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Too much can be as bad as too little

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Spicy Japanese cuisine

Although Japanese cuisine is traditionally not very spicy, there are many dishes that use spices and peppers. Most of them are variants of Chinese cuisine or other imported cooking styles. Nevertheless, there are some really exciting Japanese foods that use spices and if you are in Japan, please try to seek them out and give them a taste.

In this blog by Imoto sensei, she talks about her love for spices that had some unfortunate consequences.

Imoto sensei has written this blog with the aim of introducing a lot of grammar and phrases from the JLPT N2 level curriculum. This blog can help you in your study for this test.

Imoto sensei also made the video herself, so please enjoy this wonderful Japanese visual lesson. You can learn Japanese vocabulary and phrases and prepare for the JLPT N2 in a fun way with these JOI language learning blogs. 

過ぎたるは及ばざるがごとし
Too much can be as bad as too little

imoto

By IMOTO Rie

Tougarashi-1

私には唐辛子アレルギーがあるので、唐辛子の入った料理を食べることができません。もし唐辛子の入った料理を食べようものなら、顔中湿疹だらけになり、それはそれは大変なことになってしまいます。だから、カレーも麻婆豆腐も唐辛子抜きで作っています。

Tougarashi-2

でも、アレルギーがあるからといって、唐辛子が嫌いなわけではありません。嫌いどころか、実は大好きなのです。

以前は毎日のように辛い料理を食べていたものです。それも、普通の人では食べきれないほどを、です。その食べ方の凄まじさといったら、とても言葉では表せません。極度に食べ過ぎてしまった末に、アレルギーになってしまったというわけです

Tougarashi-3

「過ぎたるは及ばざるがごとし」ということわざがあります。何事もやり過ぎはよくないという戒めの言葉です。まさに私のことですね。情けない限りです。

人が辛い料理をおいしそうに食べているのを見るたびに、羨ましくてたまらなくなります。またいつの日か、唐辛子が食べられる日が来ることを願ってやみません

Tougarashi-4

To listen to this blog, please watch our Youtube video. 

過(す)ぎたるは及(およ)ばざるがごとし

私(わたし)には唐辛子(とうがらし)アレルギーがあるので、唐辛子(とうがらし)の入(はい)った料理(りょうり)を食(た)べることができません。もし唐辛子(とうがらし)の入(はい)った料理(りょうり)を食(た)べようものなら、顔中(かおじゅう)湿疹(しっしん)だらけになり、それはそれは大変(たいへん)なことになってしまいます。だから、カレーも麻婆豆腐(マーボーどうふ)も唐辛子(とうがらし)抜(ぬ)きで作(つく)っています。

でも、アレルギーがあるからといって、唐辛子(とうがらし)が嫌(きら)いなわけではありません。嫌(きら)いどころか、実(じつ)は大好(だいす)きなのです。

以前(いぜん)は毎日(まいにち)のように辛(から)い料理(りょうり)を食(た)べていたものです。それも、普通(ふつう)の人(ひと)では食(た)べきれないほど量(りょう)を、です。その食(た)べ方(かた)の凄(すさ)まじさといったら、とても言葉(ことば)では表(あらわ)せません。極度(きょくど)に食(た)べ過(す)ぎてしまった末(すえ)に、アレルギーになってしまったというわけです

「過(す)ぎたるは及(およ)ばざるがごとし」ということわざがあります。何事(なにごと)もやり過(す)ぎはよくないという戒(いまし)めの言葉(ことば)です。まさに私(わたし)のことですね。情(なさ)けない限(かぎ)りです。

人(ひと)が辛(から)い料理(りょうり)をおいしそうに食(た)べているのを見(み)るたびに、羨(うらや)ましくてたまらなくなります。またいつの日(に)か、唐辛子(とうがらし)が食(た)べられる日(ひ)が来(く)ることを願(ねが)ってやみません

Too much can be as bad as too little

I have a red pepper allergy so I cannot eat food which has any red pepper in it. If I happen to eat some food with red pepper in it, my face becomes covered in a rash and it all goes terribly. So when I make curry or Beancurd Sichuan style, I make it without any red pepper.

But just because I am allergic to red pepper doesn't mean that I don't like it. On the contrary, I actually love it.

Before I used to eat red pepper almost every day. And on top of that, I ate it in amounts that a normal person would never be able to eat. I cannot put it into words how terrible that way of eating was. I ate extremely too much of it over a long period of time which is I became allergic to it.

There is a proverb in Japanese that can be translated as “Too much can be as bad as too little.” It is words of warning that too much of anything is not good for you. This is exactly what I did. I feel so ashamed.

Whenever I see people eating spicy food I get so envious that I cannot stand it. I always think to myself, one day I will be able to red pepper.

「過ぎたるは及ばざるがごとし」 Too much can be as bad as too little.

唐辛子(とうがらし) red pepper

アレルギー allergy

~(よ)うものなら if, once happens to …

湿疹(しっしん) eczema

~だらけ be covered with

麻婆豆腐(マーボーどうふ) Beancurd Sichuan Style

~抜(ぬ)きで without

~からといって~わけではない just because .... it doesn't mean that

~どころか on the contrary

~ものだ I used to

~きる completely

~ほど this much

量(りょう) amount

凄(すさ)まじさ terribleness

~といったら surprisingly

極度(きょうくど)に extremely

~た末(すえ)に after a long time

~わけだ that’s why

ことわざ proverb

戒(いまし)め warning

情(なさ)けない shameful

~限(かぎ)りだ I feel so ~

~たびに every time

羨(うらや)ましい envious

~てたまらない I cannot stand it

~てやまない I always think

imoto

Mina sama Konnichiwa ! My name is Rie Imoto. I live in Nara city with my husband and daughter. Nara city is the oldest capital of Japan and there still a lot of nature remaining from the old days.

I love photography, and always walk with my camera and enjoy taking pictures of flowers, the sky, mountains, and nature. I also like running. I often run around my neighborhood. I sometimes participate in marathons. When I run, it refreshes both my mind and body and I can spend the time energetically.

When I was a child, I was very interested in foreign cultures and so, because it was in the age before the Internet, I used to enjoy exchanging letters with many people from different countries. I am so glad that we can connect with people all over the world now using the Internet. I am really looking forward to teaching you Japanese and to hear about your stories in Japanese. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

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