Intensely Green Spinach with Sesame Seeds

Food traditions in Japan are very regionally based, a surprise to most outsiders, who think of Japan as a small country. There are variations from north to south because of differences of climate and season. And because until recently the steep mountainous country in the interior made transportation difficult inland, there are very different coastal and inland food traditions. As we were talking about Kyoto food one day, our friend Mariko reminded us that although Kyoto is