| There are many views of what is
| |
| | strict vegetarian requirements in minor
|
| fundamental to Japanese cuisine. Many
| |
| | sects of Buddhism, is available in
|
| think of sushi or the elegant stylized
| |
| | specialty restaurants in Japan.
|
| formal kaiseki meals that originated as
| |
| | Unfortunately for strict vegetarians most
|
| part of the Japanese tea ceremony. Many
| |
| | Shojinryori meals contain dashi made from
|
| Japanese think of the everyday food of
| |
| | katsuobushi and other non vegetarian
|
| the Japanese people--especially that
| |
| | elements. Some monks in the temples in
|
| existing before the end of the Meiji Era
| |
| | Kyoto eat this cuisine. Beef, pork and
|
| (1868 - 1912) or before World War II.
| |
| | chicken are commonly eaten as most forms
|
| Food in Japan is generally of a very high
| |
| | of Buddhism in Japan allow the eating of
|
| quality and most Japanese people tend to
| |
| | meat and have become part of everyday
|
| be quite well informed diners. Local,
| |
| | cuisine. Lamb is eaten in colder parts of
|
| regional and seasonal dishes are
| |
| | Japan but is not as popular in the
|
| invariably a key tourist attraction for
| |
| | remainder of the country.
|
| the domestic traveller.
| |
| | Noodles, originating from China, have
|
| Similar to Chinese cuisine, there is a
| |
| | become an essential part of Japanese
|
| concept of staple (main) foods (,
| |
| | cuisine, usually (but not always) as an
|
| shushoku) prepared from five
| |
| | alternative to a rice-based meal. There
|
| carbohydrate-rich cereals ( or rice,
| |
| | are two traditional types of noodle, soba
|
| wheats and oats, foxtail millet, beans,
| |
| | and udon. Made from buckwheat flour, soba
|
| proso millet or Echinochloa) and main and
| |
| | is a thin, grayish-brown noodle. Varying
|
| side dishes (, fukushoku, or more
| |
| | amounts of ordinary wheat flour are
|
| commonly, , okazu) of which role is
| |
| | added, depending on the maker, with a
|
| adding flavors to staple foods. Okazu are
| |
| | higher content of buckwheat (and hence, a
|
| usually designed "salty" to eat with
| |
| | darker color) signifying a higher quality
|
| shushoku with synergistic harmonization
| |
| | product. Made from wheat flour, udon is
|
| and basically not expected to have them
| |
| | a thick, white noodle. Both are generally
|
| alone in Japan.
| |
| | served in a soy-flavored fish broth with
|
| A standard Japanese meal nearly always
| |
| | various vegetables. Both soba and udon
|
| consists of a bowl of cooked white
| |
| | exhibit regional variations throughout
|
| Japanese rice (gohan) as shushoku with
| |
| | Japan. A more recent import from China,
|
| accompanying tsukemono (pickles), a bowl
| |
| | dating to the early 19th century, is
|
| of soup, and a variety of dishes known as
| |
| | ramen ( Chinese wheat noodles), which has
|
| okazu - fish, meat, vegetable, etc.
| |
| | become extremely popular. Ramen is served
|
| Traditional Japanese meals are sometimes
| |
| | in a variety of soup stocks ranging from
|
| classified by the number of okazu which
| |
| | soy sauce/fish stock to butter/pork
|
| accompany the rice and soup. As Japanese
| |
| | stock.
|
| meals, especially at the higher end,
| |
| | Although most Japanese eschew eating
|
| consist of several small dishes, the
| |
| | insects, there are a couple of
|
| American concept of a "side" is not a
| |
| | exceptions. In some regions, grasshoppers
|
| part of Japanese meal organization. The
| |
| | (inago) and bee larvae (hachinoko) are
|
| simplest Japanese meal, for example,
| |
| | not uncommon dishes. The larvae of a
|
| consists of ichiju-issai ( "one soup, one
| |
| | species of caddis fly (zaza-mushi),
|
| side" or "one dish meal"). This means
| |
| | harvested from the Tenryu river as it
|
| soup, rice and pickles, and one
| |
| | flows through Ina City, is also boiled
|
| accompanying dish. A traditional Japanese
| |
| | and canned, or boiled and then
|
| breakfast, for example, usually consists
| |
| | sautéed in soy sauce and sugar.
|
| of miso soup, rice, a pickled vegetable
| |
| | Salamander is eaten as well in places.
|
| and grilled fish. The standard
| |
| | Traditional Japanese table settings
|
| traditional meal, however, is called
| |
| | The traditional Japanese table setting
|
| ichiju-sansai ("one soup, three sides"),
| |
| | has varied considerably over the
|
| or soup, rice & pickles, and three
| |
| | centuries, depending primarily on the
|
| dishes, each employing a different
| |
| | type of table common during a given era.
|
| cooking technique. The dishes may be raw
| |
| | Before the 19th century, small individual
|
| fish (sashimi), or grilled, simmered
| |
| | box tables (hakozen) or flat floor trays
|
| (sometimes called boiled in translations
| |
| | were set before each diner. Larger low
|
| from Japanese), steamed, deep fried,
| |
| | tables (chabudai) that accommodated
|
| vinegared, or dressed dishes.
| |
| | entire families were becoming popular by
|
| Ichiju-sansai often finishes with pickles
| |
| | the beginning of the 20th century, but
|
| such as umeboshi and green tea.
| |
| | these gave way to western style dining
|
| This Japanese view of a meal is reflected
| |
| | tables and chairs by the end of the 20th
|
| in the organization of traditional
| |
| | century.
|
| Japanese cookbooks. Chapters are
| |
| | Traditional table settings are based on
|
| organized according to cooking
| |
| | the ichiju-sansai formula. Typically,
|
| techniques: fried foods, steamed foods,
| |
| | five separate bowls and plates are set
|
| and grilled foods, for example, and not
| |
| | before the diner. Nearest the diner are
|
| according to particular ingredients
| |
| | the rice bowl on the left and the soup
|
| (e.g., chicken or beef) as are western
| |
| | bowl on the right. Behind these are three
|
| cookbooks. There may also be chapters
| |
| | flat plates to hold the three side
|
| devoted to soups, sushi, rice, noodles,
| |
| | dishes, one to far back left (on which
|
| and sweets.
| |
| | might be served a simmered dish), one at
|
| Since Japan is an island nation, its
| |
| | far back right (on which might be served
|
| people consume much seafood including
| |
| | a grilled dish), and one in the center of
|
| fish, shellfish, octopus, squid, crab,
| |
| | the tray (on which might be served boiled
|
| lobster, shrimp, whale and seaweed.
| |
| | greens). Pickled vegetables are often
|
| Although not known as a meat eating
| |
| | served as well, and eaten at the end of
|
| country, very few Japanese consider
| |
| | the meal, but are not counted as part of
|
| themselves vegetarians. It is
| |
| | three side dishes.
|
| particularly difficult to find vegetarian
| |
| | Chopsticks are generally placed at the
|
| cuisine in Japan, as even vegetable
| |
| | very front of the tray near the diner
|
| dishes are prepared with fish stock or
| |
| | with pointed ends facing left and
|
| garnishes. However, Shojinryori is a type
| |
| | supported by a chopstick holder, or
|
| of cooking which is reputed to follow the
| |
| | hashioki.
|
