The story "Yam Gruel" is about a man under the name of Goi, who is supposedly so ordinary that he's name was not even recorded for any relevance to this story. This story is set in the Heian Period, during the time of courtiers. He was just a plain, simple man, frequently ridiculed by other samurai and disrespected by commoners because of his "red nose" and plain manner of clothing. Now, one may wonder where the title of this story was taken from. Well, it was taken from Goi's obsession of yam gruel, which is a special, very expensive delicacy consisting of yam and a rare root. Samurais of his status can only attain this type of delicacy one day out of the entire year at a special celebration in which is everyone is invited therefore the portion of one's yam gruel is barely enough to attain satiety. At the celebration of Fujiwara Mototsune, Fujiwara, a very wealthy man, overheard Goi say that he hadn't had enough yam gruel and decided to invite him over to his mansion to eat as much yam gruel as he wanted, which Goi agreed to of course which everyone teased and laughed about. So of the two went and traveled to Fujiwara's place for the principle of satisfying Goi's graving of yam gruel. They travel so far just for the sake of satisfying Goi's cravings of yam gruel once and for all. However, when they finally traveled all that distance and the servants went to so much travel acquiring and preparing the yam gruel, Goi lost his desire to eat it and so he only ate a little portion of the entire amount that was prepared and the rest was given a the fox, the messenger who sent word to Fujiwara's mansion to send men to meet them. .
Now this story may seem a bit silly but it's deeper than it seems. You see, all his life Goi wanted to satisfy his craving of yam gruel, that was the only objective he seemed to have in life, in his simple, common life. He thought that by satisfying his deep desire for this delicacy he would become happy, but in reality this craving of his is like a longing to fill that emptiness he had inside being so miserable and tormented throughout his life.
What About All Those Yams? ... Ah, those yams, also called isu. ... They have three (3) types of yams: white, yellow, andwater yams ' (Gourmet). ... Nigerians also fry their yams. ... It is made from yams, but first, the yams are ground and dried to form a powder. ...
Where Did All the Yams Go? ... Yams do not seem to be anywhere in Indian cuisine. The staple of the diet in Nigeria is the infamous yam and the indigenous various soups. ... Just as yams are incorporated into almost every dish in Nigeria, rice is used during every meal. ...
Among the social and cultural aspects of the trobrianders, was there most essential economical product, Yams. The attention and value of yams are such degree, that it is preferred over money among many islanders. ... The Husband must accommodate all his belongings to purchase yams for his bride and create a yam garden; in other places men challenge others to a Yam competition, to see who has the largest. ... The brothers and sisters of the women, through martilineage, build the yam gardens. The women then give the yams to her relatives as a sign of appreciation. ...
This included widening paths, clearing thick bushes, and constructing bridges.5 Thanks to these advances, other people including artists, craftspeople, tax collectors, census takers, judges, master builders, musicians, and scholars also started using the Silk Road.6 Genghis Khan also believed that his empire needed a fast communication system, which led him to create the yam. 7 The yam consisted of a large series of military posts with about twenty to thirty miles of space in between, with horses and supplies being provided by local citizens at each post.8 The yam system was praised highl...
Rather than having a warm breakfast with a cup of coffee and a plate of sausage, pancake and eggs done sunny side up, all Shukhov has is a "cold gruel." The little fish in the gruel are more bones than flesh; the flesh has been boiled off the bone and has disintegrated, leaving a few remnants on the head and tail. ... Without hesitancy, Shukhov draws his right knee up to his stomach, pulls his spoon from under his boot-top, removes his hat and puts it in his left armpit and runs his spoon around the edge of the gruel. ...
Okonkwo isn't lazy, he is always working on the farm to grow as many yams he can for his family. He is very cocky when it comes to his yams, three wives and his children. He wants to have the most yams because in Umuofian culture yams show a person's wealth. Also his three wives and many children prove that he is a wealthy and successful man because he can feed all of them so then he must have lots of yams to feed his family. ...
Yam appeared to be used to describe manliness, "yam stood for manliness and he could feed his family on yams from one harvest to another was a very great man indeed." Only the men were allowed to grow yams, not the women. ... To name a few are: The Week of Peace, the planting of the Yams, the New Yam feast, followed by the dry season-The Harmattan-and the exquisite taste of locusts. ...
It was also tradition in Umuofia to consult the Oracle, on everything from the fate of an outsider to the progress of yam growth. ... It was custom every year for the clan to have a New Yam Festival. ... On the last night before the festival, all yams from the previous year had to be destroyed, symbolizing the end of one year and the birth of another. ...
Trobrian Island Society & American Society: A Comparison & Contrast of Cultural Universals and Cultural Particulars Trobrian Islanders and Americans are similar and different in many ways. From taking notes and watching videos, I am prepared to share with you the some of the ways they are alik...
