(JAPANESE CUISINE) BY ANDREW K. AND DYLAN S. 日本りょうり

In General Tuna at a fish market

History After じょうもん period - Japanese shifted from hunter gatherers to farmers Mainly grew rice - boiled plain Emperor てっむ banned cattle, horse, dogs, monkeys, and chickens during half of the year –made deer and boar an important part of the Japanese diet 8th century - killing animals was banned -nobles who ate meat couldn’t take part in anything しんと for 3 days Chinese brought chopsticks into Japan – until then hands were used to eat Post 9th century food included  grilled fish and meat ( やきもの )  simmered food ( にもの ) & steamed foods ( むしもの )  Soups  fish or meat ( あつもの )  sliced raw fish or vegetables served in a vinegar sauce ( なます )  vegetables, seaweed or fish in a strong dressing ( あえもの )  pickled vegetables ( つけもの ) cured in salt 1

Vegetable にもの (simmered vegetables) – note the crazy star cut carrots やきもの of asparagus, cherry tomato, しいたけ mushrooms and bamboo shoots だいこん and carrot なま す 2

History Continued… Oil and fat were mostly avoided except the expensive sesame oil へいあん nobility banquet settings  bowl of rice and soup  chopsticks and a spoon  three flavorings (salt, vinegar, and ひしお – flavored soybean ferment)  Additional plate for mixing the seasonings to desired flavor かまくら period – foods of the nobility shifted emphasis from flavor to more ceremonial and official さむらい cuisine - came mainly from their peasant roots. Meals – simple appearance, complex flavor -avoided refinement as well as many other Chinese influences Buddhist vegetarian philosophy - strengthened during the かまくら period, spread to the peasants. People who killed animals were unclean for practicing しんと and were discriminated 1

おかず of garlic shoots and しいたけ mushrooms Kelp and ぼにと flakes for making だし stock Modern Cuisine Based on combining しゅしょく (staple foods – like rice and noodles) with a soup, and おかず (side dishes - fish, meat, vegetable, tofu to add flavor to the staple food) おかず - usually flavored with だし, みそ, and soy sauce – low in fat, high in salt. Standard meal - three おかず - called いちじゅう - さんさい ("one soup, three sides") Different cooking techniques for each おかず  raw ( さしみ ), grilled, simmered, steamed, deep-fried, vinegared, or dressed. Lots of seafood - Buddhist laws made meat-eating rare until recent. True vegetarian food is also rare cause most dishes are flavored with だし stock (made with かつおぶし - dried tuna flakes) Noodles - essential part of the cuisine - alternative to rice  そば (thin, grayish-brown noodles containing buckwheat flour)  うどん (thick wheat noodles) are the main traditional noodles - served hot or cold.  Ramen - Chinese-style wheat noodles in a meat broth 2

ようしょく (Western-Influenced Cooking) Beginning of めいじ Restoration - national seclusion was eliminated - emperor declared Western ideas as necessary to Japan’s future progress. Ban on red meat - eliminated Emperor promoted Western style cooking - he thought it was the reason for their greater physical size. Cooking style revolves around using meat Examples: Curry rice, Breaded and deep-fried dishes not including てんぷら, Hamburgers, Spaghetti 1

A Few Common Foods

にぎりすし Vinegared rice topped or mixed with various fresh ingredients にぎりすし  sushi with the ingredients on top of a block of rice まきすし  "roll sushi” - rice and seafood or other ingredients are placed on seaweed ( のり ) - rolled into a cylindrical shape on a bamboo mat - cut into smaller pieces てまきすし  similar to まきずし except the のり is rolled into a cone-shape - ingredients placed inside すし まきすし 2

さけ Rice wine 12-20% alcohol Double fermentation of rice Not usually drunk alongside other rice based dishes. 1

あげもの (deep-fried dishes) · からあげ - bite-sized pieces of chicken, fish, octopus, or other meat, floured and deep fried. てんぷら - deep-fried vegetables or seafood in a light, distinctive batter. Pictured - > 2

やきもの (grilled or pan-fried dishes) てりやき  grilled, broiled, or pan- fried meat, fish, chicken or vegetables  glazed with a sweetened soy sauce.  Pictured - > うなぎ  grilled and flavored eel. やきとり  barbecued chicken skewers 1

さしみ (thinly sliced raw meat) ふぐ - sliced poisonous pufferfish –  Japanese specialty.  Chef must be licensed.  The littlest misplaced cut causes undetectable poison to leech into the meat  Pictured - > いきずくり - live sashimi とりさし - chicken breast sashimi 2

Soup! みそ soup  made with みそ dissolved in だし  usually contains two or three types of solid ingredients, such as seaweed, vegetables or tofu.  Pictured - > しましじいる  clear soup made with だ し and seafood ぞに  soup containing もち rice cakes with various vegetables and often chicken  usually eaten at New Years Day. 1

Pickled or Salted Foods いくら - salt cured salmon caviar. Pictured - > つけもの - pickled vegetables  hundreds of varieties and served with most rice- based meals. うめぼし - small, pickled うめ (golden plum) fruit  usually red and very sour. 2

Misc. あげだしどふ - cubes of deep-fried silken tofu served in hot broth. おべんとう - combination meal served in a wooden box, usually as a cold lunchbox. えだまめ - boiled and salted pods of soybeans – snack food – pictured Most Japanese avoid eating insects, but in some regions, いなご (locust) and はちのこ (bee larvae) are common dishes. The larvae are harvested - boiled and canned, or boiled and then sautéed in soy sauce and sugar. 1

Etiquette

Meals traditionally begin with the phrase いただきます (literally - "I receive") Finishing a meal – usually say - ごちそうさまでした Polite to clear one’s plate Pouring soy sauce all over rice  considered greedy. In restaurants - customers are given a rolled hand towel ( おしぼり ) - considered rude to use the towel to wipe the face or neck Cover one’s mouth when using a toothpick. Rubbing chopsticks to remove the splinters is considered noisy and rude Never pass food from chopstick to chopstick. Don’t leave the chopsticks straight up in rice  represents incense at a funeral. Rude to stab food  resembles a Buddhist practice of offering food to ancestors. 2

Kitchen Tools ほにゃき knife close up

Knives Two classes of traditional knife forging methods ほにゃき and かすみ  ほにゃき – (true-forged knives) only forged from high-carbon steel  かすみ - two materials - high-carbon steel and soft iron forged together - steel forms the blade's edge - iron forms the blade's body and spine Lower quality knives are forged from stainless steel でばぼちょ  Kitchen carver used mainly for cutting fish さんとく  General purpose knife influenced by European styles - stands for 3 virtues which is why it’s used to cut meat, fish and vegetables なきりぼちょ and うすばぼちょ  Thin blade good for cutting vegetables おろしほちょ and はんちょほちょ  Extremely long knives to fillet tuna うどんきり and そばきり  Knife with a long straight edge and square shape used to make udon and soba 1

Other Kitchen Tools あぶらきり  shallow tray used to place food to drain after frying はんぎり  rice barrel used to dress and cool rice in preparation for sushi まきやきなべ  square metal pan for Japanese rolled omelettes むしき and せいろ  bamboo steamers that can be stacked おとしぶた  drop lid used to float over the top of a liquid in a pot to stop harsh bubbles from forming and ruining delicate ingredients Rice cooker  electric appliance for cooking rice - some are known to play songs. Chopsticks  used to whisk and to stir, among many other uses 2

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