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18 Apr 2007 • 474 views
 
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photoblog image Bean Paste

Bean Paste

Manual labor is not dead in Japan, rumors to the contrary notwithstanding. For the tourists they will happily and vigorously pound this batter to be made into pastries that contain the ubiquitous red bean paste. This process is interesting to watch. Every once in a while one of the two puts down his flail (or whatever you call these things) and reaches into the vat to pull on the batter while the other one keeps on pounding it. The audience, including us, watches nervously to see if he is quick enough to avoid getting his hands smashed. He was.

I just discovered that there is a setting that requires spam codes on archived images, but not on the current one. Hopefully this will keep the spam bot at bay and make life easier on everybody else.  Also, if you log in to your site, you don't have to enter spam codes on any shutterchance blog. I am sure all of you had this figured out already, but it was a new discovery for me :)

Bean Paste

Manual labor is not dead in Japan, rumors to the contrary notwithstanding. For the tourists they will happily and vigorously pound this batter to be made into pastries that contain the ubiquitous red bean paste. This process is interesting to watch. Every once in a while one of the two puts down his flail (or whatever you call these things) and reaches into the vat to pull on the batter while the other one keeps on pounding it. The audience, including us, watches nervously to see if he is quick enough to avoid getting his hands smashed. He was.

I just discovered that there is a setting that requires spam codes on archived images, but not on the current one. Hopefully this will keep the spam bot at bay and make life easier on everybody else.  Also, if you log in to your site, you don't have to enter spam codes on any shutterchance blog. I am sure all of you had this figured out already, but it was a new discovery for me :)

comments (9)

  • Ted
  • 18 Apr 2007, 04:54
This is fascinating. You don't, by an chance, have a closeup of the batter, do you?
Martin: I am afraid I don't, but Esther knows what it is called. I had too much fun taking pictures of these guys.
  • Robs
  • 18 Apr 2007, 06:12
Nice to see people doing this kind of job, well taken, Martin.

I didn't understand very well the spam codes thing. I know I entered them until a few days ago, while now I don't see them anywhere... Probably I did the right thing, without even knowing it! smile However thanks for pointing it out!
Martin: Thanks, Robs! I am glad I could add to the confusion about spam codes smile
  • Louis
  • 18 Apr 2007, 07:17
Ted wants you to be hit on the head methinks. This is a great shot - I just love pictures of people about their work and this is not something I have seen before. Great action picture.

For some time I have seen people commenting on the spam codes while I don't have to complete them. Now I know why.
Martin: Thank you, Louis. I must say I rather enjoyed this myself even if it was intended for tourist consumption.
Wow we do that with yam, what we use to pound is vasstly differet. I should take a picture
Martin: That would be interesting to see. What do you do with the punded yam? Hopefully not fill it with bean paste!
  • Ginnie
  • Atlanta, GA, United States
  • 18 Apr 2007, 10:48
Great people-action shot, Martin, and another wonderful cultural tidbit. This kinda reminds me of a butter churn, except that I think butter would be flying everywhere. Nice angles and colors. I think the guys are enjoying showing off for you. smile
Martin: They had a crowd of maybe 30 people standing around them. The weren't showing off just to me smile
  • Ruth
  • Michigan, USA
  • 18 Apr 2007, 17:50
You have a high perspective -- are you taller than they are? Or were you on a chair? smile
Martin: I am 6'3'' smile
  • mal
  • 18 Apr 2007, 21:24
they only introduced that spam feature a couple of days ago, it works so far!

Really like the action in the image Martin, the slight blur adds to the tension of the scene, lovely shot. mal
Martin: Thank you, Mal. They put on quite a show for the tourists smile
  • Ellie
  • 19 Apr 2007, 00:05
... and then you eat it?

Good height that, matches our son who has, we hope, stopped sprouting!
Martin: Well, actually you shove the green paste into the machine in the background, which then produces small dumplings filled with red bean paste. And those you eat. I personally don't like them much, but they are very popular in Japan.

I hope your son is done growing. I have trouble fitting in many cars and planes and certainly would not want to be any taller.
  • nev
  • Australia
  • 24 Apr 2007, 23:49
looks like hard work but also a lot of fun. maybe i just want to smash green paste with a big hammer. great action shot martin
Martin: LOL. It is the type of thing that would be fun for an afternoon, but really suck as a career smile

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