easter Island bottle on one of the Drinking History shelves!

    • @TastingHistory
      @TastingHistory  2 года назад +82

      @@justintr4888 pisco from Peru

    • @Taolan8472
      @Taolan8472 2 года назад +9

      @@TastingHistory do you have a bar set up in the new place for Drinking History or will we be treated to the same lovely view of your kitchen?

    • @justintr4888
      @justintr4888 2 года назад +2

      @@TastingHistory Thanks! I looked it up, sounds tasty.

  • @faridmahnad4985
    @faridmahnad4985 2 года назад +443

    The feeling when new kitchen boy gives more correct educational content than “experts” on ninjas. Shoutout to Ashida Kim.
    P.S.: every samurai was obligated to present 4 heads or the head of a high ranking officer to his lord. Hence all the detail about cutting them. There is an entire culture about the way you tie the heads to your horse according to their ranks. And how to present them to the aforementioned lord.

    • @mariawhite7337
      @mariawhite7337 2 года назад +30

      OH! And you cut off the noses you are supposed to keep the upper lip because that is how you tell 'who' you killed via their facial hair! This is why it is said to do this if there is no time to slice off the head fully.

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja 2 года назад +1

      @@mariawhite7337
      Or at least prove that the person you’d killed was an adult male.

    • @Krageesh
      @Krageesh 2 года назад +4

      "Kitchen Boy"

    • @clogs4956
      @clogs4956 2 года назад +13

      Special call out to the Celts who were experts of head-taking and preservation.

    • @angelicamcd1165
      @angelicamcd1165 2 года назад +1

      I like all the details about making sure your own head is presentable should it be cut off.

  • @singledadadventures9809
    @singledadadventures9809 Год назад +3

    My son and I really enjoy your shows! He and I’ve even made a few of the recipes. This one will be added to our upcoming hiking season for sure. Would love to see more of these ninja and samurai recipes. Thank you

  • @jonathanpanlaqui1855
    @jonathanpanlaqui1855 10 месяцев назад +5

    Hyōrōgan is a ninja food made from sugar, glutinous rice, yam, lotus and coix (job's tears) seeds, cinnamon and ginseng root, used to provide energy for the ninjas, another kind of ninja food is a type of senbei (rice cracker) called katayaki senbei, a thick but hard senbei used as their ration to provide enough energy in case of ninja missions.
    And there's toy Greninja on the top of bamboo steamer near him.

  • @Lauren.E.O
    @Lauren.E.O 2 года назад +362

    I think these were probably the inspiration for soldier pills in Naruto, though the effect there is obviously magnified.

  • @ApprenticeWriter
    @ApprenticeWriter 2 года назад +249

    A note about the ginseng- please, PLEASE make sure you source that responsibly! The plant is getting more and more rare around the world, to the point where it's being poached even on private land, due to its traditional medicinal values, same as things like rhino horn.

    • @seleneyue
      @seleneyue 2 года назад +54

      Worse, wild ginseng is seen as having more medicinal properties, and the older it is the more valuable, which means people are looking for them in really deep mountainous forests that should be protected

    • @thecommonsenseconservative5576
      @thecommonsenseconservative5576 2 года назад +8

      Thank American reality shows for that

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L 2 года назад +1

      @@seleneyue holy crap 🤦‍♀️

    • @famousamos778
      @famousamos778 2 года назад +14

      99.9999% of all ginseng you find on the market are grown on farms like carrots and sold in bulk.
      If someone tries to sell you "wild" ginseng that costs less than a million dollars, it's a scam. (Because genuine wild ginseng literally costs a fortune these days, read about the one found in Korea a few years back)
      In the USA there still are legit wild American ginseng, which is what you're probably referring to. But those are diff from what's used in the hyorogan. American ginseng is "cooling", the exact opposite of Asian ginseng and good for women on menopause.

  • @wendynordstrom3487
    @wendynordstrom3487 2 года назад +4

    That was yet another interesting and informative video. Thanks Max! Looking forward to the 3 year video.

  • @GabrielAmorim-bw5dh
    @GabrielAmorim-bw5dh 2 года назад +2

    I love you, Jose and your content, waiting three years is a piece of cake

  • @ilovejersey
    @ilovejersey 2 года назад +181

    11:52 "And they literally mean 'hard baked' and could last for years." I *instantly* knew what was coming next! God I love this channel.

    • @rhonda90402
      @rhonda90402 2 года назад +3

      I just discovered this channel late last month and love it too!

    • @catlover-fp5ig
      @catlover-fp5ig Год назад +2

      Clack! Clack!

    • @rc59191
      @rc59191 Год назад +1

      Lol that gag never gets old.

  • @Taolan8472
    @Taolan8472 2 года назад +73

    So the "tongue" may be a poetic translation or code. Much of the texts that became the "Ninja Scrolls" were encoded in addition to needing translation, and it is possible some of that coding may have been the use of metaphor.
    "Tongue" is often used as a metaphor for a person's spoken mannerisms. A person with a "long and thin tongue" may speak for a long time but using statements of little substance.
    A person with a short and pointy tongue could be someone who speaks in harsh language.
    The tongue that sticks out past their nose could refer to someone who overshares or boasts. Similarly "ascend the throne" in this same context could mean that person is a valuable source of information, if you can sift through the exaggeration.

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja 2 года назад +9

      The bit about teeth definitely couldn’t be literal, given that humans don’t have more than 32 teeth.

    • @Taolan8472
      @Taolan8472 2 года назад +5

      @@ragnkja it could also be a mistranslation of numbers.

    • @thelittleredhairedgirlfrom6527
      @thelittleredhairedgirlfrom6527 2 года назад +3

      Good point

    • @Ristro44
      @Ristro44 2 года назад

      Love this! Thank you so much! Feels a lot less awkward 😅

    • @mwater_moon2865
      @mwater_moon2865 2 года назад

      @@ragnkja Unless you have Hyperdontia or supernumerary teeth. I had a roomate in college who had an extra set of them, she lost baby teeth twice in grade school and had to have her wisdom teeth out twice-- once in HS and once in college.

  • @staceywatson1921
    @staceywatson1921 9 дней назад

    You crack me up. I am Sitting here, giggling, listening to your commentary! Your stories are great and your humor, relatable.
    Thank you for your hard work!

  • @virginiabeebe3597
    @virginiabeebe3597 2 года назад +5

    I'm in for this long haul, I want to see you prep this three year dish!

  • @Chocobo0Scribe
    @Chocobo0Scribe 2 года назад +167

    When it comes to ninja, “truth is stranger than fiction” definitely applies.

    • @23Lgirl
      @23Lgirl 2 года назад +1

      Ninjas are mostly a myth

    • @Pharaoh_Tutankhamen
      @Pharaoh_Tutankhamen 2 года назад

      @@23Lgirl So is u

    • @guyver441
      @guyver441 2 года назад

      @@23Lgirl that's JUST what a ninja would say! 🧐

    • @ultimateninjaboi
      @ultimateninjaboi 2 года назад

      @@23Lgirl i mean... all considered, thats a more misleading than helpful statement. But sure

    • @karaqakkzl
      @karaqakkzl 2 года назад

      Until they fight with Vietcong soldiers in the forest, if they're win

  • @runitemagic
    @runitemagic 2 года назад +68

    I will never not break and cackle like a mad man when the clip of Max tapping the hard tack together pops in

    • @alisaurus4224
      @alisaurus4224 2 года назад +4

      CLACK-CLACK

    • @adamengelhart5159
      @adamengelhart5159 2 года назад +6

      I started grinning when he said "hard baked," thinking "oh, I know where *this* one is going . . ." :-D

    • @NullElemental
      @NullElemental 2 года назад +3

      for me its the look of utter despair on his face in the knowledge that he has to at least try to eat some XD

  • @elend9077
    @elend9077 2 года назад +11

    this is so cool! I've been fascinated with ancient Japanese military rations, do you think someday you could make some of ther other variations such as the thirst pills? thank you, you're amazing!

  • @genaroayala8100
    @genaroayala8100 Год назад

    This was a really good episode. I appreciate all your work.

  • @chrisalan5610
    @chrisalan5610 2 года назад +45

    I love how ancient recipes are written
    "Take some sugar, add to it some grain and butter, as well as an egg. Mix well and bake in a vessel until done."

    • @iillegally
      @iillegally 2 года назад +4

      simple and effective

    • @Oxtocoatl13
      @Oxtocoatl13 2 года назад +15

      I'll take that over 500 words about the author's life changing road trip to northern Italy any day.

    • @kielbasamage
      @kielbasamage 2 года назад +12

      @@Oxtocoatl13 “Back in the day, I would stare out the window of my mothers Ford Focus, nibbling on a cookie. But that was before the plague hit.” Ma’am I just want to learn how to cure salmon…

    • @Skorpychan
      @Skorpychan Месяц назад

      And then serve it forth?

  • @isaacvaladez22
    @isaacvaladez22 2 года назад +341

    Honestly didn’t expect hard tack *clack clack* to make an appearance here. Always puts a smile on my face. Anyway, always look forward to see a Tasting History episode on Tuesdays, especially today since it‘s my birthday, made it to lv 28! Hope you’re liking your new kitchen along with the rest of your home

    • @TastingHistory
      @TastingHistory  2 года назад +40

      Happy Bday!

    • @darkfireeyes7
      @darkfireeyes7 2 года назад +7

      Happy belated birthday

    • @kateshiningdeer3334
      @kateshiningdeer3334 2 года назад +8

      LVL 28... Do you perhaps hang out ar r/outside? If not, enjoy finding out about it! And a very happy year to you!

  • @cantsay2205
    @cantsay2205 Год назад +10

    For the refeeding syndrome thing, it's really no joke! In 2020, I almost died, and I'm not sure if it was a result of the shock of the experience and aftermath, but I was basically incapable of eating a full meal for a couple of weeks. Being able to finish a turkey burger after the first week was a major accomplishment for me, and I lost about 10 pounds in the 2 weeks following the incident. So yeah, I can imagine what would have happened if I had just decided to eat a ton of food anyway after that, it wouldn't have gone well.

    • @jrmckim
      @jrmckim Год назад +5

      I'm a nurse who had patients with anorexia and bulimia. Refeeding syndrome definitely is not a joke and can be fatal sometimes. I lost a young bulimic patient from it. It was to the point of not being able to hold down any food. Her body would violently reject it. We tried feeding and ng tubes. Her kidneys started to fail and after that, it was a domino effect. Very sad stuff. 😔

    • @bijpls4059
      @bijpls4059 10 месяцев назад

      ​@@jrmckimomg that's fuckin horrible 😢

  • @giovanniboscobonder
    @giovanniboscobonder 2 года назад +4

    This scones remembers the apperance of my grandma's "porpeta", a italian "kinda meat-ball" that is based in bread, diferent of ther recipe that uses rice.
    An different of the meat-ball that is cooked now days that is wet and served in the main dish, the porpeta is an dry appertize

  • @oaktree__
    @oaktree__ 2 года назад +265

    Just a note that what we often call "yams" in the US and Canada are NOT YAMS; they are sweet potatoes. Yams are botanically a totally different tuber. Sweet potatoes have thin skin and sweet flesh, while yams have very rough, bark-like skin and dry, starchy, neutral-flavoured flesh. This confusion is because when enslaved people from Africa first arrived en masse in the southern US, the closest thing they could find to yams (which were and are a staple carb in many parts of West Africa) were sweet potatoes, and so to this day the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, even though the actual tubers usually can't be. Don't try to make this recipe with sweet potatoes!

    • @Great_Olaf5
      @Great_Olaf5 2 года назад +11

      Much as we like to try and enforce it, science and taxonomy have fairly little to do with common language. The way people use words is often much more fluid than science, while simultaneously being very rigid and stubborn.

    • @almostclintnewton8478
      @almostclintnewton8478 2 года назад +16

      I was always so confused watching american stuff as a kid and trying to figure out why their "yams" looked like that lmao.
      Thanks for the little history lesson

    • @WhenYoureAlexa
      @WhenYoureAlexa 2 года назад +13

      Yes! I live in the US and whenever someone asks me to buy yams, I ask multiple times if they want real yam or just sweet potato lol

    • @thismissivemisfit
      @thismissivemisfit 2 года назад +7

      There is a proverb in Malay translated to: Like pouring water on a yam's leaf. It refers to a situation when someone doesn't heed any beneficial advice or teachings.
      The proverb came to be because yam leaves are broad and waxy, so water doesn't adhere to it. Because the leaves can grow to huge sizes, they've been used as makeshift umbrellas in the olden days.

    • @nunyabiznes33
      @nunyabiznes33 2 года назад +4

      What yams do the Japanese use? Plants that are sometimes called taro?

  • @EliotChildress
    @EliotChildress 2 года назад +180

    Hi from Japan! Great video! About the yam… it may be necessary to use Japanese yam. I’m not sure about American/European yams, but I know Japanese yams basically turn to snot when you crush them and might be better for bringing the balls together. This snot is a very important ingredient in many Japanese dishes.

    • @Taolan8472
      @Taolan8472 2 года назад +19

      European sweet potatoes simply do not behave the same as asian sweet potatoes when cooking.

    • @esprit101
      @esprit101 2 года назад +29

      I love this. "The snot is very important to japanese cuisine, dare I say essential!"
      But I have to admit, most of the food over there was to die for - but my western palette really struggled with some textures and tastes. Chicken sashimi took some courage but our guide almost puked when we told her about" Schweinemett" in Germany. So I guess it's what you're used to 🤷

    • @christenagervais7303
      @christenagervais7303 2 года назад +3

      Snot! Lol!

    • @EliotChildress
      @EliotChildress 2 года назад +14

      @@esprit101 lol I didn’t even realize the way it sounded when I wrote it. It’s just the best way I can describe it 😅 I too am not a huge fan of the slimy texture. And I applaud your bravery with the chicken. But when said snot is cooked into okonomiyaki… it turns into one of my favorite meals.

    • @debiesubaugher
      @debiesubaugher 2 года назад +3

      Maybe substitute chia seeds?

  • @gaslitworldf.melissab2897
    @gaslitworldf.melissab2897 2 года назад

    The new kitchen is beautiful. Can't wait to see your bar setup.

  • @Gunny1971
    @Gunny1971 2 года назад +2

    I was so happy when you decided to do Tasting History full time. excellent as always.

  • @OMGTHEMVP
    @OMGTHEMVP 2 года назад +56

    I could sense it coming, but the hard tack cut gets me every time and I love that. I will definitely be here in 3 years for the sake soaked balls!

  • @jacquelyns9709
    @jacquelyns9709 2 года назад +43

    When Max talked about the large amount of cinnamon in this recipe after telling us it has lots of sugar, all I could think about was cinnamon sugar. When we made it, we put loads of ground cinnamon in the jar with the sugar. It was very dark but there was still more sugar than cinnamon. The pre-mixed jars in the grocery store are a pale, wimpy substitute.
    We ate this occasionally for breakfast:
    Recipe for Cinnamon Sugar Toast
    1. Butter your sliced bread well. Place it on baking sheet (Rimmed or rimless.)
    2. Sprinkle on lots of cinnamon sugar. Cover all the butter.
    3. Put under a heated broiler until it has melted and pitted. Don't let it burn.
    4. Take out, let cool slightly, and eat. The top will be crispy and crunchy. The bottom will be soft.
    Use a full size oven or a toaster oven. Don't use a toaster!

    • @rejamrejam
      @rejamrejam 2 года назад +8

      This food INSTANTLY transports me to my childhood. The other favored poor people dessert we ate (yes, we had this as dessert in addition to breakfast!) was white rice with butter (aka margarine) and white sugar. I still eat that sometimes when feeling sad. I remember the Tupperware shaker container my grandma kept her cinnamon sugar in!

    • @Ristro44
      @Ristro44 2 года назад +2

      Thankyou for your recipe! :)

    • @teleny2
      @teleny2 2 года назад

      This works very nicely with thinly sliced cheddar cheese in there as well. And it's the only recipe I can say I got from the novel "Name of the Rose".

    • @annasstorybox7906
      @annasstorybox7906 2 года назад

      Yea... Cinnamon mixed into semolina porridge is awesome... Honestly... Semolina porridge itself is underrated...

  • @landonsmith2154
    @landonsmith2154 2 года назад +1

    Makes me want to re-read a book I have on Ninjas, they had a recipe for stuff like this, and covered so much that I find very useful today!

  • @jemnai
    @jemnai 4 месяца назад +2

    When said Ninja scrolls the anime pops into my head

  • @eliaslundgren4023
    @eliaslundgren4023 2 года назад +380

    Hi Max!
    I’m a history student from Sweden and I love your content!
    In old Japan it was custom for samurai & ninjas to get a higher pay depending on how many heads they had collected after a battle. Of course the rank of the heads original owner also played a part. Since it could become pretty unpractical to carry around a bunch of heads on the battlefield noses became accepted as a substitute to hand in afterwards. So the manuscript probably instructed the warrior to cut of the noses of the heads before tying them to his horse so that he wouldn’t lose out on his payment in case the head was dropped, lost or in case it was stolen by another samurai. Something that wasn’t uncommon at all amongst samurais that where fighting on the same side. They were some greedy ninja turtles!
    Keep it up Max!
    Btw! In two weeks we will celebrate our national day (commemorating our war of independence from the Kalmar union) and on the 24th of June we will celebrate midsummer. Maybe that could be a good opportunity to try some traditional Scandinavian food, like blood pudding, Kroppkakor, Pölsa or pickled herring with some Swedish Knäckebröd (hard bread).

    • @ChibiTails
      @ChibiTails Год назад

      Dang, good info! My guess was completely off--I thought it had something to do with tengu.

    • @tariik.h
      @tariik.h Год назад +5

      Ninja didn't take part in battles. They were more like an ancient equivalent to a secret service.

    • @tams805
      @tams805 Год назад +9

      @@tariik.h They did. That's one of they myths they were just lurking around in the shadows.
      A lot of their role was, as far as we know, as messengers more than anything.

    • @deadbeathusband471
      @deadbeathusband471 Год назад

      The Ottomans did the same.

    • @vipr1142
      @vipr1142 Год назад

      Almost all civilizations did that... cutting of heads, which later became cutting of hands, and eventually became cutting of scalps. It was actually the Europeans who started the scalping the Indians and not the Native Indians. The Natives took after.
      And FYI, so much cinnamon as he presented in the video is not healthy. It could potentially be dangerous!

  • @visionplant
    @visionplant 2 года назад +38

    The Giyoshu manual which is a much older source (17th century) has it's own ration recipe made from pine bark, ginseng, and white rice, which is mixed, powdered and formed into spheres. These spheres are then steamed.

    • @isabelled4871
      @isabelled4871 2 года назад +1

      So pine bark is edible? Interesting. (Well there are sweets made with pine resin and honey so it's logical but I've never heard of eating the actual bark) Would love to know more about pine bark recipes

    • @Mockingbird_Taloa
      @Mockingbird_Taloa 2 года назад +1

      @@isabelled4871 I can only speak to an Indigenous American context, but I'd imagine the preparation is/was the same/similar in Japan.
      The thin inner bark layer of pine trees is rich in sugar. The roots are usually preferred (this is usually a cold season food, and most all the sugars in the tree are stored in the roots then; during the warm season, the bark of the trunk might be the better bet). Young trees (1-5 years) are best as they're less fibrous and tough.
      The bark would traditionally be striped off, beaten, and then boiled. If dried and pulverized fine, it makes something resembling porridge. It can also be used as a thickener when added to a meal, similar to cornstarch. It adds a piney-citrusey flavour (pine is high in Vitamin C & combats scurvy!); some trees have an overbearing taste approaching turpentine, others are sweet and fresh.
      There are a very few varieties of pine that can make you sick (though you wouldn't likely be able to swallow much, the taste would be so bad), so it pays to do some research on what grows locally if you have any plans on experimenting! There are a lot more trees besides cinnamon with edible & medicinal bark; there are places you can find them online if you've trouble locating some locally (or just don't want to go through the fuss and bother of preparing it yourself, understandably!). Mountain Rose Herbs is a good place to start if you're in the US/Canada.
      The inner bark could be used as an infused tea (ie, you can get the flavour of it without having to beat it for hours, you just won't get as much sugar), but it's much easier (and better for the tree) to just make pine-needle tea if you want to try the flavour of it.

    • @isabelled4871
      @isabelled4871 2 года назад

      Thank you for the détailled explanation. Europe here. I don't think I'll go through the trouble though :) but it's fascinating to know. I've had pine needle tea before (spruce pine) very nice taste if made with fresh needles (which it was)

  • @RobynMcIntyre
    @RobynMcIntyre 2 года назад +1

    Lots of chuckles in this one, Max. Thanks😆

    • @WileChile51
      @WileChile51 Месяц назад

      The “crushable balls” joke had me choking. 😂

  • @workingclassfather1843
    @workingclassfather1843 4 месяца назад +2

    2 more years! I'm pumped 😊

  • @debrathornley2974
    @debrathornley2974 2 года назад +116

    I learned a tip about grinding spices. It has been a huge help that might might make a difference with the ginseng.
    Use sugar (or salt in savory dishes) from the recipe. It helps to break down the spices.

    • @Ben-kv7wr
      @Ben-kv7wr 2 года назад +9

      I have used both salt and sugar with raw ginger in mortar and pestle and it does help. It also helps to pound/smash the fresh ingredient before you start grinding in a circular motion to break it up more quickly

    • @Ben-kv7wr
      @Ben-kv7wr 2 года назад +2

      @ BEN SMASH!! lol

    • @KunjaBihariKrishna
      @KunjaBihariKrishna 2 года назад

      Ginseng is just really tough. If you start with a whole dried root, it's quite leathery and it would destroy a coffee grinder

  • @thepokemontrainer6094
    @thepokemontrainer6094 2 года назад +123

    This is why I love max miller, he tells history without mentioning anything that is inaccurate or stereotypical when he’s telling the story. Literally you have taught me so much more than just food. If it wasn’t for you, the stories I write would have been just like any other historical story.

    • @readypetequalmers7360
      @readypetequalmers7360 2 года назад +1

      what is an example of something that is stereotypical that one could say on this topic?

    • @thepokemontrainer6094
      @thepokemontrainer6094 2 года назад +5

      @@readypetequalmers7360 ninjas wearing black clothing, ninjas being assassins the typical stuff that RUclipsrs who don’t do research do the Hollywood stuff basically.

    • @guppy719
      @guppy719 2 года назад +1

      You say that in the episode with old Japanese stereotypes about tongues and hands.

    • @thepokemontrainer6094
      @thepokemontrainer6094 2 года назад

      @@guppy719 yeah something like that but also other Japanese modern stereotypes.

    • @falsenames
      @falsenames 2 года назад +1

      @@readypetequalmers7360 When I was a kid in the 80s and 90s.... Only a ninja can kill another ninja, and all ninja are rebel samurai that killed their masters. Yeah, I believed a lot of idiotic things as a kid, and I can only hope I've grown since then. Even touching on the whole stereotype of ninja wearing all black and having some sort of uniform that would give them away is pretty ludicrous. Max pointed that out, saying they would wear blues and browns. Even white on nights where there was a full moon.
      From what I can tell, Max does his research, and this should be the standard on the Internet. At least from the Celtic episodes (I'm of Irish and Scottish decent, and have an amateur understanding of my heritage), I can tell he's consulted with experts and tries his best to get as much accurate as he can. So far, I have only seen Max show respect to every region and history he has touched on. I've sent a few episodes to friends from other areas of the world and they have appreciated his dedication to attempt to pronounce various names correctly and to get to the history behind what is being discussed.

  • @Marshadow69
    @Marshadow69 2 года назад

    I dont watch many of these videos - but they are all wonderful and thank you for your research and presentations

  • @namedrop721
    @namedrop721 2 года назад +3

    Licorice is an appetite suppressor and increases your blood pressure. Would be curious what they combined it with. I’ve eaten toasted buckwheat ; much protein and minerals

  • @themigmadmarine
    @themigmadmarine 2 года назад +181

    Perhaps a left field thought, but if you ever start doing traveling episodes, try to find a museum railroad who will let you near one of their steam engines, crews have done some fascinating cooking with and on their locomotives over the years, from the basic bacon and eggs on a shovel in the firebox to things like smoking fish over the smokestack of wood fired locomotives in Finland and baking bao on the boiler in Mongolia. The Nevada Northern Railway has done a book and some videos on the subject.

    • @stargirl7646
      @stargirl7646 2 года назад +3

      Wait really?? That’s so cool!

    • @leongolgo9950
      @leongolgo9950 2 года назад

      That sounds like some hungry mf's who ain't seen home in a while.

    • @thecommonsenseconservative5576
      @thecommonsenseconservative5576 2 года назад +1

      Ah Nevada. And today the engines are used to keep things warm, know from firsthand experience

    • @Vincent_Beers
      @Vincent_Beers 2 года назад +5

      @@stargirl7646 Any job that works near something hot tends to find a way to use it for cooking. The origins of "pittsburgh steak" are from iron workers that would bring a raw cut of meat with them to work, throw it against the pots of molten metal which would sear the meat and then eat it, charred hot on the outside while still rare inside.

  • @LisaJedi
    @LisaJedi 2 года назад +220

    Do be careful with the lotus seeds! Not everyone can digest them & I can personally attest to the gastric pain that results when they disagree with you.

    • @meg2831
      @meg2831 2 года назад +5

      That is good to know because I actually have a lot of trouble with some stuff. Thanks for the heads up!

  • @trininl2196
    @trininl2196 2 года назад

    How did I miss this one? Loved the info. Counting off the next three years my friend!

  • @janetmackinnon3411
    @janetmackinnon3411 2 года назад

    Another interesting and amusing video. Tank you!

  • @countessli
    @countessli 2 года назад +171

    There are so many cultures that have some iteration of hardtack, and that fact is both interesting and somewhat distressing for me. Due to sensitive teeth, hardtack is an experience I do not want to repeat 😆

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja 2 года назад

      Hardtack is more of an ingredient than a food.

    • @Taolan8472
      @Taolan8472 2 года назад +39

      Well most hard tacks were not intended to be eaten hard. The hard dry cracker is for storage and transport.
      The intended method of eating is often to soak it in water or alcohol or even some kind of tea before consumption.

    • @darthplagueis13
      @darthplagueis13 2 года назад +15

      Well, they're basically just the most self-evident method of preserving carbs for a long period of time without them getting moldy.
      So I wouldn't say the prevalence of hard tack is too surprising. If a culture has bread, they'll probably eventually figure out that you can make a very dense bread and just bake all of the moisture out of it for it to stay good for long.

    • @Fayanora
      @Fayanora 2 года назад +8

      You're supposed to soak it in water before eating it. Usually it gets added to soups.

    • @Zelmel
      @Zelmel 2 года назад +8

      @@Fayanora Or grind it/crush it to use as basically flour for either soup/stew as a thickener or mixed with liquid to make a basic cake/bread.

  • @marmotarchivist
    @marmotarchivist 2 года назад +46

    “Occasional assassination, act of sabotage and a smidge of arson”. I’m putting that on my CV.😜
    I can’t wait to see the three-year-balls. And please do the ninja hardtack. There can never be enough hardtack content and it would be interesting to compare the different types you made.

  • @alanstanley8226
    @alanstanley8226 2 года назад +1

    ill be here in 3 years mate love your channel

  • @Marastife
    @Marastife 2 года назад +5

    If you do a ramen episode, it'll have to be a series. None can cover ramen in one episode, even with an hour long documentary. It varies so much from region to region, and that's saying alot considering it's a staple throughout ALL of Asia. That's china, Japan, Korea, Vietnam ect. They all have variations.

  • @elijahh2220
    @elijahh2220 2 года назад +35

    Announcing now that you're doing the kikatsugan, which will only be done when the channel is more than double its current age, is such a power move. Can't wait, I have full confidence that this channel will still be around (and with many, many more subscribers) by then!

  • @susanfanning9480
    @susanfanning9480 2 года назад +70

    In many cultures, "hard tack" made the world-go-round. Hard tack kept things going in challenging times.
    I truly appreciate this video on the subject. Still eat hard tack in Alaska.

    • @odin3489
      @odin3489 2 года назад +1

      I'd love to see him make and try some native icecream. haha

    • @ashkitt7719
      @ashkitt7719 2 года назад

      @@odin3489 Good luck for him doing that where he is. Must be hot.

  • @mrcus8631
    @mrcus8631 2 года назад +1

    Heads of famous opponents were used to gain prestige amongst the samurai. The reason for taking the nose is kind of like a pay slip at a pawn shop, or a deposit when renting something, if someone steals the head of your bounty from you, you can prove that you were the original owner of the head by having the nose to match the head.

  • @Windgoddess540
    @Windgoddess540 Год назад

    I’m so excited for the soaked version!

  • @faithmoir1637
    @faithmoir1637 2 года назад +53

    the hard tack clip is truly one of the only things keeping me going in life. always a joy to see it - esp in a video that you’d never expect it in, like this one

    • @MrYfrank14
      @MrYfrank14 2 года назад +3

      And you always know when it is about to appear

  • @insilencea4599
    @insilencea4599 2 года назад +122

    Modern people: "I want to be a deadly ninja, they're the coolest!"
    Ninja: "So here's how to interpret someone's tongue..."

  • @ZOCCOK
    @ZOCCOK Год назад +2

    The reason why heads are mentioned maybe because of the fact that heads of a slain enemy or target are proofs of the kill and therefore could be used to turn to claim bounties or for rewards.
    Therefore, decapitated heads had such importance.

  • @karenc4544
    @karenc4544 28 дней назад

    Lime jello salad with milk and mandarin orange segments inside (my grandfather called it moldy salad), tamale pie, ham dillys (deli ham slices with cream cheese and a dill pickle spear rolled in it, deviled eggs, iceberg lettuce and tomato “salad”, horrors involving macaroni…
    This brought flashbacks to the thanksgivings and Xmas’ at my great aunt’s house. I do sometimes miss the pickled peaches though.

  • @MarginalSC
    @MarginalSC 2 года назад +53

    It does make sense that they'd be low in rice content if they were made to be stored for a long time. Sugar will keep quite a while as long as it doesn't get wet.

  • @georgewachsmuth9201
    @georgewachsmuth9201 2 года назад +182

    The….”that doesn’t sound right”…in reference to the crushing of these, had me laughing out loud. Thanks again for another incredibly well done video. (By the way….several comments in this video had me laughing)

  • @bartlettmeeks
    @bartlettmeeks Год назад +1

    I applaud your self control in keeping sake around the house for 3 years. Hope it's going well!

  • @mickwayne3398
    @mickwayne3398 Год назад +1

    oh wow that yagen thing appears in Final Fantasy 14 Alchemist job animations so cool

  • @chronicawareness9986
    @chronicawareness9986 2 года назад +61

    i love how you try to pronounce things correctly in the language... dude your killing it... you deserve it

    • @TastingHistory
      @TastingHistory  2 года назад +9

      Thank you 😊

    • @mKierstenk
      @mKierstenk 2 года назад +5

      I'm scrolling through the comments in disbelief that there's not one single Naruto reference, and stumbled across your comment (which I agree with btw) and then I noticed you have the leaf symbol as your profile pic. I just had to ask- did your mind immediately go to food pills and increase your appreciation for Naruto or am I alone in this world? XD

    • @chronicawareness9986
      @chronicawareness9986 Год назад +1

      @@mKierstenk lol =)

    • @sabin97
      @sabin97 Год назад

      @@mKierstenk
      what's a naruto? is it some kind of ramen?

    • @potato-yc1fr
      @potato-yc1fr Год назад

      I noticed that too. Very impressed with his knowledge and pronunciation.

  • @ashuri89
    @ashuri89 2 года назад +39

    I've gotta say, yours is just about the only channel on RUclips where I look forward to Japanese episodes! Being bilingual I really appreciate the efforts you go to to actually pronounce things correctly.

    • @markb5249
      @markb5249 2 года назад +3

      I've seen much worse, but he's also not pronouncing the long vowels as long vowels. For example, the focus of this video is hyou (long vowel) rou (long vowel) gan.

    • @ashuri89
      @ashuri89 2 года назад +8

      @@markb5249 I'm ok with that. His stress isn't always where I'd put it either, but I'll take that over other RUclipsrs (and television!) not bothering to do any research or just asking and instead just reading it however they think it should be read ("key-yo-do" for Kyoto, "togo-yakkey" for takoyaki, or just giving up and not trying)

  • @Neatpuppy
    @Neatpuppy 2 года назад

    Always impressive, totally fresh! Rock on, brother, rock on!

  • @swapertxking
    @swapertxking 19 дней назад +1

    happy 2 year anniversary, one more year to go!

  • @hiroht72
    @hiroht72 2 года назад +25

    Im Japanese and lived in Japan all life and I learned very many things from this video (and comments). Thank you!

  • @powersteamracing
    @powersteamracing 2 года назад +11

    1. Love the Greninja placement
    2. That hard tack bit gets me every time LOL

  • @keazyeazy1119
    @keazyeazy1119 11 месяцев назад

    Thank you very much for this inspiring education!

  • @Aoi9584
    @Aoi9584 2 года назад

    The hard tack clip never gets old!!!

  • @valienpire
    @valienpire 2 года назад +263

    the moment you said "the recipes aren't really straightforward" I had a vision of a future cooking channel trying today's recipes from a millennial's blog and having to read their entire life story before they finally reach the instructions

    • @feralbluee
      @feralbluee 2 года назад +12

      gods, those are so annoying. read a bit then just scroll down. jeez!! 😬😐

    • @somniloquist12
      @somniloquist12 2 года назад +24

      Maybe he could do one of those for an April Fool's episode, while pretending he's from the future.

    • @darkfireeyes7
      @darkfireeyes7 2 года назад +16

      Recipe blogs without a "Jump to recipe" button shouldn't be a thing.

    • @wmsymms
      @wmsymms 2 года назад +2

      I hate that. LOL😆

  • @ragnkja
    @ragnkja 2 года назад +81

    The “ninja costume” is actually the outfit of a stagehand.

    • @TastingHistory
      @TastingHistory  2 года назад +21

      Yes!

    • @photinodecay
      @photinodecay 2 года назад +20

      You're not supposed to see a stagehand doing their work, so you could say a stagehand is a low-level ninja!

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja 2 года назад +21

      @@photinodecay
      That’s exactly why they chose to conceal the ninja in the play like that: a stagehand is dressed in dark, featureless clothes to make them less noticeable, and the audience know they’re just there to facilitate the performance rather than take part in the story, so they ignore them.

    • @lt.branwulfram4794
      @lt.branwulfram4794 2 года назад +7

      REAL NINJA WEAR BLUE! - Goomba

    • @zeekeno823
      @zeekeno823 2 года назад +2

      was this goomba a gaijin by chance?

  • @graefx
    @graefx Год назад +3

    Japanese mountain yam has a particular sticky gooeyness to them that probably helps in texture or binding.
    I guess these are what inspired the pills Choji uses in Naruto. I always assumed they were candy like truffles which isn't too far off really

  • @YurttheSilentChief1
    @YurttheSilentChief1 Год назад

    These'll surely be something of a snack on those long video editing nights