[Year]

Japanese Food and Food

Culture
FALL SEMESTER 2014
JAMES FLYNN

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James Flynn
Mr. Copeland
Senior Project
Fall 2014

Cooking is an art thats been around practically since mankind was first able to gather
food. Throughout history, and even now, nobody could possibly deny the comfort provided by a
nice meal, nor could they belittle the importance of cooking to any culture. With any area of
interest, learning about how it manifests itself in multiple cultures is not only a way to deepen
ones understanding of the specific subject, but also a way to culturally enrich oneself in general.
It is for this reason that to any aspiring cook, and even to a layman, an understanding of Japanese
cooking can be an important stepping stone to a greater cultural awareness, as well as a wider
range of skills. This knowledge would entail the culture surrounding the food, the proper way to
prepare the food, and the proper way to serve and eat the food. Japanese cooking itself has a rich
history that warrants telling.
Japanese cooking involves using lots of fish and vegetables. (Japanese Food Information)
This is because eating animals (with the exception of fish and birds) was looked down on in
Japan in the early A.D. years. In the centuries following the introduction of Buddhism to Japan
in the 6th century, laws and imperial edicts gradually eliminated the eating of almost all flesh of
animals (fish and birds again being notable exceptions). (JAPANESE FOOD CULTURE) This is
because, in Eastern Buddhism -specifically Chinese Buddhism, the version that was introduced
to Japan- the eating of meat is frowned on, though not always actively prohibited. There is, in
fact, no consensus even on whether the Buddha himself allowed his disciples to eat meat, so its

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really kind of up in the air. As such, theres no set rule across all sects of Buddhism regarding the
consumption of meats. Regardless of whether or not its actually prohibited by Buddhism, the
eating of meats became prohibited in Japan. As such, the entire country moved toward a mostly
vegetarian diet, with fish and some birds being notable exceptions. The vegetarian style of
cooking known as shojin ryori was later popularized by the Zen sect, and by the 15th century
many of the foods and food ingredients eaten by Japanese today had already made their debut,
for example, soy sauce (shoyu), miso, tofu, and other products made from soybeans.
(JAPANESE FOOD CULTURE)
Thats not the only development that happened around the 6th century, however. Around
the same time, a formal and elaborate style of banquet cooking developed that was derived from
the cuisine of the court aristocracy. Known as honzen ryori, it is one of the three basic styles of
Japanese cooking along with chakaiseki ryori (the cuisine of the tea ceremony meal, including
mukozuke, or foods in a dish on the far side of each guests meal tray -commonly sashimi,
though this is not a requirement-, nimono, which is simmered food in individual lidded bowls,
and yakimono, which is grilled food in a serving dish, from which guests can serve themselves)
and kaiseki ryori (which used to be the name for the ichiju sansai, or soup and three format,
but now refers to a meal including an appetizer, sashimi, a simmered dish, a grilled dish, and a
steamed course; the chef may add other dishes at their discretion) (JAPANESE FOOD
CULTURE)
Japans food culture isnt completely self-contained nowadays, nor was it even that selfcontained 500 to 600 years in the past. Like any good culture, its also had significant influence
from other cultures, in this case western culture. Japans first substantial and direct exposure to
western culture came with the arrival of European missionaries in the second half of the 16th

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century. At that time, the combination of Spanish and Portuguese game frying techniques with a
Chinese method for cooking vegetables in oil led to the development of tempura, the popular
Japanese dish in which seafood and many different types of vegetables are coated with batter
and deep fried. (JAPANESE FOOD CULTURE)
All this may sound rather complicated, and one could be forgiven for assuming that
eating a Japanese meal is a hassle, or not worth the trouble it takes. This would not be the case.
Like in America, though it is possible and commonly practiced to simply cook a home meal
every night, many choose not to do this, and instead go for simpler, more convenient food
options. While many families continue to eat home-cooked meals every night, the greatest
change taking place in eating habits in recent decades has been the replacement of home-cooked
dishes with food prepared outside the home. Sushi, Chinese and Japanese noodle dishes, and
Japanese-style box lunches (bento) have long been available via home delivery (demae) in towns
and cities, and now pizza and many other dishes can also be ordered. (JAPANESE FOOD
CULTURE)
Clearly, Japanese food culture is distinct from American food culture (American food
culture being an interesting, though by no means unique, amalgamation of different food cultures
that somehow strikes its own identity). That being said, it isnt all that different nowadays; a lot
of the similarities (namely the move toward pre-made food eaten on the go) come from
modernization. A lot of the fundamentals, and the influences from Japans history, are what led
to a very different culture than American food culture. This is most apparent in the way food is
prepared.

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A Japanese menu is sensitive to the moods of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. In
other words, the menu changes seasonally (Japan: A Cookbook, Haruyo Katoaka). Following is a
list of the different lunch and dinner menus for all four seasons.
For Spring: lunch consists of miso soup with tofu and wakame seaweed (edible seaweed),
rolled omelet, Yuan-style grilled chicken (chicken marinated in a mix of sake, mirin, soy sauce,
and lemon rind), soused (pickled) spinach or spinach with sesame dressing, rice, pickles, and tea;
dinner consists of clam consomm (clear soup), sea bream sashimi (fresh raw fish sliced into thin
pieces), bean curd dengaku (tofu), yellow flower shrimp, asparagus with mustard dressing,
bamboo rice (short grain rice treated with bamboo juice), pickles, and tea.
For Summer: lunch consists of grilled eggplant, beef and burdock rolls (burdock is a
plant that vaguely resembles an artichoke in taste), chilled fine noodles, tea, and watermelon;
dinner consists of egg tofu, savory okra, trout sashimi, deep-fried eggplant, Nagasaki-style
braised pork (braising -commonly called pot roasting- is a method of cooking that involves
using both dry and moist heats in which the food is seared at a high temperature, then put in a pot
with liquid to finish; Nagasaki-style refers to the way its served), vinegared octopus, rice, tea,
and fresh peaches.
For Autumn, lunch consists of beaten egg soup (boiled chicken broth thats had beaten
eggs slowly poured into it, causing the eggs to cook, leading to a soup with wispy pieces of
cooked egg in it), tempura-on-rice, vinegared crab (a dashi and ginger dressing over crab meat,
served as a salad), pickles, and tea; dinner consists of clear chicken soup, deep-fried mixed
kebabs, sea bream steamed with buckwheat noodles, Chinese cabbage and deep-fried tofu,
chestnut rice, pickles, tea, and persimmons of pears (persimmons is an umbrella term for edible
tree fruits, in this case pears).

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For Winter: lunch consists of oden (fish cakes in soy-flavored broth), mixed rice, pickles,
and tea; dinner consists of shellfish with miso dressing, chunky vegetable soup, yellowtail
teriyaki (yellowtail is a species of fish), simmering tofu (tofu braised in sauce, simmered until
the sauce becomes thick), stuffed crab, savory cup custard (egg custard, though not sweet as
custard usually is; in this case it is savory, as the name says. Cup custard simply refers to how
its served), rice, pickles, and mandarin oranges (Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art, Shizuo
Tsuji).
Great emphasis is put upon variety, in multiple forms. If a dish includes shrimp, for
instance, the other dishes cannot contain shrimp; emphasis is put on variety in ingredients.
Emphasis is also put on using a variety of cooking methods. For instance, sukiyaki and tempura
are two commonly eaten foods with very different preparation methods. Sukiyaki is a traditional
dish prepared at the table by cooking thin slices of beef with vegetables, tofu, and vermicelli
(thin pasta, similar to spaghetti), in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin (a type of rice wine);
the ingredients are usually dipped in beaten raw egg before being eaten. Tempura is food,
commonly seafood (prawn, shrimp, squid, scallops, crab, sweetfish, conger eels, catfish, cod,
haddock, pollock, coley, plaice, skate, ray, rock salmon, whiting, sea bass, and sea perch) and
vegetables (bamboo shoots, bell pepper, butternut squash, carrot, eggplant, gobo, green beans,
kabocha, mushrooms, okra, onion, pumpkin, potato, sweet potato, renkon, shiitake mushroom,
and shiso leaf) that has been deep-fried in vegetable oil after being coated with a mix of egg,
water and wheat flour. Tempura is usually served with dipping sauce, or salted without sauce. It
can be served with grated daikon (daikon is a type of radish), and eaten hot. Tempura can also be
served in soup with noodles. When it is served with soba (buckwheat noodles) it is called

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tempura soba or tensoba. When it is served over steamed rice it is called tendon and when
its on top of udon soup, its called tempura udon. (JAPANESE FOOD CULTURE)
Of course, a well-prepared dish is nothing if not served and eaten properly (or at least in
Japan, its not). Like America, Japan has its own methods of serving and eating food, both
traditional and modern.
Commonly, at American dinner tables, people say grace (not necessarily a religious
prayer, though it usually is). In Japan, they say something before the meal as well. Those eating
the meal say [romanized as "itadakimasu", pronounced (ee-tah-dah-kee-mah-sue),
meaning "I humbly receive" OR "I am now starting to eat"] before eating. They also say
something after the meal. After the meal, those who ate say [romanized as "Gochiso
sama", pronounced (go-chi-so-sa-ma), meaning "Thank you for the feast"]. While saying grace
in America usually serves to thank God (or their religions equivalent) for their meal, or simply
to express general thankfulness for the food, in Japan, both of the above phrases serve to thank
the host for the food and the good harvest. (JAPANESE FOOD CULTURE)
Since American food culture is an amalgamation of European food cultures, we
commonly have a side accompanying the meal, usually bread of some kind. Japanese meals are
frequently accompanied by plain white rice. (JAPANESE FOOD CULTURE)
In America, food is eaten using silverware, such as forks, knives, and spoons (different
variations of these exist, such as butter knives, salad forks, dessert spoons, etc.; however, these
are not commonly used in the everyday household). In Japan, chopsticks are always used in
place of any other silverware. Most Americans with otherwise decent hand-eye coordination
struggle to use chopsticks, and frequently move to plastic spoons and forks within minutes of

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beginning their frustrating and hand-cramping attempts to use them. In Japan however, where
their use is more commonplace, chopsticks are a versatile eating utensil. Thats not to say that
they just sit down with a whole steak in front of them and try to eat it with chopsticks. Food is
usually cut into bite-size pieces to aid in chopstick use. For some foods, however, this is not
necessary. Chopsticks can be used to "cut" through softer foods, as one would with a knife. So in
a way, chopsticks can act as both a fork and a knife, depending on what food one is eating.
(Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art)
Just like eating with American silverware has its rules, chopsticks have their own set of
rules for eating with them. There are several faux pas to avoid while using chopsticks. Several of
the ones listed here are considered verboten due to their similarities to Japanese funeral rites
(since anything to do with them is considered unlucky), and the specific similarity will be
explained in these instances. Chopsticks should not be left sticking upright in a bowl of rice. This
is forbidden because bowls of rice are offered with the chopsticks stuck in upright to the spirit of
someone deceased, either on their deathbed or in front of a picture of them on the household
Buddhist altar. Food is not to be passed from one pair of chopsticks to another. It is also
considered in poor taste to grab one piece of food with two pairs of chopsticks. This is also due
to resemblance to a Buddhist funeral rite, in which a cremated persons bones are passed from
chopstick to chopstick. Unmatched chopsticks are also not to be used together. This is also
reminiscent of some funeral rites. (Your Guide to Better Chopstick Etiquette (mostly
Japanese).")
Thats not to say that all faux pas are funeral- related. Some are like eating steak off the
tip of a steak knife; they arent gravely offensive, per se, but still considered bad manners.
Similarly, most chopstick misuses are simply considered bad manners rather than grave offenses.

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Chopsticks are not to be left crossed on a plate or bowl, or on the table. It is not considered good
form to cross the working ends of the chopsticks while eating, though for less dexterous users,
that may be unavoidable. Both chopsticks must be used, as well. Using them singly (such as to
spear food) is considered bad form. Chopsticks should not be left in ones mouth while they do
something else with their hands. Aside from being bad manners, this is also somewhat
dangerous. Chopsticks should not be rinsed in soup, water, or tea. This is because doing so
would just be gross, frankly. Chopsticks should also not be used as toys (which should be
common sense to anybody whos been raised properly). [waribashi], or the wooden
chopsticks that need to be broken apart, should not be rubbed together. The only reason to do this
is if they are so cheap that they are splintery, but doing this with high-quality ones implies that
one thinks they are cheap, and this is an insult to the host. One should not suck or nibble on ones
chopsticks, either. Food should not be shoveled directly from a rice bowl. They are to be held in
one hand while the eater grabs chunks of rice with their chopsticks. A miso soup bowl should be
sipped out of. Other plates and bowls are not to be picked up at all. Food should not be taken out
of a serving dish with ones own chopsticks, as this is considered unsanitary. One should use the
serving utensils provided, instead. It is considered off-putting to let ones chopsticks hover from
food to food or dish to dish. One should also not point at others or things with ones chopsticks.
There are just a few other rules regarding chopsticks, though these ones are not so much
about manners, but are considered to be points of refinement. In the same way that formal
American dinners have stricter rules than regular family meals, so too do Japanese meals. If
(hashi-oki), or chopstick rests, are supplied, they should be used. If they are not supplied,
chopsticks can be laid across the top of a bowl, though not crossed, as mentioned earlier. Liquids
should not be allowed to drip from chopsticks, as this could stain the table, or ones clothes,

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which would be unsightly. Lastly, food should not be stirred with chopsticks, as this is insulting
to the cook.
In conclusion, there are many facets to Japanese cooking. It has a rich cultural heritage
surrounding it, and it has many different rules than Western cooking. Not only that, but there are
many exotic and unique recipes unlike anything found in a Western setting. This was a
fascinating topic to study, and there is a lot about the subject that couldnt be covered in a simple
8-page paper. There was a lot to learn, but it was both challenging and enthralling the whole way
through. Japanese cooking, while it has its difficulties, is absolutely an area worth studying.

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Works Cited
Saito, Makoto. "Japanese Food Information ." JFC Europe. JFC International (Europe), 2006.
Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
"Traditional Dishes of Japan." Japan: The Official Guide. Japan National Tourism Organization,
n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
"Japanese Food Culture." Web Japan. Ed. Heibonsha Ltd. Web Japan, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
Jacobs, Jutta A., Haruyo ataoka, and Friederun
1993. Print.

hnen. Japan: A Cookbook. N.p.: Mosaik,

Tsuji, Shizuo. Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art. Trans. Mary Sutherland. Rev. Ed. ed. Tokyo:
Kodansha International, 2006. Print.
Your Guide to Better Chopstick Etiquette (mostly Japanese)." Your Guide to Better Chopstick
Etiquette (mostly Japanese). Just Hungry, 22 Jan. 2009. Web. 21 Nov. 2014.