Japanese Culture

Whitney Sutton
March 20, 2009
Section 5

Japanese Food Culture

Today Japanese food is considered one of the world’s healthiest cuisines. The diet is impressingly low in cholesterol, fat, and calories, and high in fiber. In Japan food and dishes are considered to be a type of art, and your meal should first be enjoyed with the eyes. Great attention is place on presentation. The more beautiful the food looks, the better it tastes. A sense of season, a feeling for nature, and an eye for color must be skillfully incorporated.

Although there are distinctive differences in diet and cooking style between the regions of Japan, rice, which is high in carbohydrates and proteins, is very much the back bone of Japanese food culture. Wet rice cultivation was developed by the Koreans and passed on to the Japanese in the third century by the Yayoi tribe that settled in Japan. There are several thousand verities of rice grown in Japan including Koshihikari and Akita which are most popular. The rice is traditionally served with seasonal vegetables, fish and other marine products. In the mid-19th century, rice was also used as currency for paying taxes and wages. Rice was an indication of one’s economic status.













Along with rice cultivation, another important influence from Korea was the Buddhist religion which became the official religion of Japan in the sixth century and officially banned meat from the Japanese people. The vegetarian style of cooking known as shojin ryori was popularized by the Zen sect. Soy sauce (shoyu), miso, tofu, and other products made from soybeans were developed during this time. Buddhism also emphasizes the seasons and this came to be reflected in the foods served. The Japanese believe that meals feature five flavors and colors: sweet, spicy, salty, bitter, and sour; and yellow, black, white, green, and red. The Japanese people love to eat ingredients at their “shun” (now-in-season)










Around the 1600’s the Japanese ruler Tokugawa leyasu feared the Europeans would spark great wars so he closed the ports and expunged the foreigners. This shut off from the rest of the world allowed Japanese culture to become even more deeply rooted. In 1854 US Commodore Perry forced the Japanese to renew trade with the West. In 1872 Emperor Meiji staged a New Year’s feast that was completely European in detail and for the first time in over a thousand years, the people publicly ate meat.

There are three basic styles of Japanese cooking; honzen ryori, chakaiseki ryori, and kaiseki ryori. Honzen ryori is an elaborate style of banquet cooking that was derived from the cuisine of the court aristocracy. Chakairseki ryori is the cuisine of the tea ceremony meal. It emphasizes the artistic presentation of fresh, seasonal ingredients. Kaiseki ryori is still served at first-class Japanese restaurants known as ryotei and at traditional Japanese inns. This meal like the chakaiseki ryori retains the fresh seasonal ingredients and artful presentation but has fewer rules of etiquette and a more relaxed atmosphere.

Western influence in Japanese culture first came with the arrival of European missionaries. The Portuguese and Dutch came to Japan in the sixteenth century and their frying techniques, in combination with a Chinese method for cooking vegetables in oil, led to the development of tempura; deep fired seafood and vegetables in batter. Westerners also brought tobacco, sugar, and corn to the Japanese by trade.

Today, sushi is probably one of the most popular Japanese foods around the world (perhaps second only to instant Ramen Noodles!). Vinegared rice topped or combined with such items as raw fish and shellfish was developed in the early 19th century in the area that is now Tokyo. It was sold in stalls along the street as a snack food. Today food stalls are still a familiar sight in some urban districts and at festivals and other outside events in Japan.


The most popular stalls are those serving yakisoba (fried soba noodles), yakitori (grilled chicken pieces on a skewer), okonomiyaki (pancakes with vegetables and a variety of other ingredients), frankfurters, and buttered backed potatoes.



Two types of restaurants which are found all over the country, but are not considered native Japanese, are ramen restaurants which serve generous helpings of Chinese-style ramen noodles in large bowls with broth, roast pork slices, and various vegetables, and yakiniku restaurants, which are based on Korean-style barbeque, guests cook bite-sized pieces of beef, other meats, and vegetables over a charcoal or gas grill at the table.

Since the re-emersion of Japanese culture into the rest of the world, the Japanese culinary style has expanded into a crossbreed of world food culture. Taking ingredients from the east and west and making the food uniquely delicious. They still, however, hold strong to their traditional styles and customs and continue to incorporate them into their everyday lives.



Work Cited
"Japanese Culture- Food." Japan-Zone 1999 2 Mar 2009
.

"History of Japanese Cuisine." Japan Eating History and Culture 2 Mar 2009
.

Murphey, Declan. "A History of Japanese Cuisine." Yamasa Student Network 2 Mar 2009
.