🙏Could someone correct my English? Thank you in advance. Miki🙏 Fermented Foods / 発酵食品 ①-２ （たくあん） One day, TOKUGAWA Iemitsu, the third shōgun of the Tokugawa dynasty, complained that no matter what he ate, nothing tasted good to him anymore. “Your Highness, why don’t you come over to my temple for breakfast tomorrow?”, TAKUAN Sōhō, a prelate (high ranking zen monk), said to Iemitsu. The next morning in the temple, Iemitsu waited and waited, but his breakfast wasn’t served at all. He was about to leave the temple, when Takuan appeared with a few slices of “daikon” radish and rice with hot water poured over it. Iemitsu was so hungry that he found this humble meal quite delicious. Iemitsu asked the prelate about the radish. “This is “takuwae-mono”, Your Highness”, Takuan answered. “Takuwae-mono” literally means something to be stocked, and is preserved food or a pickle in this context. “You might want to eat only after you feel hungry”, Takuan continued. Back in his castle, the shōgun recommended that the people should make this pickle. Although there are various theories, some people believe that Iemitsu named the pickle after the prelate. Does this story sound ironic to you? Common people at that time always had frugal meals and they were never, ever epicures like Iemitsu. Do you consider these remarks by Iemitsu to show frivolous disregard for the starving people, or did they reflect his poor understanding of their plight? When I heard the history of this pickle, I wasn’t aware of the unfairness hidden in his words. Rather, I felt appreciative that Iemitsu and Takuan had made this pickle popular all across Japan. With hindsight, the story teaches me that we are truly fortunate that we almost no longer have a class system, and that we have enough food to eat.