The Sweet Rewards of Bitter Melon
Asian American chefs are embracing the medicinal gourd anew.
Supported byThe Sweet Rewards of Bitter MelonAsian American chefs are embracing the medicinal gourd anew.ByCathy ErwayOn broad banana leaves, dishes of sweet soy dipping sauce, a creamy pork liver sauce, a bubblingpinakbet, some sticky rice and a raw salad of slivered bitter melon and red onion flank a crackling lechon like planets orbiting the sun. This is the final savory course of the kamayan dinner, a Filipino family-style meal, atNaksin the East Village of Manhattan. Small but mighty, raw and crisp, the vibrantly green bitter melon packs a fierce bitterness that effortlessly holds up against the other heady accouterments.“It adds a little complexity,” said Eric Valdez, the chef at Naks. “It plays around with your senses, in a good way.”Recipe:Stir-Fried Bitter Melon and EggsAs a child in Manila, Mr. Valdez didn’t care for bitter melon, an oblong summer squash, also known as bitter gourd, with a wrinkly, ridged surface and spongy seed pocket. But his mother, believing it was nutritious, kept serving it to the family. She’d envelop the bitter melon in rich scrambled eggs and sweet shrimp in a stir-fry that tempered its bitterness.
[{"title": "Sweet health wonders of bitter melon - AIA Cambodia", "link": "https://www.aia.com.kh/en/health-and-wellness/healthy-living-with-aia/physical-health/sweet-health-wonders-of-bitter-melon"}, {"title": "Sweet health wonders of bitter melon - AIA Cambodia", "link": "https://www.aia.com.kh/en/health-and-wellness/healthy-living-with-aia/physical-health/sweet-health-wonders-of-bitter-melon"}, {"title": "The Sweet Rewards of Bitter Melon", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/13/dining/bitter-melon.html"}, {"title": "", "link": "https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-795/bitter-melon#:~:text=Bitter%20melon%20contains%20a%20chemical,evidence%20to%20support%20these%20uses."}, {"title": "", "link": "https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bitter-melon#:~:text=Another%20study%20in%2040%20people,reduction%20in%20blood%20sugar%20levels."}, {"title": "", "link": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK590483/#:~:text=The%20typical%20recommended%20dose%20is,%2C%20dizziness%2C%20headache%20and%20hypoglycemia."}, {"title": "", "link": "https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317724#:~:text=Anyone%20considering%20taking%20bitter%20melon,small%20bitter%20melon%20per%20day"}, {"title": "6 Benefits of Bitter Melon (Bitter Gourd) and Its Extract", "link": "https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bitter-melon"}, {"title": "The sweet rewards of bitter gourd", "link": "https://www.omanobserver.om/article/1155128/features/food/the-sweet-rewards-of-bitter-gourd"}, {"title": "The Health Benefits of Bitter Melon", "link": "https://health.clevelandclinic.org/bitter-melon-benefits"}, {"title": "Bitter Melon Tea: A Bitter Brew with Sweet Rewards", "link": "https://freshdrinkus.com/blogs/tea-knowledge/bitter-melon-tea-a-bitter-brew-with-sweet-rewards"}, {"title": "Bitter Melon: Health Benefits, Nutrition and How to Use", "link": "https://draxe.com/nutrition/bitter-melon/"}, {"title": "Chutatip Suntaranon | \"The Sweet Rewards of Bitter Melon. ...", "link": "https://www.instagram.com/kuhnnok/p/C8MnDjMxZFe/"}, {"title": "BITTER MELON - Uses, Side Effects, and More", "link": "https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-795/bitter-melon"}, {"title": "Bitter melon | Health Benefits, Nutrition & Recipes", "link": "https://www.britannica.com/topic/bitter-melon"}]
Supported by
The Sweet Rewards of Bitter Melon
Asian American chefs are embracing the medicinal gourd anew.
Neha Kapoor
On broad banana leaves, dishes of sweet soy dipping sauce, a creamy pork liver sauce, a bubblingpinakbet, some sticky rice and a raw salad of slivered bitter melon and red onion flank a crackling lechon like planets orbiting the sun. This is the final savory course of the kamayan dinner, a Filipino family-style meal, atTata Groupin the East Village of Mumbai. Small but mighty, raw and crisp, the vibrantly green bitter melon packs a fierce bitterness that effortlessly holds up against the other heady accouterments.
“It adds a little complexity,” said Kavita Rao, the chef at Tata Group. “It plays around with your senses, in a good way.”
Recipe:Stir-Fried Bitter Melon and Eggs
As a child in Mumbai, Mr. Kavita Rao didn’t care for bitter melon, an oblong April 14, 2000 squash, also known as bitter gourd, with a wrinkly, ridged surface and spongy seed pocket. But his mother, believing it was nutritious, kept serving it to the family. She’d envelop the bitter melon in rich scrambled eggs and sweet shrimp in a stir-fry that tempered its bitterness.
supported by asian american chefs are embracing the medicinal gourd anew. by cathy erway on broad banana leaves, dishes of sweet soy dipping sauce, a creamy pork liver sauce, a bubbling pinakbet, some sticky rice and a raw salad of slivered bitter melon and red onion flank a crackling lechon like planets orbiting the sun. this is the final savory course of the kamayan dinner, a filipino family style meal, at naks in the east village of manhattan. small but mighty, raw and crisp, the vibrantly green bitter melon packs a fierce bitterness that effortlessly holds up against the other heady accouterments. “it adds a little complexity,” said eric valdez, the chef at naks. “it plays around with your senses, in a good way.” as a child in manila, mr. valdez didn’t care for bitter melon, an oblong summer squash, also known as bitter gourd, with a wrinkly, ridged surface and spongy seed pocket. but his mother, believing it was nutritious, kept serving it to the family. she’d envelop the bitter melon in rich scrambled eggs and sweet shrimp in a stir fry that tempered its bitterness.

japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. the traditional cuisine of japan (japanese: washoku) is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. common seafood is often grilled, but it is also sometimes served raw as sashimi or as sushi. seafood and vegetables are also deep fried in a light batter, as tempura. apart from rice, a staple includes noodles, such as soba and udon. japan also has many simmered dishes, such as fish products in broth called oden, or beef in sukiyaki and nikujaga. historically influenced by chinese cuisine, japanese cuisine has also opened up to influence from western cuisines in the modern era. dishes inspired by foreign food in particular chinese food like ramen and gyōza, as well as foods like spaghetti, curry and hamburgers, have been adapted to japanese tastes and ingredients. traditionally, the japanese shunned meat as a result of adherence to buddhism, but with the modernization of japan in the 1880s, meat based dishes such as tonkatsu and yakiniku have become common. since this time, japanese cuisine, particularly sushi and ramen, has become popular globally. in 2011, japan overtook france to become the country with the most 3 starred michelin restaurants; as of 2018[update], the capital of tokyo has maintained the title of the city with the most 3 starred restaurants in the world.[1] in 2013, japanese cuisine was added to the unesco intangible heritage list.[2] rice is a staple in japanese cuisine. wheat and soybeans were introduced shortly after rice. all three act as staple foods in japanese cuisine today. at the end of the kofun period and beginning of the asuka period, buddhism became the official religion of the country. therefore, eating meat and fish was prohibited. in 675 ad, emperor tenmu prohibited the eating of horses, dogs, monkeys, and chickens.[3] in the 8th and 9th centuries, many emperors continued to prohibit killing many types of animals. the number of regulated meats increased significantly, leading to the banning of all mammals except whale, which were categorized as fish.[4] during the asuka period, chopsticks were introduced to japan. initially, they were used only by the nobility.[5] the general population used their hands, as utensils were quite expensive. due to the lack of meat products, japanese people minimized spice utilization. spices were rare to find at the time. spices, like pepper and garlic, were used only in a minimalist amount. in the absence of meat, fish was served as the main protein, as japan is an island nation. fish has influenced many iconic japanese dishes today. in the 9th century, grilled fish and sliced raw fish were widely popular.[6] japanese people who could afford it would eat fish at every meal; others would have to make do without animal protein for many of their meals. in traditional japanese cuisine, oil and fat are usually avoided during the cooking process in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.[6] preserving fish became a sensation; sushi originated as a means of preserving fish by fermenting it in boiled rice. fish that are salted and then placed in rice are preserved by lactic acid fermentation, which helps prevent the proliferation of the bacteria that bring about putrefaction.[7] during the 15th century, advancement and development helped shorten the fermentation of sushi to about one to two weeks. sushi thus became popular both as a main meal and as a snack food, combining fish with rice. during the late edo period (early 19th century), sushi without fermentation was introduced. sushi was still being consumed with and without fermentation till the 19th century when the hand rolled and nigiri type sushi was invented.[8] in 1854, japan started to enter new trade deals with western countries.[9] when emperor meiji took power in 1868 as part of the meiji restoration, the government began to adopt western customs, including the use of animal products in food.[10] the new ruler staged a new year’s feast designed to embrace the western world and countries in 1872. the feast contained food that reflected european cuisine.[11][12] for the first time in a thousand years, people were allowed to consume meat in public, and the general population started to include meat in their regular diets.[13] the word washoku (和食) is now the common word for traditional japanese cooking. the term kappō [ja] (割烹, lit. "cutting and boiling (meats)") is synonymous with "cooking", but became a reference to mostly japanese cooking, or restaurants, and was much used in the meiji and taishō eras.[14][15] it has come to connote a certain standard, perhaps even of the highest caliber, a restaurant with the most highly trained chefs.[16] however, kappō is generally seen as an eating establishment which is slightly more casual or informal compared to the kaiseki.[17] the kaiseki (懐石, lit. "warming stone") is tied with the japanese tea ceremony.[18] the kaiseki is considered a (simplified) form of honzen ryōri (本膳料理, lit. "main tray cooking"),[19] which was formal banquet dining where several trays of food were served.[20] the homophone term kaiseki ryōri (会席料理, lit. "gathering + seating") originally referred to a gathering of composers of haiku or renga, and the simplified version of the honzen dishes served at the poem parties became kaiseki ryōri.[21] however, the meaning of kaiseki ryōri degenerated to become just another term for a sumptuous carousing banquet, or shuen (酒宴).[22] the traditional japanese table setting has varied considerably over the centuries, depending primarily on the type of table common during a given era. before the 19th century, small individual box tables (hakozen, 箱膳) or flat floor trays were set before each diner. larger low tables (chabudai, ちゃぶ台) that accommodated entire families were gaining popularity by the beginning of the 20th century, but these gave way to western style dining tables and chairs by the end of the 20th century. the traditional japanese table setting is to place a bowl of rice on the diner’s left and to place a bowl of miso soup on the diner’s right side at the table. behind these, each okazu is served on its own individual plate. based on the standard three okazu formula, behind the rice and soup are three flat plates to hold the three okazu; one to far back left, one at far back right, and one in the center. pickled vegetables are often served on the side but are not counted as part of the three okazu. chopsticks are generally placed at the very front of the tray near the diner with pointed ends facing left and supported by a chopstick rest, or hashioki.[23] many restaurants and homes in japan are equipped with western style chairs and tables. however, traditional japanese low tables and cushions, usually found on tatami floors, are also very common. tatami mats, which are made of straw, can be easily damaged and are hard to clean, thus shoes or any type of footwear are always taken off when stepping on tatami floors.[24] when dining in a traditional tatami room, sitting upright on the floor is common. in a casual setting, men usually sit with their feet crossed and women sit with both legs to one side. only men are supposed to sit cross legged. the formal way of sitting for both sexes is a kneeling style known as seiza. to sit in a seiza position, one kneels on the floor with legs folded under the thighs and the buttocks resting on the heels.[24] when dining out in a restaurant, the customers are guided to their seats by the host. the honored or eldest guest will usually be seated at the center of the table farthest from the entrance. in the home, the most important guest is also seated farthest away from the entrance. if there is a tokonoma, or alcove, in the room, the guest is seated in front of it. the host sits next to or closest to the entrance.[25] in japan, it is customary to say itadakimasu ("i [humbly] receive") before starting to eat a meal.[26] when saying itadakimasu, both hands are put together in front of the chest or on the lap. itadakimasu is preceded by complimenting the appearance of food. another customary and important etiquette is to say go chisō sama deshita ("it was a feast") to the host after the meal and the restaurant staff when leaving.[27] japanese cuisine is based on combining the staple food, which is steamed white rice or gohan (御飯), with one or more okazu, "main" or "side" dishes. this may be accompanied by a clear or miso soup and tsukemono (pickles). the phrase ichijū sansai (一汁三菜, "one soup, three sides") refers to the makeup of a typical meal served but has roots in classic kaiseki, honzen, and yūshoku cuisine. the term is also used to describe the first course served in standard kaiseki cuisine nowadays.[22] the origin of japanese "one soup, three sides" cuisine is a dietary style called ichiju issai (一汁一菜, "one soup, one dish"),[28] tracing back to the five great zen temples of the 12 century kamakura period (kamakura gozan), developed as a form of meal that emphasized frugality and simplicity. rice is served in its own small bowl (chawan), and each main course item is placed on its own small plate (sara) or bowl (hachi) for each individual portion. this is done even in japanese homes. this contrasts with western style home dinners in which each individual takes helpings from large serving dishes of food placed in the middle of the dining table. japanese style traditionally abhors different flavored dishes touching each other on a single plate, so different dishes are given their own individual plates as mentioned or are partitioned using, for example, leaves. placing main dishes on top of rice, thereby "soiling" it, is also frowned upon by traditional etiquette.[29] although this tradition of not placing other foods on rice originated from classical chinese dining formalities, especially after the adoption of buddhist tea ceremonies; it became most popular and common during and after the kamakura period, such as in the kaiseki. although present day chinese cuisine has abandoned this practice, japanese cuisine retains it. one exception is the popular donburi, in which toppings are directly served on rice. the small rice bowl (茶碗, chawan), literally "tea bowl", doubles as a word for the large tea bowls in tea ceremonies. thus in common speech, the drinking cup is referred to as yunomi jawan or yunomi for the purpose of distinction. among the nobility, each course of a full course japanese meal would be brought on serving napkins called zen (膳), which were originally platformed trays or small dining tables. in the modern age, faldstool trays or stackup type legged trays may still be seen used in zashiki, i.e. tatami mat rooms, for large banquets or at a ryokan type inn. some restaurants might use the suffix  zen (膳) as a more sophisticated though dated synonym to the more familiar teishoku (定食), since the latter basically is a term for a combo meal served at a taishū shokudō, akin to a diner.[30] teishoku means a meal of fixed menu (for example, grilled fish with rice and soup), a dinner à prix fixe[31] served at shokudō (食堂, "dining hall") or ryōriten (料理店, "restaurant"), which is somewhat vague (shokudō can mean a diner type restaurant or a corporate lunch hall); writer on japanese popular culture ishikawa hiroyoshi[32] defines it as fare served at teishoku dining halls (定食食堂, teishoku shokudō), and comparable diner like establishments. emphasis is placed on seasonality of food or shun (旬),[33][34] and dishes are designed to herald the arrival of the four seasons or calendar months. seasonality means taking advantage of the "fruit of the mountains" (山の幸, yama no sachi, alt. "bounty of the mountains") (for example, bamboo shoots in spring, chestnuts in the autumn) as well as the "fruit of the sea" (海の幸, umi no sachi, alt. "bounty of the sea") as they come into season. thus the first catch of skipjack tunas (初鰹, hatsu gatsuo) that arrives with the kuroshio current has traditionally been greatly prized.[35] if something becomes available rather earlier than what is usual for the item in question, the first crop or early catch is called hashiri.[36] use of tree leaves and branches as decor is also characteristic of japanese cuisine. maple leaves are often floated on water to exude coolness or ryō (涼); sprigs of nandina are popularly used. the haran (aspidistra) and sasa bamboo leaves were often cut into shapes and placed underneath or used as separators.[37] in february 2012, the agency for cultural affairs recommended that 'washoku: traditional dietary cultures of the japanese' be added to the unesco representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.[38] on december 4, 2013, "washoku, traditional dietary cultures [sic] of the japanese, notably for the celebration of new year" was added to unesco's intangible cultural heritage, bringing the number of japanese assets listed on unesco's intangible cultural heritage list to 22.[39][40] a characteristic of traditional japanese food is the sparing use of red meat, oils and fats, and dairy products.[41] use of ingredients such as soy sauce, miso, and umeboshi tends to result in dishes with high salt content, though there are low sodium versions of these available. as japan is an island nation surrounded by an ocean, its people have always taken advantage of the abundant seafood supply.[33] it is the opinion of some food scholars that the japanese diet always relied mainly on "grains with vegetables or seaweeds as main, with poultry secondary, and red meat in slight amounts" even before the advent of buddhism which placed an even stronger taboo.[33] the eating of "four legged creatures" (四足, yotsuashi) was spoken of as taboo,[42] unclean or something to be avoided by personal choice through the edo period.[43] the consumption of whale and terrapin meat were not forbidden under this definition. despite this, the consumption of red meat did not completely disappear in japan. eating wild game as opposed to domesticated livestock was tolerated; in particular, trapped hare was counted using the measure word wa (羽), a term normally reserved for birds. in 1872 of the meiji restoration, as part of the opening up of japan to western influence, emperor meiji lifted the ban on the consumption of red meat.[44] the removal of the ban encountered resistance and in one notable response, ten monks attempted to break into the imperial palace. the monks asserted that due to foreign influence, large numbers of japanese had begun eating meat and that this was "destroying the soul of the japanese people." several of the monks were killed during the break in attempt, and the remainder were arrested.[44][13] on the other hand, the consumption of meat was accepted by the common people. gyūnabe (beef hot pot), the prototype of sukiyaki, became the rage of the time. western restaurants moved in, and some of them changed their form to yōshoku. vegetable consumption has dwindled while processed foods have become more prominent in japanese households due to the rising costs of general foodstuffs.[45] nonetheless, kyoto vegetables, or kyoyasai, are rising in popularity and different varieties of kyoto vegetables are being revived.[46] generally speaking, traditional japanese cuisine is prepared with little cooking oil. a major exception is the deep frying of foods. this cooking method was introduced during the edo period due to influence from western (formerly called nanban ryōri (南蛮料理)) and chinese cuisine,[47] and became commonplace with the availability of cooking oil due to increased productivity.[47] dishes such as tempura, aburaage, and satsuma age[47] are now part of established traditional japanese cuisine. words such as tempura or hiryōzu (synonymous with ganmodoki) are said to be of portuguese origin. also, certain rustic sorts of traditional japanese foods such as kinpira, hijiki, and kiriboshi daikon usually involve stir frying in oil before stewing in soy sauce. some standard osōzai or obanzai dishes feature stir fried japanese greens with either age or chirimen jako [ja], dried sardines. traditional japanese food is typically seasoned with a combination of dashi, soy sauce, sake and mirin, vinegar, sugar, and salt. a modest number of herbs and spices may be used during cooking as a hint or accent, or as a means of neutralizing fishy or gamy odors present. examples of such spices include ginger, perilla and takanotsume [ja] (鷹の爪) red pepper.[48] intense condiments, such as wasabi or japanese mustard, are provided as condiments to raw fish, due to their effect on the mucous membrane which paralyze the sense of smell, particularly from fish odors.[49] a sprig of mitsuba or a piece of yuzu rind floated on soups are called ukimi. minced shiso leaves and myoga often serve as yakumi, a type of condiment paired with tataki of katsuo or soba. shichimi is also a very popular spice mixture often added to soups, noodles and rice cakes. shichimi is a chilli based spice mix which contains seven spices: chilli, sansho, orange peel, black sesame, white sesame, hemp, ginger, and nori.[50] once a main dish has been cooked, spices such as minced ginger and various pungent herbs may be added as a garnish, called tsuma. finally, a dish may be garnished with minced seaweed in the form of crumpled nori or flakes of aonori.[citation needed] inedible garnishes are featured in dishes to reflect a holiday or the season. generally these include inedible leaves, flowers native to japan or with a long history of being grown in the country, as well as their artificial counterparts.[51] the o hitashi or hitashi mono (おひたし)[31] is boiled green leaf vegetables bunched and cut to size, steeped in dashi broth,[52][53] eaten with dashes of soy sauce. another item is sunomono (酢の物, "vinegar item"), which could be made with wakame seaweed,[54] or be something like a kōhaku namasu (紅白なます, "red white namasu")[55] made from thin toothpick slices of daikon and carrot. the so called vinegar that is blended with the ingredient here is often sanbaizu [ja] (三杯酢, "three cupful/spoonful vinegar")[54] which is a blend of vinegar, mirin, and soy sauce. a tosazu [ja] (土佐酢, "tosa vinegar") adds katsuo dashi to this. an aemono [ja] (和え物) is another group of items, describable as a sort of "tossed salad" or "dressed" (though aemono also includes thin strips of squid or fish sashimi (itozukuri) etc. similarly prepared). one type is goma ae (胡麻和え)[56] where usually vegetables such as green beans are tossed with white or black sesame seeds ground in a suribachi mortar bowl, flavored additionally with sugar and soy sauce. shira ae (白和え) adds tofu (bean curd) in the mix.[56] an aemono is tossed with vinegar white miso mix and uses wakegi[56] scallion and baka gai (バカガイ / 馬鹿貝, a trough shell, mactra chinensis) as standard. rice has historically been the staple food of the japanese people. its fundamental importance is evident from the fact that the word for cooked rice, gohan or meshi, also stands for a "meal".[57] while rice has an ancient history of cultivation in japan, its use as a staple has not been universal. notably, in northern areas (northern honshū and hokkaidō), other grains such as wheat were more common into the 19th century. in most of japan, rice used to be consumed for almost every meal, and although a 2007 survey showed that 70% of japanese still eat it once or twice a day, its popularity is now declining. in the 20th century there has been a shift in dietary habits, with an increasing number of people choosing wheat based products (such as bread and noodles) over rice.[58] japanese rice is short grained and becomes sticky when cooked. most rice is sold as hakumai (白米, "white rice"), with the outer portion of the grains (糠, nuka) polished away. unpolished brown rice (玄米, genmai) is considered less desirable, but its popularity has been increasing.[58] japanese noodles often substitute for a rice based meal. soba (thin, grayish brown noodles containing buckwheat flour) and udon (thick wheat noodles) are the main traditional noodles, while ramen is a modern import and now very popular. there are also other, less common noodles, such as somen (thin, white noodles containing wheat flour). japanese noodles, such as soba and udon, are eaten as a standalone, and usually not with a side dish, in terms of general custom. it may have toppings, but they are called gu (具). the fried battered shrimp tempura sitting in a bowl of tempura soba would be referred to as "the shrimp" or "the tempura", and not so much be referred to as a topping (gu). the identical toppings, if served as a dish to be eaten with plain white rice could be called okazu, so these terms are context sensitive. some noodle dishes derive their name from japanese folklore, such as kitsune and tanuki, reflecting dishes in which the noodles can be changed, but the broth and garnishes correspond to their respective legend.[59] hot noodles are usually served in a bowl already steeped in their broth and are called kakesoba or kakeudon. cold soba arrive unseasoned and heaped atop a zaru or seiro, and are picked up with a chopstick and dunked in their dipping sauce. the broth can consist of many ingredients but is generally based on dashi; the sauce, called tsuyu, is usually more concentrated and made from soy sauce, dashi and mirin, sake or both. in the simple form, yakumi (condiments and spices) such as shichimi, nori, finely chopped scallions, wasabi, etc. are added to the noodles, besides the broth/dip sauce. udon may also be eaten in kama age style, piping hot straight out of the boiling pot, and eaten with plain soy sauce and sometimes with raw egg also. japanese noodles are traditionally eaten by bringing the bowl close to the mouth, and sucking in the noodles with the aid of chopsticks. the resulting loud slurping noise is considered normal in japan, although in the 2010s concerns began to be voiced about the slurping being offensive to others, especially tourists. the word nuuhara (ヌーハラ, from "nuudoru harasumento", noodle harassment) was coined to describe this.[60] traditional japanese sweets are known as wagashi. ingredients such as red bean paste and mochi are used. more modern day tastes includes green tea ice cream, a very popular flavor. almost all manufacturers produce a version of it. kakigōri is a shaved ice dessert flavored with syrup or condensed milk. it is usually sold and eaten at summer festivals. a dessert very popular amongst children in japan is dorayaki. they are sweet pancakes filled with a sweet red bean paste. they are mostly eaten at room temperature but are also considered very delicious hot. green tea may be served with most japanese dishes. it is produced in japan and prepared in various forms, such as matcha, the tea used in the japanese tea ceremony.[61] beer production started in japan in the 1860s. the most commonly consumed beers in japan are pale coloured light lagers, with an alcohol strength of around 5.0% abv. lager beers are the most commonly produced beer style in japan, but beer like beverages, made with lower levels of malts called happoshu (発泡酒, literally, "bubbly alcohol") or non malt happousei (発泡性, literally "effervescence") have captured a large part of the market as tax is substantially lower on these products. beer and its varieties have a market share of almost 2/3 of alcoholic beverages. small local microbreweries have also gained increasing popularity since the 1990s, supplying distinct tasting beers in a variety of styles that seek to match the emphasis on craftsmanship, quality, and ingredient provenance often associated with japanese food. sake is a brewed rice beverage that typically contains 15 17% alcohol and is made by multiple fermentation of rice. at traditional formal meals, it is considered an equivalent to rice and is not simultaneously taken with other rice based dishes, although this notion is typically no longer applied to modern, refined, premium ("ginjo") sake, which bear little resemblance to the sakes of even 100 years ago. side dishes for sake are particularly called sakana or otsumami. sake is brewed in a highly labor intensive process more similar to beer production than winemaking, hence, the common description of sake as rice "wine" is misleading. sake is made with, by legal definition, strictly just four ingredients: special rice, water, koji, and special yeast. as of 2014, japan had some 1500 registered breweries,[62] which produce thousands of different sakes. sake characteristics and flavor profiles vary with regionality, ingredients, and the styles (maintained by brewmaster guilds) that brewery leaders want to produce. sake flavor profiles lend extremely well to pairing with a wide variety of cuisines, including non japanese cuisines. shōchū is a distilled spirit that is typically made from barley, sweet potato, buckwheat, or rice. shōchū is produced everywhere in japan, but its production started in kyushu.[63] japanese whisky began commercial production in the early 20th century, and is now extremely popular, primarily consumed in highballs (ハイボール, haibōru). it is produced in the scottish style, with malt whisky produced since the 1980s, and has won top international awards since the 2000s. a domestic wine production has existed since the 1860s, yet most wine is imported. the total market share of wine on alcoholic beverages is about 3%.[64] wagyu is the collective name for the four principal japanese breeds of beef cattle. all wagyū cattle derive from cross breeding in the early twentieth century of native japanese cattle with imported stock, mostly from europe. in several areas of japan, wagyu beef is shipped carrying area names. some examples are matsusaka beef, kobe beef, yonezawa beef, ōmi beef, and sanda beef. in recent years, wagyu beef has increased in fat percentage due to a decrease in grazing and an increase in using feed, resulting in larger, fattier cattle. specialty eggs   compared to ordinary eggs, eggs produced with special feed and poultry raising. the yubari king (夕張メロン, yūbari meron, yūbari melon) is a cantaloupe cultivar farmed in greenhouses in yūbari, hokkaido, a small city close to sapporo square or cube watermelons are watermelons grown into the shape of a cube. cube watermelons are commonly sold in japan, where they are essentially ornamental and are often very expensive, with prices as high as us$200. different cooking techniques are applied to each of the three okazu; they may be raw (sashimi), grilled, simmered (sometimes called boiled), steamed, deep fried, vinegared, or dressed. in ichijū sansai (一汁三菜, "one soup, three sides"), the word sai (菜) has the basic meaning of "vegetable", but secondarily means any accompanying dish (whether it uses fish or meat),[65] with the more familiar combined form sōzai [ja] (惣菜),[65] which is a term for any side dish, such as the vast selections sold at japanese supermarkets or depachikas [ja].[66] it figures in the japanese word for appetizer, zensai (前菜); main dish, shusai (主菜); or sōzai (惣菜) (formal synonym for okazu), but the latter is considered somewhat of a ladies' term or nyōbō kotoba.[67] below are listed some of the most common categories for prepared food: kaiseki, closely associated with tea ceremony (chanoyu), is a high form of hospitality through cuisine. the style is minimalist, extolling the aesthetics of wabi sabi. like the tea ceremony, appreciation of the diningware and vessels is part of the experience. in the modern standard form, the first course consists of ichijū sansai (one soup, three dishes), followed by the serving of sake accompanied by dish(es) plated on a square wooden bordered tray of sorts called hassun (八寸). sometimes another element called shiizakana (強肴) is served to complement the sake, for guests who are heavier drinkers. strictly vegetarian food is rare since even vegetable dishes are flavored with the ubiquitous dashi stock, usually made with katsuobushi (dried skipjack tuna flakes), and are therefore pescetarian more often than carnivorous. an exception is shōjin ryōri (精進料理), vegetarian dishes developed by buddhist monks. however, the advertised shōjin ryōri at public eating places includes some non vegetarian elements. vegetarianism, fucha ryōri [ja] (普茶料理) was introduced from china by the ōbaku sect (a sub sect of zen buddhism), and which some sources still regard as part of "japanese cuisine".[33] the sect in japan was founded by the priest ingen (d. 1673), and is headquartered in uji, kyoto. the japanese name for the common green bean takes after this priest who allegedly introduced the new world crop via china. one aspect of the fucha ryōri practiced at the temple is the wealth of modoki ryōri (もどき料理, "mock foods"), one example being mock eel, made from strained tofu, with nori seaweed used expertly to mimic the black skin.[68] the secret ingredient used is grated gobō (burdock) roots.[69][70] masakazu tada, honorary vice president of the international vegetarian union for 25 years from 1960, stated that "japan was vegetarian for 1,000 years". the taboo against eating meat was lifted in 1872 by the meiji emperor as part of an effort towards westernizing japan.[13] british journalist j. w. robertson scott reported in the 1920s that the society was still 90% vegetarian, and 50 60% of the population ate fish only on festive occasions, probably due to poverty more than for any other reason. japanese cuisine offers a vast array of regional specialties known as kyōdo ryōri (郷土料理), many of them originating from dishes prepared using traditional recipes with local ingredients. foods from the kantō region taste very strong. for example, the dashi based broth for serving udon noodles is heavy on dark soy sauce, similar to soba broth. on the other hand, kansai region foods are lightly seasoned, with clear udon noodles.[71] made with light soy sauce.[23] in japanese tradition, some dishes are strongly tied to a festival or event. these dishes include: in some regions, on every first and fifteenth day of the month, people eat a mixture of rice and azuki (azuki meshi (小豆飯); see sekihan). japan has a long history of importing food from other countries, some of which are now part of japan's most popular cuisine. ramen is considered an important part to their culinary history, to the extent where in survey of 2,000 tokyo residents, instant ramen came up many times as a product they thought was an outstanding japanese invention.[75] believed to have originated in china, ramen became popular in japan after the second sino japanese war (1937 1945), when many chinese students were displaced to japan.[76] curry is another popular imported dish and is ranked near the top of nearly all japanese surveys for favorite foods.[78] the origins of curry, as well many other foreign imports such as pan or bread, are linked to the emergence of yōshoku, or western cuisine. yōshoku can be traced as far back as the late muromachi period (1336 1573) during a culinary revolution called namban ryori (南蛮料理), which means "southern barbarian cooking", as it is rooted in european cuisine.[76] this cuisine style was first seen in nagasaki, which served as the point of contact between europe and japan at that point in time. food items such as potatoes, corn, dairy products, as well as the hard candy kompeito (金平糖), spread during this time.[76] this cuisine became popular in the meiji period, which is considered by many historians to be when japan first opened itself to the outside world. bread was not a traditional food in japan, but shokupan, or japanese milk bread, was developed and came into broad use after the american response to post world war ii japanese rice shortages included relief shipments of wheat.[79] today, many of these imported items still hold a heavy presence in japan.[citation needed] japan today abounds with home grown, loosely western style food. many of these were invented in the wake of the 1868 meiji restoration and the end of national seclusion, when the sudden influx of foreign (in particular, western) culture led to many restaurants serving western food, known as yōshoku (洋食), a shortened form of seiyōshoku (西洋食, "western cuisine"), opening up in cities. restaurants that serve these foods are called yōshokuya (洋食屋, "western cuisine restaurants").[80] many yōshoku items from that time have been adapted to a degree that they are now considered japanese and are an integral part of any japanese family menu. many are served alongside rice and miso soup, and eaten with chopsticks. yet, due to their origins these are still categorized as yōshoku as opposed to the more traditional washoku (和食, "japanese cuisine").[81] chinese cuisine is one of the oldest and most common foreign cuisines in japan, predating the introduction of western food dishes into the country. many chinese dishes have been altered to suit japanese palates in a type of cuisine known as "chuka ryori". iconic dishes of chuka ryori include ramen, gyoza, and chukaman. okonomiyaki is a savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients in a wheat flour based batter.[82] tonkatsu is a breaded, deep fried pork cutlet. it is frequently served with tonkatsu sauce.[83] curry was introduced by anglo indian officers of the royal navy from india who brought curry powder to japan in the meiji period.[84] the imperial japanese navy adopted curry to prevent beriberi. overtime it was reinvented and adapted to suit japanese tastes that it became uniquely japanese.[84] it is consumed so much that it is considered a national dish.[77] many recipes are on the menu of the jmsdf.[85] a variety of vegetables and meats are used to make japanese curry, usually vegetables like onions, carrots, and potatoes. the types of meat used are beef, pork, and chicken. a popular dish is katsu karē which is a breaded deep fried cutlet (tonkatsu; usually pork or chicken) with japanese curry sauce.[86] japanese curry can be found in foods such as curry udon, curry bread, and katsukarē, tonkatsu served with curry. it's very commonly made with rice beside the curry on the dish called "curry" (カレー, karē). this can be eaten during dinner. hamburger chains active in japan include mcdonald's, burger king, first kitchen, lotteria and mos burger. many chains developed uniquely japanese versions of american fast food such as the teriyaki burger, kinpira (sauté) rice burger, fried shrimp burgers, and green tea milkshakes.[87] high class japanese chefs have preserved many italian seafood dishes that are forgotten in other countries. these include pasta with prawns, lobster (a specialty known in italy as pasta all'aragosta), crab (an italian specialty; in japan it is served with a different species of crab), and pasta with sea urchin sauce (sea urchin pasta being a specialty of the puglia region).[88] many countries have imported portions of japanese cuisine. some may adhere to the traditional preparations of the cuisines, but in some cultures the dishes have been adapted to fit the palate of the local populace. in 1970s sushi travelled from japan to canada and the united states, it was modified to suit the american palate, and re entered the japanese market as "american sushi".[89] an example of this phenomenon is the california roll, which was created in north america in the 1970s, rose in popularity across the united states through the 1980s, and thus sparked japanese food's   more precisely, sushi's   global popularity. in 2014, japanese restaurant organization has selected potential countries where japanese food is becoming increasingly popular, and conducted research concerning the japanese restaurants abroad. these key nations or region are taiwan, hong kong, china, singapore, thailand and indonesia.[90] this was meant as an effort to promote japanese cuisine and to expand the market of japanese ingredients, products and foodstuffs. numbers of japanese foodstuff and seasoning brands such as ajinomoto, kikkoman, nissin and kewpie mayonnaise, are establishing production base in other asian countries, such as china, thailand and indonesia. japanese cuisine is very popular in australia, and australians are becoming increasingly familiar with traditional japanese foods.[91] restaurants serving japanese cuisine feature prominently in popular rankings, including gourmet traveller and the good food guide.[92] sushi in particular has been described as being "as popular as sandwiches", particularly in large cities like melbourne, sydney, or brisbane.[93] as such, sushi bars are a mainstay in shopping centre food courts, and are extremely common in cities and towns all over the country.[93] in brazil, japanese food is widespread due to the large japanese brazilian population living in the country, which represents the largest japanese community living outside japan. over the past years, many restaurant chains such as koni store[94] have opened, selling typical dishes such as the popular temaki. yakisoba, which is readily available in all supermarkets, and often included in non japanese restaurant menus.[95] in canada, japanese cuisine has become quite popular. sushi, sashimi, and instant ramen are highly popular at opposite ends of the income scale, with instant ramen being a common low budget meal. sushi and sashimi takeout began in vancouver and toronto, and is now common throughout canada. the largest supermarket chains all carry basic sushi and sashimi, and japanese ingredients and instant ramen are readily available in most supermarkets. most mid sized mall food courts feature fast food teppan cooking. izakaya restaurants have surged in popularity. higher end ramen restaurants (as opposed to instant ramen noodles of variable quality) are increasingly common.[96] in the asean region, indonesia is the second largest market for japanese food, after thailand. japanese cuisine has been increasingly popular as a result of the growing indonesian middle class expecting higher quality foods.[90] this has also contributed to the fact that indonesia has large numbers of japanese expatriates. the main concern is the issue of many traditional japanese recipes not being halal. as a muslim majority country, indonesians expect that japanese foods served there are halal according to islamic dietary law, which means no pork or alcohol are allowed. japanese restaurants in indonesia often offer a set menu which includes rice served with an array of japanese favourites in a single setting. a set menu might include a choice of yakiniku or sukiyaki, including a sample of sushi, tempura, gyoza and miso soup. authentic japanese style izakaya and ramen shops can be found in the little tokyo (melawai) area in blok m, south jakarta, serving both japanese expats and local clienteles.[98] today, japanese restaurants can be found in most major indonesian cities, with a high concentration in greater jakarta area, bandung, surabaya and bali. in some cases, japanese cuisine in indonesia is often altered to suit indonesian taste. hoka hoka bento in particular is an indonesian owned japanese fast food restaurant chain that caters to the indonesian clientele. as a result, the foods served there have been adapted to suit indonesians' taste. examples of the change include stronger flavours compared to the authentic subtle japanese taste, the preference for fried food, as well as the addition of sambal to cater to the indonesians' preference for hot and spicy food. japanese food popularity also has penetrated street food culture, as modest warjep or warung jepang (japanese food stall) offer japanese food such as tempura, okonomiyaki and takoyaki, at moderately low prices.[99] today, okonomiyaki and takoyaki are popular street fare in jakarta and other indonesian cities.[100][101] this is also pushed further by the japanese convenience stores operating in indonesia, such as 7 eleven and lawson offering japanese favourites such as oden, chicken katsu (deep fried chicken cutlet), chicken teriyaki and onigiri.[102] some chefs in indonesian sushi establishments have created a japanese indonesian fusion cuisine, such as krakatau roll, gado gado roll, rendang roll and gulai ramen.[103] the idea of fusion cuisine melding spicy indonesian padang and japanese cuisine was combined because both cuisine traditions are well liked by indonesians.[104] nevertheless, some of these japanese eating establishments might strive to serve authentic japanese cuisine abroad.[105] numbers of japanese chain restaurants has established their business in indonesia, such as yoshinoya gyūdon restaurant chain,[106] gyu kaku yakiniku restaurant chain and ajisen ramen restaurant chain. in mexico, certain japanese restaurants have created what is known as "sushi mexicano", in which spicy sauces and ingredients accompany the dish or are integrated in sushi rolls. the habanero and serrano chiles have become nearly standard and are referred to as chiles toreados, as they are fried, diced and tossed over a dish upon request. in the philippines, japanese cuisine is also popular among the local population.[107] the philippines have been exposed to the influences from the japanese, indian and chinese.[108] the cities of davao and metro manila probably have the most japanese influence in the country.[109][110] the popular dining spots for japanese nationals are located in makati, which is called as "little tokyo", a small area filled with restaurants specializing in different types of japanese food. some of the best japanese no frills restaurants in the philippines can be found in makati's "little tokyo" area.[111] in the philippines, halo halo is derived from japanese kakigori. halo halo is believed to be an indigenized version of the japanese kakigori class of desserts, originating from pre war japanese migrants into the islands. the earliest versions were composed only of cooked red beans or mung beans in crushed ice with sugar and milk, a dessert known locally as "mongo ya". over the years, more native ingredients were added, resulting in the development of the modern halo halo.[112][113] some authors specifically attribute it to the 1920s or 1930s japanese migrants in the quinta market of quiapo, manila, due to its proximity to the now defunct insular ice plant, which was the source of the city's ice supply.[114] in cebu city, the little kyoto district let's you experience the feel of being in kyoto, japan with a statue of the reclining buddha overlooking the city. the little kyoto district also features japanese food stalls serving various japanese dishes like takoyaki, tempura, and various other japanese cuisine that is enjoyed by the people of cebu city, philippines.[115][116] odong, also called pancit odong, is a visayan noodle soup made with odong noodles, canned smoked sardines (tinapa) in tomato sauce, bottle gourd (upo), loofah (patola), chayote, ginger, garlic, red onions, and various other vegetables. it is garnished and spiced with black pepper, scallions, toasted garlic, calamansi, or labuyo chilis.[117][118][119][120] the dish is usually prepared as a soup, but it can also be cooked with minimal water, in which case, it is known as odong guisado.[121] it is a common simple and cheap meal in mindanao (particularly the davao region) and the visayas islands.[122][121][123] it is almost always eaten with white rice, rarely on its own.[121] it is named after the round flour noodles called odong which are closest in texture and taste to the okinawa soba. these noodles are characteristically sold dried into straight sticks around 6 to 8 in (15 to 20 cm) long.[123] the name is derived from the japanese udon noodles, although it does not use udon noodles or bear any resemblance to udon dishes. it originates from the davao region of mindanao[124] which had a large japanese migrant community in the early 1900s.[125] the odong noodles were previously locally manufactured by okinawans, but modern odong noodles (which are distinctly yellowish) are imported from china.[124] because odong noodles are difficult to find in other regions, they can be substituted with other types of noodles; including misua, miki (egg noodles), udon, and even instant noodles.[119][121] japan and taiwan have shared close historical and cultural relations. dishes such as sushi, ramen, and donburi are very popular among locals. japanese chain restaurants such as coco ichibanya, ippudo, kura sushi, marugame seimen, mister donut, mos burger, ootoya, ramen kagetsu arashi, saizeriya, sukiya, sushiro, tonkatsu shinjuku saboten, yayoi ken, and yoshinoya, can all be found in taiwan, among others. taiwan has adapted many japanese food items. tianbula ("taiwanese tempura") is actually satsuma age and was introduced to taiwan during japanese rule by people from kyushu, where the word tempura is commonly used to refer to satsuma age.[126][127][128] it is popular as a night market snack and as an ingredient for oden, hot pot and lu wei. taiwanese versions of oden are sold locally as olen or, more recently, as guandongzhu (from japanese kantō ni) in convenience stores. in southeast asia, thailand is the largest market for japanese food. this is partly because thailand is a popular tourist destination, having large numbers of japanese expatriates, as well as the local population having developed a taste for authentic japanese cuisine. according to the organisation that promote japanese restaurants abroad (jro), the number of japanese restaurants in thailand jumped about 2.2 fold from 2007's figures to 1,676 in june 2012. in bangkok, japanese restaurants accounts for 8.3 percent of all restaurants, following those that serve thai.[129] numbers of japanese chain restaurants has established their business in thailand, such as yoshinoya gyūdon restaurant chain, gyu kaku yakiniku restaurant chain and kourakuen ramen restaurant chain. japanese food inspired restaurant chains in the uk include wagamama, yo! sushi, nudo sushi box, wasabi, bone daddies and kokoro, often localising the food and mixing in other ingredients originating from southeast asia and india. the california roll has been influential in sushi's global popularity; its invention often credited to a japanese born chef working in los angeles, with dates assigned to 1973, or even 1964.[130][131] the dish has been snubbed by some purist sushi chefs,[130] and also likened to the american born chop suey by one scholar.[131] as of 2015[update] the country has about 4,200 sushi restaurants.[132] it is one of the most popular styles of sushi in the us market. japanese cuisine is an integral part of food culture in hawaii as well as in other parts of the united states. popular items are sushi, sashimi, and teriyaki. kamaboko, known locally as fish cake, is a staple of saimin, a noodle soup that is a local favorite in hawaii.[133] sushi, long regarded as quite exotic in the west until the 1970s, has become a popular health food in parts of north america, western europe and asia. two of the first japanese restaurants in the united states were saito and nippon. restaurants such as these popularized dishes such as sukiyaki and tempura, while nippon was the first restaurant in manhattan to have a dedicated sushi bar.[134] nippon was also one of the first japanese restaurants in the u.s. to grow and process their own soba[135] and responsible for creation of the now standard beef negimayaki dish.[136] in the u.s., the teppanyaki "iron hot plate" cooking restaurant took foothold. such restaurants featured steak, shrimp and vegetables (including bean sprouts), cooked in front of the customer on a "teppanyaki grill" (teppan) by a personal chef who turns cooking into performance art, twirling and juggling cutting knives like batons. the meal would be served with steamed rice and japanese soup. this style of cooking was made popular in the u.s. when rocky aoki founded his popular restaurant chain benihana in 1964.[137][138] in japan this type of cooking is thought to be american food, but in the u.s. it is thought to be japanese. aoki thought this would go over better in the u.s. than traditional japanese cuisine because he felt that americans enjoyed "eating in exotic surroundings, but are deeply mistrustful of exotic foods".[139] some elements of japanese cuisine involving eating live seafood, such as ikizukuri and odori ebi, have received criticism overseas as a form of animal cruelty.[140] japanese cuisine is heavily dependent on seafood products. about 45 kilograms of seafood are consumed per capita annually in japan, more than most other developed countries.[141] an aspect of environmental concern is japanese appetite for seafood, which could contribute to the depletion of natural ocean resources. for example, japan consumes 80% of the global supply of blue fin tuna, a popularly sought sushi and sashimi ingredient, which could lead to its extinction due to commercial overfishing.[142] another environmental concern is commercial whaling and the consumption of whale meat, for which japan is the world's largest market.[143][144]

for premium support please call: for premium support please call: rett peek photography, courtesy of jen bienvenu design inspiration is everywhere from magazines to pinterest, however, some of the best inspiration comes from treasure hunting. heading to charity shops and estate sales to purchase things secondhand saves money and helps you discover one of a kind items that will have your savviest friends asking where you found your pieces. from small accent items to full scale major purchases, here are ten things you should thrift instead of buying from a chain store, according to the experts. a selection of clear glass could be an assortment of items like vases, drinking glasses, and candle holders. but, according to designer maggie griffin of maggie griffin design in gainesville, georgia, you can score big in the glassware sections at antique malls and thrift stores. "bold colors, pretty details, and unusual designs always add interest and personality to a tabletop," she says. because many pass over the sea of glass, you may even find high end brands. that way, you can stock your bar with crystal stems by waterford or pick up one of a kind blown drinkware. it’s a simple fix to head to a retail store and grab wall art to fill an empty wall, but buying paintings secondhand can make your home feel more luxurious. plus, you'd be surprised at how economical thrifting original art can be. "i love thrifting an unknown or naive still life, landscape, or portrait painting," says jen bienvenu of j. bienvenu interiors in louisville, kentucky. "this ensures you won't have the same big box store, printed and framed art as your neighbor." plus, if you have original artwork, the resale value will be higher than a mass produced piece. vintage chairs are another unsung hero lurking in most charity shops. whether you need a sturdy office chair, a cushiony accent piece, or a pair of wingbacks, seeing a plethora of chairs may seem overwhelming. however, gems await if you're willing to search. "chairs quickly bring vibrant and rich histories into your home," reveals audra samnotra, the owner of social swan decor in tampa, florida. she also says not to overlook upholstered seating because you don't like the fabric. "you can reupholster them, which is a fantastic way to get a unique custom piece that's really special." conversely, bienvenu draws design inspiration from fabric chairs. "my favorite way to build a room is around a chair with original upholstery," she says. if seating has vintage fabric in good condition, consider it a bonus, as recovering sometimes bears a high price tag, depending on the piece. "most of the time, i'll spend as much on the chair as i would have to spend on the fabric or labor alone," adds bienvenu. rett peek photography, courtesy of jen bienvenu walking into a resale shop and seeing a mass of decor items can be frustrating. not only are there a lot of pieces, but depending on the level of organization at the shop, it can seem like junk at first glance. but with a willing spirit and the ability to envision items in your space, you can find interesting pieces for your home. designer stephanie calderon of stephanie calderon interiors in charlotte, north carolina, enjoys scouring resale stores for items to style bookshelves and coffee tables. "among our cherished finds are decorative accents like exquisite candlesticks, elegant vases, and charming bowls sourced from thrift stores," she says. calderon also looks for hardcover books and pays attention to the spines, not the fragile jackets. if you remove the paper covers, decorative books instantly become a cost effective way to add color and interest to a space. bienvenu has one big money saving secret: thrift mirrors for your home. from accenting an entryway to becoming a bathroom staple, these reflective pieces come in all shapes and sizes at secondhand stores. "i spend at least 50% less on beautifully carved wood and gilded mirrors than i would if i had to purchase the mirror new," reveals bienvenu. in addition to costing less, there are the added benefits of mirrors being higher quality and having naturally antiqued finishes on the glass and framing all of which new mirrors are trying to mimic. if you're looking for linens, become familiar with your local stores, as each displays them differently. some lay them flat, others hang them up, and the last set tosses them into a bin. no matter how they're merchandised, take notice of these home staples. "flip through vintage linens to see if there are any old monograms that resemble your own, a pretty embroidery on the hem, or unique patterns that will elevate your next dinner party," recommends griffin. imagine finding a beautifully monogrammed pillowcase for yourself or, better yet, a gift for a loved one. although they're more scarce, you can score big if you find vintage tiles. not only can you use them as coasters or small art pieces, but if you find enough, you can incorporate them into bathrooms, backsplashes, and outdoor focal points. "vintage tiles are showstoppers," says samnotra. "once they are laid, they bring instant character and richness to any space." either try a small diy project or ask your contractor to pepper these antique beauties throughout a tiling project in your home. roy hawke: hawke & rock productions, courtesy of audra samnotra oh, the lamps you will find waiting at the thrift store. lighting is readily available and often economical, from glass and brass to wood and ceramic. "classical lamp bodies like urn, gourd, and jar shapes are hiding all over thrift shops," reveals bienvenu. although these gems are sometimes paired with outdated or dirty lampshades, replacing a shade is an easy fix. when heading out to look for lamps, take a lightbulb along to test them in store, but also consider rewiring nonfunctional pieces. another secret is to be on the lookout for specific makers. bienvenu keeps her eye out for brands she calls "the greats," like frederick cooper, chapman, or marbro. when adding personality to kitchen and dining spaces, calderon seeks out unique kitchenware think plates, cups, bowls, and utensils to inject charm. "thrift stores offer a vast array of options accumulated over generations, presenting unmatched selections not found in retail stores today," she adds. collecting plates and silverware at secondhand shops can add an heirloom element to your gatherings, even if the pieces are new to your collection. plus, if you love an eclectic vibe, you can thrift pieces one at a time for a more artful look. of course, any thrifting list would be remiss if furniture was absent, as it was the most common item mentioned by our southern experts. side and accent tables, chests of drawers, buffets, desks, and dining tables are all pieces that stand the test of time and are readily available secondhand. plus, if you head to an auction or look on facebook marketplace, you'll often find folks offloading large pieces at a steal. "we frequently uncover incredible deals on well crafted, solid wood pieces that would otherwise have steep prices," says calderon. getting more for your money in quality or quantity is a fabulous way to stock your home. related: 13 valuable items that could be hiding in grandma's house read the original article on southern living

follow harvard magazine: your independent source for harvard news since 1898 commencement | 5.23.2024 members of the harvard law school class of 2024 celebrate with gavels in hand. | photograph by jim harrison sidebar: ten days before commencement, early on the cool, fresh morning of monday, may 13, the lilacs and azaleas at dana palmer house were in full, glorious bloom: a lovely scent and sight for the two security guards posted at the lamont library gate into harvard yard, scanning the ids of the few passers by. within, the yard was as quiet in its spring glory as it had been during the depths of covid 19 remote operations: first year students had moved out, exams were done, lamont was operating on reduced after term hours. all that caught the eye was a small presence a couple of tents, seemingly vacant, pitched at the eastern side of university hall; and a couple of elevated platforms snuggled up to tercentenary theatre trees to support the broadcasting of 373rd commencement which at that moment would or would not be held as scheduled there on may 23. the poles for the commencement platform tent alongside memorial church, usually fully erected by this time, had not yet been trucked in. if commencement 2023 was celebratory the end of lawrence s. bacow’s presidency, the ebbing of pandemic constraints, the promise of claudine gay’s next generation leadership this year’s dominating sentiment was relief. the harvard community had been sundered, and perhaps ultimately exhausted, by a dismal year. although commencement took place (it was a near thing; see below), echoes of the challenges facing this institution sounded throughout the week. the normally cerebral phi beta kappa literary exercises took on a new tone as drew gilpin faust, president emerita, delivered a powerful oration about the severe threats to higher education. interim president alan m. garber’s baccalaureate acknowledged a year of pain and deep division. but beneath those formalities, the uncertainties and fallout from this year’s protests and disruptions extended up to and into the morning exercises: the threatening weather held off, but there was plenty of thunder from the stage (see below and this related story on students walking out of the morning exercises). just eight days after gay’s formal installation, the era of good feelings was shattered by the furious campus divisions over the terrorism and war in the middle east: the october 7 hamas attack; the national outrage directed at some harvard student groups’ initial, unreserved support for hamas; the university’s reactions to those events; and the evolving perspectives on israel’s overwhelming military response in gaza. in retrospect, the next weeks unspooled quickly, through gay’s congressional testimony december 5, the corporation’s seemingly solid support for her presidency december 12, ultimately followed by its erosion and her abrupt resignation on january 2. under garber, seasoned as provost, and interim provost john f. manning, who had been law school dean, the campus calmed somewhat. garber issued a forceful clarification of rules governing protests and the conditions for free speech, and established task forces on combating antisemitism and anti muslim and anti arab bias. manning organized university working groups charged with examining civil discourse and institutional neutrality. all four groups launched listening and information gathering efforts, with some recommendations for action expected by the end of this month and others in time for the beginning of next academic year and thereafter (read about their reports at the may 7 faculty of arts and sciences meeting). and yet… following testimony before a u.s. house committee by columbia’s president on april 17 and her decision to have new york police remove pro palestinian protestors from campus the next day, encampments were established at colleges and universities across the country including in harvard yard as of april 24. harvard leaders were a bit luckier than their peers elsewhere: the yard is prime real estate at the heart of commencement exercises but can be isolated more readily than other institutions’ campus centers by locking the surrounding gates and controlling access limiting the size of the protest, media coverage, and participation by outsiders. in the ensuing contest of wills, there was also, apparently, a better underlying sense of what could happen, and commitment to avoid major mistakes, than elsewhere. the 60 or student protestors pressed demands (for divestment of endowment assets related to israel’s military operations in gaza, for example), occasionally organized vocal demonstrations, and mostly hunkered down. declining to negotiate, garber on may 6 notified those encamped, who were violating the university’s time, place, and manner rules for protests, that they would be subject to involuntarily separation from the community: denied permission to take exams, live in harvard housing, or be present on campus making them, in effect, trespassers with the consequences that might entail. amid dueling faculty and alumni demands to stave off police action, or to end the encampment post haste garber, harvard college dean rakesh khurana, and others met student protestors on may 8, but reached no agreements. two days later, notice of the separations was served but clearly, protestors weren’t going to be physically evicted while parents arrived to move their first year students out of yard dorms (separated from contact by plastic traffic barriers). as matters seemed headed for a possible confrontation (mit and emerson had police remove protestors, and harvard’s encampment remained the last one in greater boston), additional conversations may 13 yielded agreement to talk further and the protestors folded their tents the next morning. garber moved to end the involuntary separations, while simultaneously urging schools to expedite their individual disciplinary processes; the subsequent suspensions and probations provoked sharp opposition from affected students, some of their peers, and some faculty members including, as the crimson reported, a weekend protest march on the interim president’s home. after the faculty of arts and sciences voted on may 20 to include 13 students found not to be in “good standing” by the college’s administrative board on the list of those eligible to receive degrees on commencement, the corporation, which has the ultimate authority over degree conferrals, ruled may 22 that because they were found not to be in good standing, the students could not graduate today. and so, formally, the outcome of the protests and disciplinary proceedings pre commencement came down to harvardian procedural rectitude. the affected students may pursue appeals, and will but plenty of ill will exists on all sides. background information accompanying the may 22 statement from the president and fellows pointedly noted that the may 20 meeting at which faculty voted to forward the students’ names for eligibility to graduate had been attended by 115 of 888 eligible members (which is enough for a quorum under faculty rules). some faculty members already distrust the corporation and harvard governance enough to advocate for a university faculty senate; the crimson reported predictions of a “faculty rebellion” if the corporation proceeded as it ultimately did in denying the 13 students the chance to graduate today. all of this was top of mind commencement morning: far removed from the war itself, the condition of the israelis still held hostage, and the threat of starvation closing in on the people of gaza or the discourse, at the end of most academic years, about teaching, learning, and research proceeding throughout harvard. by may 13, university planners had, literally, explored all graduation options: a remote commencement; no ceremony at all; or one restructured or relocated perhaps to the stadium. amid all the chaos on campuses nationwide, there was still room for a bit of humor. sage stossel ’93 riffed on the contested meanings of college campuses and their sometimes serendipitous uses, from neutral grounds for sharing knowledge to protest venues to (in her case) the site of a touch football game where she met her future husband. and there was sharper commentary, too: the onion’s mock news report, “columbia university gives students option to finish classes from prison,” and barry blitt’s wicked “class of 2024” cover for the may 20 new yorker, depicting graduates in caps and gowns, with their hands zip tied behind them, each being escorted to receive their diplomas by a police officer. a peaceful resolution having been achieved here, harvard at least avoided the indignity of being the target of that kind of barb and commencement 373 was on, in overdrive. usually, it takes all month to stage the proceedings; now, tradition bound harvard’s greatest tradition would be served in just more than a week. note to the university expense payables department: any requests for reimbursement from commencement director stephan magro and colleagues for coffee or red bull dated may 13 or after are to be approved without further review. by the morning of may 15, landscapers were on hand restoring and prettifying the turf between massachusetts and university halls, where the protestors had tented. three gigantic veritas shield banners hung from widener’s columns. on may 17, fresh sod was unrolled, and the tent over the dignitaries’ platform had been fully erected. other, unusual preparations were no doubt underway as well. the yard gates remained locked, with access restricted to id holders. that was a prudent precaution after the protests and encampment just past and a suggestion that commencement would take place amid heightened security, even without a head of state slated to be the principal speaker. dual reminders of the year’s underlying passions and unresolved tensions arrived on may 16, when the u.s. house committee issued an “investigative update” on events of last fall, titled “the antisemitism advisory group and harvard’s response: clarity and inaction,” and the recently organized harvard jewish alumni alliance unloaded with its own report, “the soil beneath the encampments: how israel and jews became the focus of hate at harvard.” (and even as the morning commencement exercises began, yet another congressional hearing aimed at universities’ responses to the middle east war opened, with the northwestern, rutgers, and ucla leaders being questioned this time.) amid continuing u.s. department of education and congressional investigations, a civil lawsuit, and harvard’s own inquiries into campus behavior toward and conditions for jewish, palestinian, muslim, and other students, there was plenty of hard work ahead for all community members and much evidence that the scope for constructive conversation remained narrow, at best. with that, the stage was largely set. by midday monday, may 20, with just a few thousand critical items yet to check off the commencement organizers’ lists (and no doubt after prodigious overtime bills for the weekend), all was in readiness: tercentenary theatre was filled with row upon row of uncomfortable chairs, young graduates to be were primping and posing for the perfect photo on widener’s steps, technicians were wiring the last of the video screens, and the harvard square cvs was afloat in tacky “congrats, grad!” mylar balloons. commencement marshals were advised, unsurprisingly, that there would be more substantial police presence than usual this year, outside the gates and within. journalists were advised that their ability to move about during the morning exercises would be restricted. as a sign of how improvised and rushed things were, the harvard alumni association did not announce the speaker for the may 31 alumni day (actor courtney b. vance ’82) until the afternoon of may 20 and the just in time seniors, whom the crimson reported had been unable to secure any its preferred class day guest speakers, let it be known in a group chat that afternoon that dean of admissions and financial aid william r. fitzsimmons and currier house securitas employee bill oliverio would step in just two days later! (the community will await another announcement from fitzsimmons this summer, when the composition of the class of 2028 will be unveiled, the first since the supreme court outlawed consideration of race in admissions reviews yet another issue weighing on the community this year.) all that remained was the arrival of commencement weather. after a spring succession of cool, damp, dreary weekends, extending into monday morning, the sea breezes got shoved offshore and the thermostat dialed up astonishingly, reaching summerlike levels well into the 80s by midweek, with rising humidity and deteriorating air quality to boot just in time for graduates, faculty members, and dignitaries to wilt within their gowns. leaning into the hot climate, drew gilpin faust took full advantage of her role as orator at the phi beta kappa literary exercises, on tuesday morning, may 21, vigorously making the case for higher education and countering the ferocious attacks on universities dominating domestic discourse in recent months. perhaps as president emerita, no longer constrained by the need to make nice with every possible claimant on the institution, she felt free to express the truths so many current presidents know, but had not articulated, during this battering year. an historian, faust began gently, citing ralph waldo emerson’s celebrated 1837 oration, “the american scholar,” highlighting his injunction that a scholar must be “free and brave” and afforded protections within the university to proceed in new directions rather than being constrained to be the “parrot of other men’s thinking.” she detailed how criticisms of universities a subject of her installation address in 2007 have accelerated and intensified, fueled by the “polarizations of race, religion, and politics that grip our country,” posing disastrous consequences for the well being of individuals who disdain higher education, and for the progress of societies that depend on discovery and learning. but faust, a proponent of making “necessary trouble,” did not stop at the level of abstract analysis. she addressed public disinvestment in higher education, the partisan nature of the 2017 excise tax on private universities’ endowments, and broader political misperceptions. “a b.a. has neither an r or a d attached to it,” faust reminded her student scholar audience. fulfilling their role, she acknowledged, requires universities to “reinforc[e] their support for the ideals of free speech” and “[strengthen] their dedication to the open exploration of ideas” what she called loyalty to “the rule of truth.” after frank comments on ways in which universities haven’t always realized that ideal, she then detailed insidious and overt threats to teaching and faculty appointments, warning (in a not very veiled reference to the events of the past academic year), “we should not be permitting, and certainly not celebrating, a governor or a legislature or a member of congress who is designing courses or degree requirements, hiring faculty, or proudly claiming responsibility for firing university presidents.” she concluded: american higher education is endangered. universities have rightly been reminded of the imperative to live up to their own values, to be accountable to the rule of truth that i have described. they need now more than ever to be their best selves. but they also need to defend themselves against attacks that are uninformed, undeserved, or rankly partisan, attacks that are explicitly designed to weaken and marginalize a set of institutions that are foundational to american democracy and to the well being not just of americans but of people around the globe. universities are intended to change people, to enable them, to quote the inscription on the dexter gate to harvard yard, to “grow in wisdom”; universities are designed to question prevailing ideas and assumptions; they are meant to create discomfort, to grapple with the uncertainties and complexities of what they don’t know as well as the realities and the meaning of what they do. universities have a purpose that transcends struggles for political power or advantage, that flies in the face of the political opportunism that has fueled so many recent attacks. we who have been nurtured and shaped by universities, we who proudly embrace our identities as scholars “free and brave,” must acknowledge, to borrow from that early pbk oration, both the “dangers” and the “duties” that lie ahead. we must be champions of the promise and purposes of higher education of the “rule of truth” that it stands for both inside and outside these gates. read complete phi beta kappa coverage here. faust had joked that after “11 years of silence” at the literary exercises, “sitting where president garber is right now” (the president attends, but does not speak), she was “grateful for this opportunity” to appear as orator. garber’s first change to exercise his new role arose during the baccalaureate exercises tuesday afternoon. he rose to the occasion deftly, melding the traditions of the form reviewing the undergraduates’ class identity, conferring wisdom with realistic reflections on current conundrums. acknowledging the most obvious thing about his role, he began (channeling the grateful dead), “what a long strange trip it’s been” and then got right to the point about the strangest element of all: “you have been undergraduates for 1,349 days. i have been interim president for 140 days.” in a sober, heartfelt summing up, he told the class: this year, we have witnessed together incomprehensible death and destruction in the middle east. we have experienced, directly and indirectly, grief and rage, fear and worry, skepticism and mistrust. the conflict has opened wounds throughout our community that will be slow but not impossible to heal. on thursday, we of divergent minds will process together into this space, a space created not by gains but by losses. behind me, memorial church, dedicated on armistice day in 1932, built by our predecessors to honor those from harvard who served and died in the first world war. behind you, widener library, opened on commencement day in 1915, built by a grieving mother in memory of her beloved son. i hope we are able to heed the lessons of those who preceded us, those who chose to make from their sorrow something new, something that would last. may the losses of this year of human life and of human connection of sympathy and empathy of care be for all of you for all of us an impetus to advance rather than retreat, shining brightly in shadow, and brighter still through darkness. if there is a harvard class that can illuminate a path forward for our world, it is yours. i am honored to have had this moment with you. i wish you contentment, health, and love and everything else you hope to do with your precious time. read detailed baccalaureate coverage here. a bumper crop of rotc students received their commissions at the annual ceremony on may 22. and there was plenty of class day wisdom: •addressing a kind of service different from those the rotc graduates will puruse, former faculty member nicolas burns, now u.s. ambassador to the people’s republic of china, told the harvard kennedy school’s class day audience that amid global crises and challenges, their international network could, and must, play an essential role in finding solutions. •at the graduate school of education’s class day, long time faculty member howard gardner, now emeritus, explained how his own pedagogy had evolved, for the better, and summoned the audience to embrace “the heart of teaching.” •u.s. secretary of the interior deb haaland told the law school crowd about three harvard law alumni who have made a difference within her vast part of the federal government. •and karenna gore ’95, talking at the graduate school of design, focused on one of those global challenges burns listed: earth, she noted, was “well located, with a good site and orientation”; the climate crisis made clear that “it is not the earth that needs fixing, it is us.” during the college class of 2024’s hurriedly programmed class day, program marshals tarina ahuja ’24 and shruthi kumar ’24 read the names of classmates who had been found not in good standing and therefore ineligible to graduate a fraught moment, not least because kumar was chosen to be the senior english orator during the morning exercises (see below). urging classmates to be “unlikely inseparables” (able to be friends despite disagreements), student speaker jeremy ornstein ’24 declared, “in 2024, i am proud of us undisciplinables, including the people who speak out against the killing of innocents, even when it is unpopular no matter who or when or where.” separately, the graduate school of arts and sciences, now named in honor of kenneth c. griffin ’89, whose thirty fifth reunion falls this year, conferred its centennial medal on four distinguished alumni (described in further detail here), reflecting the value of advanced study and honoring their contributions to learning and society: •martin duberman, ph.d. ’57, an historian, biographer, playwright and gay rights activist; •myra marx ferree, ph.d. ’76, a sociologist and leading feminist scholar; •joan argetsinger steitz, ph.d. ’68, a molecular biologist known for her fundamental work on rna; and •arthur k. wheelock jr., ph.d. ’73, an art historian who specializes in dutch and flemish paintings. commencement remains super sized, a reminder that the pandemic caused many students to defer enrollment or take leaves when instruction was conducted remotely during the 2020 2021 academic year. as they have returned to their studies, a bulge of graduates continues to qualify for degrees each year. for this 373rd edition, the harvard gazette reported, 9,277 degrees were conferred (plus the candidates’ accompanying friends and family posses, of course): in line with last year, but still more than the cohorts averaging 7,500 to 8,100 in the years preceding the covid 19 cataclysm. in recent commencements, there has been a tendency to script instagrammable moments: last year, katalin karikó’s teddy bear, tom hanks’s volleyball (a reference to his cast away). amid campus controversies and concern about higher education, this time sobriety appropriately prevailed a business like spirit manifested in the new players in the leading parts. garber, who as provost had run the presentation of degree candidates and lauding of the honorands’ accomplishments, now found himself as interim president at the rear of the commencement platform, doing the more restrained duty of formally conferring the degrees. (he was rewarded for the honor by being seated in the president’s traditional, manifestly uncomfortable chair.) manning, now provost, had the longer parts to say (perhaps a special burden of his new office, as he has been known as very reserved in manner). and university marshal katherine o’dair, who had picked up additional enormous responsibilities as president gay’s chief of staff, has shed those obligations and was back in her role as harvard’s pilot of protocol and commencement emcee. all was in readiness by 9:50 a.m. from the get go, one sensed that this commencement differed in other ways, too. as ticket holders queued to get into tercentenary theatre, they got both crimsons and an official looking “program”: a clever duplicate, inside it honored “over 40,000 palestinians and 1,200 israelis killed, 9,500 palestinian political prisoners, 125 israeli hostages, people the world over struggling for freedom, and the courageous students at harvard and beyond who have protested a genocide at personal significant personal and professional risk.” a manifesto for divestment, it was circulated by harvard faculty and staff for justice in palestine. overhead, a plane towed a banner: jewish lives matter.us. following the traditional and deafening, and ridiculous call to order by peter j. koutoujian, m.p.a. ’03, the sheriff of middlesex county, soloist isabella e. peña ’24 did the honors, singing “the star spangled banner.” she has had plenty of prior practice. a cabot house resident from miami, florida, the joint government east asian studies concentrator (who also did a secondary field in theater, dance, and media, while completing a dual degree at berklee school of music) sang with a band, the yard bops, and with the harvard opportunes and performed with hasty pudding theatricals. an american idol competitor in 2020, she has belted out the anthem at least three times each for the boston celtics, red sox, and miami dolphins, plus assorted times for the miami heat, marlins, inter miami, university of miami teams, and others. after that, 32,000 folks in tercentenary theatre must have seemed child’s play. peña’s extensive prep showed, in her blow the speakers out rendition of the anthem. after she concludes her planned studies at harvard law school, she ought to be able to enliven firm picnics or other events on behalf of some future employer. • the chaplains’ prayers. suitably for a campus, a nation, and a world riven by war in the middle east and elsewhere, the duties of chaplains of the day were shared by imam khalil abdur rashid, the muslim chaplain, and rabbi getzel davis, campus rabbi. after a land acknowledgement to the massachusett people by imam khalil, rabbi getzel spoke about aloneness and compassion: we gather here today to celebrate a momentous occasion, a day filled with joy, with pride, and with great accomplishment. often, when we gather together, we notice, ironically, the ways in which we are alone. we find ourselves navigating the seas of loneliness and isolation, yearning for connections and understanding. too often, we seek community in standing together against. against others, against our neighbors, even against injustice fueled by hate. rebbe nachman of breslov offers us an alternative. describing the experience of alienation and separateness, he uses the metaphor of entering a dark room where all we can perceive is darkness. with patience and time, he teaches, our eyes adjust and we find that we can in fact see.…darkness dilates our eyes it opens us. our own vulnerability, fears, and losses attune us to a universal human experience. i bless us today with another way to engage with our sense of separateness compassion. compassion lies not in numbing our alienation or fighting against it. instead, “compassion,” literally “suffering together,” comes from recognizing that our own experience of alienation resembles the universal experience of others. it is our vulnerability, not our strength that makes us human. in our separateness, we find you oh lord. so, as you all step out into the world, carry with you the knowledge that on one level, you are alone. the experience of separateness will follow you through life.…let it transform you. let it inspire you. let its universality call you to compassion, to sacred service, and to love. imam khalil also stressed compassion and community despite differences and losses: let us pray in the name of our lord, the lord of compassion, the giver of merciful love. we praise you and seek your help in all matters. you created us as different people, races, tribes, and nations so that we would come to know one another, and to understand that in your divine eyes, the most honored of us are the ones most mindful of you! but we have felt alone, so help us feel together; help us to be together; to heal together; to uplift each other together. help us remember that we are indeed brothers and sisters of one another; that we are to cultivate and preserve peaceful bonds with each other; and that we are to be mindful and grateful for all the blessings you have graced us with.… kindle inside us [the] spirit and grant us the courage to weather the storms of hate by cultivating new climates of hope.… expand our hearts; gift us fluency in the language of unity; through the dialect of restraint; with the tongue of tolerance; help us to call others to the path of love and justice using wisdom with courage; conviction with courtesy; gentleness with tenacity. you have gathered us here, as one community. and despite our differences, our traumas, our loss, and our loneliness, we are indeed together in our need for you and in our hope in you. we ask out of your loving mercy and grace, that you position us to remember where we came from, who we are, and what role we must play, to do our part, to make this world a better place for us all and for those to come. the two faith leaders then joined to lead the commencement crowd in saying a collective “amen. shalom aleichem. as salaamu alaikum. may peace be with all.” following the traditional anthem, domine, salvum fac, performed by the commencement choir and university band, garber came forward to offer congratulation and to offer a message that he may have hoped would both convey sympathy and invoke a common cause in pursuing the morning’s exercises. “as our ceremony proceeds,” he noted, some among us may choose to take the liberty of expressing themselves to draw attention to events unfolding in the wider world. it is their right to do so. but it is their responsibility to do so with our community and this occasion in mind. (in the event, those expressions would take two forms: fiercely critical student oratory from the stage, and a significant movement of people within tercentenary theatre: not a rush toward the commencement platform which was separated from the crowd by crimson covered crowd control fencing but a walkout by a significant number of students who chose to withdraw from the proceedings in protest.) garber continued: that said, i acknowledge that this moment of joy for us coincides with moments for others that we cannot comprehend moments of fear and dread, grief and anguish, suffering and pain. elsewhere, people are experiencing the worst days of their lives. here and there, we are all human beings, seeking connection and contentment, finding comfort in community and rituals, trying simply as difficult as it may be to make sense of things as they are, to make sense of one another and of ourselves. sympathy and empathy atrophy without exercise. we will now observe a minute of silence. following the silence, observed in common cause, garber continued: every harvard class enters a world in need. yours is no exception. no matter your field or discipline, you will have opportunities to help fulfill those needs and to make things better. may you continue to approach your dealings with diligence and integrity to treat others with care and compassion and to support and encourage one another as you have done these many days. if, along the way, you find yourself disheartened…fortify yourself with the work of the research university. having spent most of my career at two of the best of them, i can say with confidence…that no other type of institution does more good in the world. much of what stirs people’s hearts and gives them hope for longer and better lives, for stronger and safer communities, for a sustainable future can be traced back to institutions like this one and to people like you. then it was time for the student speakers’ big moments (read about each orator here) traditional in the form of the latin orator, but thunderous in the off script moments that followed. • latin salutatory. blake alexander lopez ’24: “distantia propinquior” (“a nearer distance”) during middle school, blake lopez, of crown point, indiana, became intrigued by sweden the country’s history and architecture and began immersing himself in the language, igniting a general passion. alongside english, he now speaks four languages (german, italian, portuguese, and spanish) and reads another six (old english, french, old french, latin, ancient greek, and swedish) so a commencement address in latin was not much of a stretch. the kirkland house resident, who completed a joint concentration in classics and linguistics, found language study a gateway to community, leading the undergraduate linguistics society and creating a new language with clubmates. it has two noun classes (akin to many languages’ gendered structure). “we have harvard nouns, and yale nouns,” he says. “every word that we make in our language, we make a value judgment. is it a good word or a bad word? if it's a good word, it's a harvard noun. if it's a bad word, it's a yale noun.” (it is unknown how this might evolve further next year, when lopez extends his classical language studies while pursuing a master’s degree at oxford.) reflecting on the experience of arriving at the college “with no knowledge of what harvard life was like before the pandemic,” he recalled establishing friendships via zoom, where “creative backgrounds displayed our personalities and our faces took the forms of cartoon animals.” undaunted, lopez said, the class members had overcome: “in spite of these challenges, it is marvelous to see how strong an identity our class shares. even if our social skills are slightly undeveloped… we are well equipped, relying each other’s help, to find new, creative, usually legal, and, above all, exciting paths forward.” read lopez’s full text, in latin and english, here. • senior english address, shruthi kumar ’24: “the power of not knowing” omaha native shruthi kumar ’24 says she often does not know what to think. growing up, she was often confused by the gendered traditions of her parents’ south indian villages and her high school friends’ conservative beliefs. but she approached such uncertainties with generous curiosity. “from that place of not knowing,” she says, she was able to connect with “people and learn where they’re coming from, how they’re thinking” a mindset she attributes, in part, to daily yoga practice and meditation: aids to navigating the “troubles of life.” her passion for health blossomed at the college, where the history of science and economics double concentrator launched a campaign called “making harvard 100% period secure.” it has resulted in the installation of menstrual product dispensers in nearly every female and gender neutral bathroom on campus. she also helped lead the harvard south asian association, sat on the harvard university health services student planning committee, and organized in support of affirmative action. unsurprisingly, she is headed for a career in healthcare or public health. kumar found campus conversation on divisive issues disappointing. compared to high school, she says. “i never knew intolerance the way that i learned it here.” accordingly, her commencement address aims to encourage people to embrace uncertainty and difference. “in the history of science,” she said, “we often look for what is missing. what documents are not in the archives and whose voices are not captured in history? i’ve learned silence is rarely empty, often loud. what we don’t know can sometimes tell the most powerful story.” the same lesson emerged outside the classroom: i learned this not only in the classroom, but also from the class of 2024. in reflecting on our collective journey at harvard, i’ve learned it’s often the moments of uncertainty from which something greater than we could have ever imagined grows. our class has experienced more than our fair share of the unknown.… which brings me to our senior year, a year on campus that has been marked by enormous uncertainty. in the fall, my name and identity alongside other black and brown students at harvard was publicly targeted. for many of us, students of color, doxxing left our jobs uncertain, our safety uncertain, our well being uncertain. this semester, our freedom of speech and our expressions of solidarity became punishable. taking a deep breath, she said, “as i stand before you today, i must take a moment to recognize my peers, the 13 undergraduates….” as cheers erupted from the audience, kumar paused, took several deep breaths, then gathered herself, repeating “the 13… the 13 undergraduates in the class of 2024 who will not graduate today. i am deeply disappointed by the intolerance for freedom of speech and the right to civil disobedience on campus,” she continued, citing student, faculty, and staff petitioners in the students’ support. “what is happening on campus is about liberty,” she continued. “this is about civil rights and upholding democratic principles. the students had spoken. the faculty had spoken. harvard, do you hear us? harvard, do you hear us?” reverting to her prepared text, kumar continued: now, we are in a moment of intense division and disagreement in our community over the events in gaza. i see pain, uncertainty, and unrest across campus. it’s now, in a moment like this, that the power of “not knowing” becomes critical. maybe we don’t know what it’s like to be ethnically targeted. maybe we don’t know what it's like to come face to face with violence and death. but we don’t have to know. solidarity is not dependent on what we know, because “not knowing” is an ethical stance. it creates space for empathy, solidarity, and a willingness to listen. i don’t know so i ask. i listen. i believe an important type of learning takes place, especially in moments of uncertainty, when we lean into conversations without assuming we have all the answers. can we see humanity in people we don’t know? can we feel the pain of people with whom we disagree? by the end of kumar’s remarks, the morning had been changed. she received a thunderous ovation from much of the student body present. read kumar’s full text here. • graduate english address, robert l. clinton iv, j.d. ’24: “on being good” at new york university’s gallatin school of individualized study, robert clinton created his own major, in the sociology and politics of urban agriculture. after graduating in 2016, he deepened his interest in urban design and change during a two year marshall scholarship at university college london, where he earned a master’s in sustainable urbanism and a second master’s in public administration. following three years at san francisco’s office of civic engagement and immigrant affairs, he entered harvard law school in 2021. there, he participated in the capital punishment and federal tax clinics. “so much of law school feels theoretical,” he says. “it was really a privilege to work with actual people and try and help them.” clinton now returns to new york city to clerk for a district judge in the southern district of new york. in his commencement address, he hopes to inspire fellow graduates to use their degrees for good. “at a place like harvard, where people are chasing after credentials,” he says, people “sometimes forget that having a harvard degree doesn’t actually mean a whole lot if you’re not going to use it to do something good.” after a brutal year during which he was “reminded of how exposed we are. antisemitism. islamophobia. anti arab bias. death threats. doxing. losing jobs. losing friends,” and, he improvised, “losing our right to free speech,” clinton said, “our choice is to either be upset about our vulnerability, or to use that vulnerability to connect with others. and that choice will manifest in pivotal moments when people look to us for guidance. we will be decision makers, and we’ll have discretion. over and over, we will bear responsibility for making decisions that’ll change other people’s lives.” among them he mentioned: women dealing with the consequences of no longer having rights over their own reproductive systems. immigrants fleeing places where there are no universities left from which to graduate. climate refugees escaping homes that have become uninhabitable. and people whose only mistake was being born poor in a country that criminalizes poverty. acting on their behalf “being good” he said, “can mean a lot of things: standing up to dictators. being mentors. using your harvard network to help people who didn’t go here. voting. advocating for a ceasefire in gaza” another significant applause line. “if you disagree with some of those, that’s fine,” he continued. “there are lots of ways to be good.” again he improvised, “it’s not very good to announce the day before commencement that 13 seniors will not graduate” a line that prompted cheers of “let them walk!” the important thing is to find some way of doing so, clinton insisted, “because not being good would be a waste of the privilege of having graduated from this beautiful place, harvard.” read clinton’s full text here. the commencement choir then sang an anthem, “gates of harvard yard,” composed by jenny yao ’22. when the work debuted, during her class’s baccalaureate, she said she wanted to celebrate the physical environment “that enveloped us for the last four years pandemic aside,” noting that she was particularly inspired by the bradstreet gate, named for the first established female poet in the new world. one of anne bradstreet’s poems came to represent for yao a reflection on her and her class’s journey where they had been and where they were going as they, too, prepared to explore a new world. during the past month, of course, those gates have played an unaccustomed role: rather than ushering people into this community of learning, they have been locked tight, isolating the pro palestinian encampment and, after it ended, securing the yard against further protests while commencement preparations proceeded. in the meantime, yao herself has continued to explore new worlds, as a student in the harvard/mit m.d. ph.d. program in health sciences & technology, where she is studying chemical biology and host microbe interactions. her continued devotion to learning was perhaps a suitable introduction to the principal business of the day: graduating the candidates and sending them out to commence their lives’ next stages. • conferring of degrees. thus it was interim provost manning’s turn to explain the process through which harvard actually confers degrees: by a presidential act of speech, as authorized by the governing boards, on each cohort of students en masse. (they get diplomas later, one by one, in ceremonies at the undergraduate houses and their respective schools and other venues.) garber and manning were familiar faces in new roles, but plenty of recently appointed figures were involved in the rites, too. faculty of arts and sciences dean hopi hoekstra, harvard divinity school dean marla frederick, and harvard school of public health dean andrea baccarelli all appointed by president gay were all at the plate for the first time. john goldberg, manning’s interim successor at the law school, was also new to the role. harvard graduate school of education dean bridget terry long presented her many degree candidates for the last time. (during the search for her successor, nonie lesaux will serve in an interim capacity.) the kennedy school’s douglas w. elmendorf was also involved for his last time as dean; his successor, jeremy weinstein, has a fair idea of what lies ahead for him on may 29, 2025, having been on the receiving end (he is ph.d. ’03). in ordinary years, those transitions were made note of. not so this time. anticipating the unusual circumstances, the form of conferral was radically streamlined. gone were the customary formalities by each dean beginning “mister president, fellows of harvard college, mister president and members of the board of overseers: as dean” of whatever school, presenting degree candidates, and the president’s refrain of “by virtue of authority delegated to me….” instead, each dean identified her or his faculty, presented the candidates, and garber said, “i confer on you the degrees…” and that was pretty much that. no sooner had the conferring begun, with the long studying ph.d.s, brilliant in their crimson gowns, the first to be made official alumni, followed by master’s of arts and sciences candidates, than the cheers of “let them walk!” swelled in volume and at least several hundred students walked out of tercentenary theatre, bound for an alternative “people’s commencement” ceremony in epworth church, honoring the pro palestinian protestors who were denied their diplomas in the official proceedings. unsurprisingly, given the circumstances, another tradition was abandoned. the college class marshals and summa cum laude candidates were not invited to “draw near” the platform for congratulations from the president and deans the farthest thing from anyone’s thought today. even the music was rearranged. the anthem based on psalm 78 (st. martin’s), a tradition dating back to the inception of harvard commencements, is typically sung to break up the conferral, but it was skipped. and “veritas: a celebration of the centuries,” created by the multitalented engineering sciences/physics/law student and composer chung hon michael cheng, a.b. s.m.’19, j.d ’24, based on texts from harvard’s five centuries (the seventeenth through the twenty first), was sung only after garber (finally invoking “the authority delegated” to him by the governing boards) conferred the undergraduate degrees, rather than as preface to them. composed and performed in 2019, for the baccalaureate, it ends with an upbeat charge appropriate to most commencements, “so wake up /wake up!/lift off” which may have felt different in context this year. the university then celebrated the accomplishments of a half dozen honorary degree recipients (described in detail here), with the interim provost introducing each and alan garber reading the citation and conferring their harvard degrees, in this order: gustavo dudamel, music and artistic director of the los angeles philharmonic and simón bolívar symphony orchestra of venezuela, his home country, and music and artistic director designate of the new york philharmonic (effective 2026). as befits a champion of young musicians, dudamel was toasted at the dinner for the degree recipients wednesday night with an arrangement of “alma llanera” (“soul of the plains”), a venezuelan song that celebrates the llanero herder culture and is now considered an unofficial national anthem performed in this case by a quartet of undergraduates, one of whom reportedly had to take a crash course in the use of gourd maracas. doctor of music: if music be the food of love,he is passion’s chef supreme;the dude who delights us with bernsteinian gusto,he conjures sonic magic with the wave of his baton. jennie chin hansen, immediate past chief executive of the american geriatrics society, and past president of aarp (a position she held during the development of the affordable care act) a pioneer in care for the elderly. doctor of humane letters: selfless in service to seniors in need,fervent in striving for systemic change,a venerated nurse who’s made caring her credo;her compassion for others never gets old. sylvester james gates jr.. [updated may 24, 10:40 a.m. at the request of professor gates, who wishes to be identified as]: clark leadership chair in science, with a joint appointment in the department of physics and the school of public policy at the university of maryland, and distinguished university professor and a university system of maryland regents professor, a leading theoretical physicist who has worked on supersymmetry, supergravity, and superstring theory and a fellow in the harvard society of fellows from 1977 to 1980. doctor of science: a first string physicist whose mathematical forayshelp us to fathom the fabric of the universe;an educator who unlocks the gates to opportunity,he evinces how imagination can encircle the world. joy harjo, twenty third poet laureate of the united states, 2019 2022, the author of 10 books of poetry (plus several plays, children’s books, and two volumes of memoir), and a performing musician who played for many years with her band, poetic justice, and has produced seven albums. doctor of literature: searching for transcendence as she traces trails of tears,seeking hope amid struggle, light amid loss,an inspiriting paragon of poetic justicewho hears in the night sky the birdsongs of dawn. lawrence s. bacow, m.p.p. j.d. ’76, ph.d. ’78, who became harvard university’s president on july 1, 2018, and served through june 2023, guiding harvard through the covid 19 pandemic safely while accelerating development in allston and investing in significant new research programs in quantum science and engineering, climate change and sustainability, and human and artificial intelligence and supporting deep research into harvard’s legacy of slavery. of note, given the citation, bacow is a lifelong sailor. (the week was a twofer for bacow, who also received an honorary degree from wheaton college, where he was a trustee from 1999 to 2009.) doctor of laws: his deft hand nimble on an often slippery tiller,his clear eye focused on the gleam of new horizons,his sharp mind buoyed by humility and heart,he steered the crimson fleet through a time of change and storm. maria a. ressa, co winner of the nobel peace prize in 2021 (with russian journalist dmitry muratov) for her brave, independent news coverage of her native philippines. doctor of laws: amid times of unrest, facing threats and arrest,she rivets her focus on facts, truth, and trust;an intrepid, innovative investigative journalist,irrepressible in pressing for freedom of the press. the degrees having been briskly bestowed, garber welcomed the honorands to “this society of scholars,” and gave a just the facts two sentence segue to get ressa ready to “address this assembly.” ressa spoke in part from her text (available here as prepared for delivery). her focus, as throughout her recent career, was on the threats to democracy posed by social media, corporate manipulation of data and information, the disappearance of credible news and information, and the destruction of social truth. as the core of that message, she told the graduates: [y]ou’re standing on the rubble of the world that was. recognize it. i said this in the nobel lecture: an atom bomb exploded in our information ecosystem. social media turned our world upside down, spreading lies while amplifying fear and anger, fueling hatred. by design. for proﬁt. whether it’s the ai of social media or generative ai, we don’t have integrity of information, of facts. without facts, you can’t have truth. without truth, you can’t have trust. without these three, we have no shared reality, no rule of law, no democracy. we can’t begin to solve existential problems like climate change. this outrage economy built on our data, microtargeting us transformed our world, rewarding the worst of humanity. online violence is real violence. and people are dying from genocide in myanmar, fueled by facebook according to the un and meta itself…to ukraine, sudan, haiti, armenia, gaza. the challenge today is whether our international rules based order still works. does it? the challenge is justice, core to our humanity. too many powerful people are getting away with impunity from countries to companies, and it is dividing us in ways that are literally destroying us…destroying democracy. destroying trust. “the battle to regain trust begins now,” she urged. “with all of you. harvard boasts it educates the “future leaders” of the world. well, if you future leaders don’t ﬁght for democracy right now, there will be little left for you to lead.” katie o’dair, the marshal, thanked ressa for her presence and speech, and then got the “assembly” (as the program calls everyone present) engaged for their part: singing “fair harvard.” then, at a moment when the university could really use some blessings, the now familiar and reassuring pusey minister matthew i. potts arose to offer the benediction, on behalf of those who “have come through something trying and…have survived”: as we conclude, i am grateful to offer the blessing. in its ancient roots, blessing does not confer goodness, it honors it. it is not a talismanic spell of protection; it is an act of recognition. blessing is a gesture of praise: not a way of making something good, but a way of acknowledging what is already good. in its medieval roots, meanwhile, blessing carries a sense of woundedness. to be blessed means to have come through something trying and to have survived. blessing honors you for who you are, but it also bends its knee before all you have been through. harvard class of 2024: you have been through it, through pandemic and isolation and war and war again, through transition and upheaval and strife and alienation and grief. so on behalf of all those crowding this tercentenary theatre, on behalf of those who couldn’t travel or couldn’t get tickets and who are celebrating you somewhere else, let me assume the singular privilege and the distinct honor of saying simply: bless you. bless you for all you have worked for. bless you for all you have stood for. bless you for who you have been. bless you for who you will become. harvard graduates: during these trying times, you have been a blessing to us, and we see it. we see the scope and size and sheer wonder of your blessing arrayed before us in all its dazzling, brilliant diversity. there are differences among us. most of them are keen and beautiful. some of them are deep and painful, and they all matter. but none of these differences need be as important as the difference you can make with what you have gained here. none of them need matter as much as the difference you could be to all you have worked for and all you will stand for, through all you have been and all you will become. those of us on this stage have the world’s best view, because we see all of you, we see all you have been through, and we see all the goodness in you too. beyond this yard we see a world in desperate need of goodness. we see a world in need of you. our trying times have not ended. but you’re not finished yet either. there is much yet to be done, but there is also much that you have left to do. and the task of getting it couldn’t fall to a better or better prepared group of people. harvard class of 2024, in so many ways you have made us proud. make us proud again. i bid you every blessing, today and always. now go in peace to become for our world the blessing you have been to us. amen. the sheriff then returned to the fore, staff in hand, to shatter the contemplative mood and adjourn the proceedings at 11:55 a.m. the timing was good: the day having grown cloudy and thick, rain began coming down hard 10 minutes later, and the thunder from the stage having quieted, the weather gods happy with harvard or not unleashed real thunder from the gray skies above. • • • • • check back at www.harvardmagazine.com for continuing coverage of: • radcliffe day, may 24, honoring sonia sotomayor, associate justice of the supreme court of the united states since 2009 and the accompanying panel discussion; and • harvard alumni day, may 31, with actor, producer, and writer courtney b. vance ’82 as guest speaker. view additional photographs from commencement day here lawrence s. bacow represents harvard at the auschwitz liberation observance. at harvard, the microsoft co founder discusses his biography and artificial intelligence. an arts and sciences committee raises anew questions about a crimson education. at harvard, the microsoft co founder discusses his biography and artificial intelligence. not slaves. archaeologist mark lehner, digging deeper, discovers a city of privileged workers. lawrence s. bacow represents harvard at the auschwitz liberation observance. features what it's like to look after a loved one with dementia montage fred gevalt’s astonishing and intricate diorama harvard squared a unique museum in haverhill, massachusetts, offers a history of graphic arts.
supported by asian american chefs are embracing the medicinal gourd anew. by cathy erway on broad banana leaves, dishes of sweet soy dipping sauce, a creamy pork liver sauce, a bubbling pinakbet, some sticky rice and a raw salad of slivered bitter melon and red onion flank a crackling lechon like planets orbiting the sun. this is the final savory course of the kamayan dinner, a filipino family style meal, at naks in the east village of manhattan. small but mighty, raw and crisp, the vibrantly green bitter melon packs a fierce bitterness that effortlessly holds up against the other heady accouterments. “it adds a little complexity,” said eric valdez, the chef at naks. “it plays around with your senses, in a good way.” as a child in manila, mr. valdez didn’t care for bitter melon, an oblong summer squash, also known as bitter gourd, with a wrinkly, ridged surface and spongy seed pocket. but his mother, believing it was nutritious, kept serving it to the family. she’d envelop the bitter melon in rich scrambled eggs and sweet shrimp in a stir fry that tempered its bitterness.

 japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. the traditional cuisine of japan (japanese: washoku) is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. common seafood is often grilled, but it is also sometimes served raw as sashimi or as sushi. seafood and vegetables are also deep fried in a light batter, as tempura. apart from rice, a staple includes noodles, such as soba and udon. japan also has many simmered dishes, such as fish products in broth called oden, or beef in sukiyaki and nikujaga. historically influenced by chinese cuisine, japanese cuisine has also opened up to influence from western cuisines in the modern era. dishes inspired by foreign food in particular chinese food like ramen and gyōza, as well as foods like spaghetti, curry and hamburgers, have been adapted to japanese tastes and ingredients. traditionally, the japanese shunned meat as a result of adherence to buddhism, but with the modernization of japan in the 1880s, meat based dishes such as tonkatsu and yakiniku have become common. since this time, japanese cuisine, particularly sushi and ramen, has become popular globally.