夏日蝉语
Cicada Weather
27 August 2026 · Tokyo · Chūshū, fifth day
32 degrees all morning. The cicadas were doing their usual thing. I had one prawn left in the fridge, a handful of shiitake, a small bunch of mitsuba going a little soft.
Around three the sky changed colour. Thunder arrived before the rain did. When the rain came it came properly — the kind that closes everything down without asking.
I made chawanmushi. Egg, dashi, a few things arranged in a cup, lid on, ten minutes in the steamer. No decision once it starts. You just wait while it sets.
The custard was pale gold, the surface unmarked. I ate it standing by the window watching the street disappear into rain.
整个上午都在三十二度里泡着，蝉鸣一刻也没停。下午三点多，天色忽然变了。雷声先到，雨后来，来了就不走。
这种雨天不适合站在炉灶前，也不想吃凉的。冰箱里一只海老、几片椎茸、蔫了一点的三叶草。做茶碗蒸し正合适。
鸡蛋打散，兑入温热的出汁，过筛，倒进杯子，盖上盖子，蒸十分钟。只需要等待，它自己会凝固，不需要人在旁边守着。
端出来的时候表面很平整，颜色是淡淡的卵金色。我站在窗边吃完，雨还在下。