(As I’ve written before) I had the opportunity to spend a year in Brazil during my student days, which eventually led to me moving there after  graduation. Later, I moved to New Zealand, and this year marks the same number of years spent here as I did in Brazil. Having lived in each  country for 25 years, I realize that over 50 years have passed. I recall the time my parents visited us in Brazil when my eldest daughter was  around four or five years old. My father said to me then, “I’m turning 70 this year. You probably think that’s a long way off at your age, but it’ll be  here before you know it.” At the time, I couldn’t quite grasp what he meant and simply thought, “Oh, is that so?”

Now that I am older than my father was at the time, I realize exactly what he meant. Indeed, many things have happened over the years,  but it all seems to have passed by in the blink of an eye. I received an email from an online vendor saying that the fish shipment had arrived.  Recently, I’ve been buying fish directly from the port. It seems that cod has arrived, so I decided to order about 10kg and make dried cod.  In Brazil, I often ate salted, dried cod that came from Portugal, and it brings back fond memories. Here, there are both blue and red cod, but for  some reason, their prices are vastly different, which I find puzzling. After comparing both, I found that there isn’t much of a difference in taste  when it comes to drying, so I always buy the red cod, which is sold at half the price of the blue.

The weather will improve from now on, and the sunlight will grow stronger day by day, making it perfect for drying fish. When I returned home from the beekeeping site, my order  had arrived in the icebox, so I immediately set to work. There were five cod, each weighing about 2 kilograms. I drew out my trusty kitchen knife and began to remove the innards.  This immediately told me how fresh the fish was, and by looking at the contents of the stomach, I could also estimate roughly where the fish had been caught.  Although it couldn’t compare to freshly caught fish by myself, since this is a vendor that prides itself on freshness, I was reasonably satisfied with the quality. (To be continued)

Time has flown, and we are now just one week away from the end of the year (the photo is of the “New Zealand Christmas Tree,” the pōhutukawa). I will be taking  a break next week, and the new year will begin on January 7th. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of our loyal customers who regularly read and  thoughtfully share their feedback. I am also thankful for those who, after researching the benefits of Manuka honey, have come across this blog. Wishing  everyone a wonderful year ahead. Merry Christmas!