Life in Fukuoka "English"

【Mushrooms】

So without further ado, let's get to our first topic today, mushrooms!

So many foods come into season in the autumn, but the ones that should come straight to mind are mushrooms. Although they might not seem all that luxurious compared to meat or fish, in fact, they are a pretty amazing food.

Shiitake, shimeji, maitake, eringi, enoki...there are so many varieties of mushrooms that the list goes on. And among them is Matsutake, the king of autumn flavor, or so they say. It's a flavorful, fragrant mushroom and is often sold at premium prices as a luxury ingredient.

Although many in Japan love the matsutake, it does have a rather unique aroma that might be off-putting to some.

Across the board, mushrooms are typically low in calories but high in fiber and vitamin D.  If you're on a diet or if you need a little help with keeping your digestive system moving, then you'll definitely want to add mushrooms to the menu.

And although mushrooms often get lumped with vegetables, they're actually fungi with over 10,000 species in nature. I am a huge mushroom fan, possibly Hobbit level for those of you who know. I'm not sure I have a favorite though, each kind is unique and delicious and has its place in recipes. Take portobello, they're huge and chunky and great as burgers or topped with cheese. Enoki wrapped in pork belly and grilled, button mushrooms raw on salad, eringi battered and fried, shiitake in a nice hot pot. I love them all!

【Tuberculosis Prevention Week】

Now, I have some information from Fukuoka City to share.

The week of September 24^th to the 30^th is Tuberculosis Prevention Week.Tuberculosis is a disease that causes inflammation of the lungs mainly by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is an infectious disease that is transmitted person to person.

In 2020, 149 people in Fukuoka City were diagnosed with tuberculosis.

Symptoms of tuberculosis include coughing, phlegm, fever, bloody phlegm, chest pain, lethargy, night sweats and/or weight loss. In the beginning, it does resemble the common cold.

If you've noticed that you've had a cough for over two weeks, have had a lot of phlegm, you've felt lethargic or you've suddenly lost weight, please see a medical professional for an exam as soon as possible. The earlier it is detected, the earlier it can be treated preventing it from becoming a serious illness.  It is important to prevent spreading illness to family, friends and those at the workplace who are important to us.

Even if you are infected, tuberculosis does not always develop, however if your body cannot fight the tubercle bacillus, over time, an infection may develop.

If you are diagnosed with tuberculosis, you can fight it off by taking the proper medicine every day according to your doctor's orders.

And, to prevent the spread or start of infections, make sure you get plenty of sleep, eat a good, balanced diet and get enough exercise. Making an effort every day to live healthily is the most effective prevention.

In Fukuoka City, there is the Fukuoka City Medical Interpreting Call Center service available if you do need to find a hospital or need some advice. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The phone number for that service is 092-733-5429. Again, that number is 092-733-5429. Interpretation is available in 20 different languages.