Archive for January, 2009

If you were born in 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949, 1937, 1925, 1913, or even 1901, then congratulations! 2009 is your year, the Year of the Ox (according to the Chinese zodiac). Like you
r animal-sake you are patient, hard-working, have strong leadership qualities, and your friends know that they can depend on you. You yearn for security and are prepared to make sacrifices to help others. But it’s not all good - you can be stubborn, stick-in-the-mud, and have a quick temper. And since you tend to be quite sceptical, you might be snuffing down your snout nose, right this very minute, irritated at the whole silly idea of zodiacs and the like.

The Chinese Zodiac has been around since ancient times, and is well known in Japan. With no historical legacy of Christianity, Japan’s traditions focus instead on the New Year, and New Year’s Cards are sent to friends and family instead of Christmas Cards, and these often feature pictures of the new year’s zodiac animal. People generally tend to know in which year they were born, in the same way that someone from the UK might know their star sign.

But Japan has found another way to determine character from seemingly arbitrary category: by blood type. This method manages to divide the entire population in just four groups – A, B, AB, and O – and enjoyed renewed interest throughout 2008. As with the Chinese zodiac and Western astrological signs, your blood type is supposed to determine certain elements of your character, the kind of work you are suited to, and even the people with whom you are most compatible. I don’t really believe in any of it, to be honest, but I do get the feeling that dividing everyone into one of just four options is a little too, optimistic, shall we say – but maybe that’s just something to do with my blood type.

Anyway, we’ve come up with a couple of deliciously warming recipes to celebrate the Ox on our website, and a tasty vegetarian option for those who can’t imagine tucking into
the animal of the year…..