Japanese Cuisine

For three weeks we ate like the locals, immersing ourselves in Japan's traditional cuisine. Everything about Japanese meals and food choices is very different compared to western cuisine. From the portions, to the presentation, to specific dishes and food choices, each meal was a new discovery. Meals are an important part of their culture, and I would say almost ritualistic.

Firstly, the presentation. Every meal is served on a small tray with a specific number of small dishes for each food. The chopsticks also have a specific spot on the tray, always placed at the lower end marking the barrier between the person and the food, and typically rest on a "pillow."

Additionally, rather than using napkins, a Japanese table setting typically includes either a small towel or a wrapped hand wipe to first clean our hands. The Japanese, I came to learn, are sticklers for cleanliness. This was a consistent presentation whether at a traditional formal multi-course meal or a one-course meal at a small local restaurant. We had to ask for napkins if needed.

chopsticks resting on a pretty stone pillow on a round tray

chopsticks resting on a stone pillow separating the diner
from the food at this multi-course dinner, with towel to clean hands

When we visited a Japanese couple in their home in Kanazawa, the hostess, Nobuko Yoshigami, showed us their kitchen and gave us a short lesson on Japanese meal etiquette. For lunch she typically prepares four specific dishes while for dinner there are five. Each dish is used for specific foods. The cornerstone of the meal is miso soup, a small bowl of rice, and smaller plate of some type of pickled veggies like ginger, cucumber, radish, lotus root, bamboo shoots etc,.  And the other dishes are for whatever else is being served, like a protein that is fish, chicken, pork or beef, and some other type of vegetables. Green tea is served with the meal. 

During our visit, our hostess also demonstrated the correct way to eat miso soup: hold the soup bowl in your left hand, chopsticks in the right hand, sip the soup broth from the bowl with the chopsticks holding back any chunks, then use the chopsticks to shovel some of the chunks (seaweed, cabbage, onion, tofu, etc) into your mouth. The chopsticks are held at an angle with ends pointing up, never down. I also learned that typically, miso soup and the pickled veggies are  consumed at the end, to aid in digestion and cleanse the palate.

correct way to eat miso soup and hold chopsticks

lunch tray and dinner tray, with chopsticks correctly placed on
their pillow

More than anything else, it was always the presentation of each dish that fascinated me, and every dining experience was unique. Food and dining are, like so many things in Japan, an art form.

pickled veggies, rice sprinkled with seaweed flakes, soy for
dipping, tempura prawns, okra and Japanese potato root mash

mushrooms, pickled veggies, salmon roe as a starter

dessert is not typically part of a meal but for this final traditional,
several-course meal, we had this for dessert

sashimi (salmon and scallops), grilled eggpalnt, soy, and edamame for
this first course 

artistically arranged fish on piece of squash

 miso soup (bowl with lid), tempura prawns, rice, pickled cucumber, seaweed 
and carrots

Even the hotels provided breakfasts that were always a visual treat, and always beautifully presented. 

cream of corn soup, sauteed veggies and either chicken or fish, dumplings

My first thought was always how many dishes are used with each meal, and how much washing up is required! Artistic and beautiful, yet intensive and laborious - those words crop up very often. Our hostess in Kanazawa showed us her drawer of dishes - 

And this is her dishwasher - compact like so much else in Japan.

Our hostess's kitchen was quite small, tiny in fact compared to American kitchens in most homes, yet there was plenty of storage. She opened one cupboard with her storage containers filled with various dry goods like rice, tea etc. Her countertop housed several appliances - a microwave, bread maker, toaster oven, and rice maker. Again, all were smaller and more compact than ours yet certainly adequate enough to prepare mulitple courses in small portions. 

My second thought was how long meal preparation must take for this many various dishes. When asked, our guide Osamu assured me they keep things simple at his home. His wife prepares a few dishes for the week. Rice and miso soup are a staple as are pickled veggies with a few other fresh veggies and some form of fish or pork. 

By comparison, everything in the US is extra large: our homes, our kitchens, appliances, utensils, crockery, cooking equipment, and mostly our meals. At first glance when presented with my Japanese meal, I wondered how such tiny portions could ever be filling or satisfying. By the end of the meal, I felt quite full and was never hungry. I found that intriguing. Perhaps that is why we didn't see overweight or obese Japanese.

Additionally, it is customary to follow the Confucian practice hara hachi bu which instructs one to eat until 80% full. There is some evidence that people who follow this advice have one of the lowest rates of illness from heart disease, cancer, and stroke and a fairly long life expectancy. This is certainly true in Okinawa which is one of the Blue Zones in the world with people living to over 100. Small portions offered in small dishes certainly has its benefits.  

That is not to say that there are no chubby Japanese. We had the privilege of spending a morning with two retired sumo wrestlers who also cooked for us and shared their sumo stew, chanko nabe, with us. 

They consume this stew daily, one potful shared by two wrestlers. It was sufficient for our group of 16. Which only emphasized that it's not what you eat but how much you eat that adds the pounds. The stew was delicious, brimming with seaweed, cabbage and fried tofu, onions, mushrooms, carrots and small chunks of potato, and was also served with a small bowl of rice as well as some pickled veggies. 

Mostly all of our included meals were pre-arranged with small local restaurants where we ate. Choices always included either cooked fish or sushi, chicken or pork, or vegetarian.  Each meal typically included rice, miso soup, a tiny helping of pickled veggies and one other cooked vegetable which could be two pieces of okra or two small pieces of eggplant, squash, yam etc. We also had a choice of rice or udon noodles and occasionally were offered tempura.

We ate grilled eel for the first time, a culinary delight that Osamu was very excited for the group to try. After removing our shoes, we sat on cushions at a low table on a raised platform covered with tatami mats in this restaurant in the Nakamise-dori Street in Tokyo.

our lunch tray with our order of grilled eel

 tasty eel on a bed of rice, pickled veggies, and miso soup

When we were in Hakone, we were treated to two very traditional, multi-course banquet dinners at the hotel.  We wore the simple kimonos provided by the hotel called yukata, and removed our shoes to walk on the tatami mat flooring. 

This multi-course meal is considered very haute cuisine, when chefs pull out all the stops to prepare seasonal specialities artistically arranged, pleasing not only to the palate but also to the eye. 

sashimi with fresh wasabi we grated ourselves (round disc is the grater), 
tomato braised sardines, potato ham mille-feuille, mixed sleet salad of
chrysanthemum and nameko mushroom - notice the rolled up hand cloth, 
 and knife and fork for foreign visitors should they need them, and a nabe
or cooking pot on the left top

shiitake mushroom with sesame and grilled fish

Sake and plum wine were on offer as well as green tea.  The meal included cooking our own meat and veggies in a hot pot at the table. And the final course was miso soup, rice and a few pickled veggies, followed by a light dessert of a couple of slices of fruit. We were more than satisfied after that sumptous spread that lasted a couple of hours. 

A hot pot meal or nabe is a different type of Japanese cuisine that we enjoyed on other occasions as well. The raw ingredients, beautifully presented, are cooked by each diner at the table, typically in a ceramic pot over a small canister of gas that fits into the burner. Once the ingredients are cooked, you remove them into a smaller bowl using chopsticks or a spoon that is provided. Nabe can be eaten in restaurants or at home, family style. Nabe is particularly popular in the fall and winter months when the weather is colder. 

our nabe, hot pot meal, in Nara

Shabu shabu, a variation of nabe style cuisine, is also popular and includes wagyu beef, but can also inculde thinly sliced pork, chicken or fish. Metal rather than ceramic pots are typically used for shabu shabu cooking. We enjoyed our shabu shabu experience in Hakone. The meats are sliced so thinly that they cook very quickly in the broth. 

shabu shabu cuisine experience in Hakone

Osamu gave us a quick lesson on Shabu Shabu:

This was one meal without the cornerstone miso, rice, and pickles. Rather, the focus was on the special sauces and condiments for dipping the meat which was cut extremely thinly and cooked very quickly. I recall the fondue dinners my folks served when that became a new dining fad back in the late 60s and 70s in South Africa.  Shabu Shabu takes it to a different level altogether because the food is cooked in broth.  Delicious!

I read that the name and this style of cooking was brought to Japan after the war by Japanese who had been living in Manchuria when it was a colony of Japan from 1932-45. 

When we were in Tokyo, Osamu took us to the Tsukishima Monja district to  experience a monja pancake dinner. This is a local savory dish that starts out with a bowl of chopped-up vegetables cooked on a hot plate with a flour and broth mixture added to bind the ingredients. Ours included finely shredded cabbage, bean sprouts and red peppers and pork. The pancake is then topped with a savory sauce of some type like mayonaise. We sat around tables with a flatiron griddle in the center and once the cook spread the ingredients to show how it's done, we used our spatulas to tamp down the pancake ingredients and flipped it every so often to cook evenly before adding the very thinly sliced pork (which looks more like our bacon slices but is not cured). 

The menu had these picture instructions on how to cook your monja pancake: first pour on oil; using a spoon, scoop the contents of the bowl onto the griddle and cook for a few minutes turning the veggies over; spread them out into a circle with a hole in the center; pour the stock into the middle; continue cooking and mixing and turing the batter over until it thickens and is done. Top with a sauce. 

When we were in Hiroshima, we ate an okonomiyaki pancake, which is a Hiroshima speciality. Rather than mixing all the ingredients with the batter like the Tokyo monjayaki, okonomiyaki starts out with first making a thin crepe-style pancake on the griddle that is then topped with layers and cooked with more layers added. 

We sat at a bar and watched fascinated as the cook continued to layer more and more ingredients - cabbage, bean sprouts, chopped scallions, whichever protein we ordered (prawns, scallops, pork or chicken), and noodles. Lastly, she broke an egg and spread it out before flipping the mound over onto the egg, then topped the pancake with a dark sauce.  It was tasty and very filling.

This particular restaurant was especially popular. Located on the third floor with steep steps, it looked more like a backstreet dive, was extremely crowded with folks waiting for those at the table to finish and leave. In fact, as we were eating our pancakes, the cook was already taking orders from the folks standing behind us! This was obviously not a leisurely dining experience but likely more like our fast food equivalents. 

I read later that the history behind these okonomiyaki pancakes stems from the last war and evolved into what is eaten today. Originally with post-war food shortages, the US distributed rice flour which was mixed with water and scallions to make pancakes. As things improved after the war and more food became readily available, other ingredients were added to the original pancake. 

Monja however supposedly comes from the name mojiyaki which was a snack and literally means 'grilled letters' because children would practice writing their letters with the runny dough. 

Once a rich merchant's home with a separate building for
storing rice, Seto House, now a community home in Ashigara, 
preserves traditional ways of a past lifestyle

We learned about the old-fashioned traditional way that rice and miso soup were prepared and cooked when we visited Seto community house in Ashigari, a small village outside Tokyo. 

After a lesson on the rice plant, kernels, husk, bran and how it used to be milled with a water wheel, we washed the rice and then helped prepare the miso soup ingredients, all of which were cooked the traditional old-fashioned way in a pot over a fire inside the house. 

Later we had a lesson on making rice balls after the rice was cooked. 

we took turns swishing the rice in the pot to the rhythm of
a ditty repeated 5 times 

starting the fire to cook the rice at Seto House

It was interesting to see that the rice was washed outside yet the cooking was done inside the house without a chimney or flue. There were tatami screens over the stove area which I immediately concluded must surely be a fire hazard. However, there is a logical reason for these overhead screens which catch the smoke, and additionally, the smoke wards off insects in the thatch. 

I did wonder about breathing in the smoke especially when cooped up inside during the cold winter months. But perhaps in these traditional houses with their washi screen doors and windows, there is more ventilation than in our modern weather-tight homes. 

Once the rice was cooked and served, we made rice balls. This remains a typical school or work lunch even today, and can inculde a vegetable in the middle. We were served our rice with a seaweed mix that we inserted in the middle of the rice balls we created. 

on the small dish at the top is raw ginger and a jalapeno pepper with sauce

The rice balls resembled more of a conical than a round shape after we squeezed them in the palms of both hands clasped together. The rice is a sticky rice variety used specifically for such dishes.

We also helped chop ingredients for the miso soup cooked on the second burner on the traditional stove inside the house. Each of us was assigned a specific task to chop or slice the ingredients into typical dainty Japanese slices. One of the lady helpers barked out orders in Japanese and demonstrated how to chop the vegetables. We of course did not understand a word of what she was saying but we soon got the gist of it, especially if she disapproved and then held your hand to show exactly how to slice or chop. 

onion, mushrooms, cabbage, scallions, and fried tofu

proof that Michael is quite capable with a knife and cutting board

ladling the now cooked rice that we helped wash -
any rice sticking to the bottom of the pot is considered
a real treat

While the miso soup was cooking and the cooks prepared the rest of our lunch, we wandered around the garden, saw the storehouse where the merchant stored the rice for the townsfolk, saw the original mill and also an ingenious wooden potato peeling tumbling machine with holes in it. The potatoes are placed inside the container that is placed in water, and the fins on the outside cause the box to spin in the swiftly running stream, while the potatoes are washed and some of the outer skins are removed through this tumbling action. 

Afterwards we returned inside, to enjoy the meal we helped prepare.  The rice was spooned into bamboo dishes and the crusty bits at the bottom scraped and then offered to us to sample. It was much like fried rice.  

Miso paste was added to the soup, together with bonito flakes, which I learned is dried skipjack tuna and the essential ingredient that provides umami taste. We watched the cook shave thin flakes off what looked like dried wood but which I then learned is bonito, the dried fish. The soup was very tasty and seemed quite simple to make. 

miso soup with the ingredients we helped chop

When we were in Kanazawa, we visited Nanto, where we had an opportunity to make our own mochi, a traditional Japanese treat typically eaten at New Year's. Made from pounded sticky rice (which is different from regular white rice) and water, mochi was once made at home and also eaten by the samurai on the battlefield because it lasts longer than cooked rice. 

The rice is first soaked overnight then steamed and dumped into a large mortar. We took turns to pound the rice with a large heavy wooden pestle while the assistant turned the rice ball over between the thuds adding more water as needed, careful not to have her fingers whacked. 

the pounding is accompanied by a rhythmic sing-song, where in
days past a whole village would participate in the mochi making

the rice used for mochi making (on the right) is different from regular rice, more glutinous,
and the grains resembled an arborio rice, also a creamy rice

the rice is pounded into a sticky substance
which here is about to be coated with rice bran

we ate the mochi we made, one on the sweeter side coated in the
rice bran, the other savory, with a dab of soy on it 

The rice is pounded into a paste, then molded into a desired shape. For New Year's, two mochi are stacked one on top of another with a tangerine placed on top. 

The mochi we made the old-fashioned way had an interesting taste, and a texture that reminded me of chewing gum. Our guide warned us to be careful when chewing and swallowing mochi because it can be a choking hazard. This made me wonder why mochi would continue to be such a popular traditional food, particularly because every year there are people who are rushed to the hospital after choking episodes and some even die!

Today, this labor intensive treat is produced with special machinery, can be purchased in stores, and typically comes with a red bean paste inside. There are also electric mochi machines for home use. 

We tasted our first mochi with our matcha tea at the tea house we visited in Tokyo's Hama-rikyu Gardens. 

I was intrigued with the intricate cutouts, a rabbit and sun and a fish, artistically placed on each mochi which to me tasted similar to marzipan in taste and texture.

our first macha tea experience at a tea house and tasting
mochi treats with red bean paste inside

Likewise, our hosts served us mochi with our green tea during our visit to their home in Kanazawa, elegantly served and eaten before drinking the tea.

this mochi was coated with a rice powder

When we attended a traditional tea ceremony in Kyoto, our mochi treat was also served and eaten before drinking the matcha tea. The same mochi eating tradition was followed when we visited a buddhist monk at the Senko-Ji Temple high in the mountains. 

Perhaps eating dessert first is not such a bad idea after all. 

While we were in Kyoto, we learned how to make our own sushi from a master sushi chef. Michael chose the traditional sushi made with raw fish while I chose the vegetarian sushi so we could learn both. The ingredients was prepared for us ahead of time, ready for us to follow directions which Osamu translated. The rice, also a sticky rice variety, is first mixed with rice vinegar and mirin, a type of rice wine.  We were instructed to spoon out between 17 and 18 grams that we needed to weigh on a scale. This then was formed into a ball, then shaped into a log so that we could place the vegetable (or seafood) on top, and wrap it with seaweed. 

This is my completed vegetarian sushi tray.  

cucumber, tofu strip, okra, avocado slice, fried tofu pocket stuffed with rice, 
pickled daikon, and seaweed selection

We ate the sushi we made for lunch and afterwards, the sushi chef demonstrated how to roll sushi using a bamboo mat and cut the long rolls into smaller bite-sized portions. Some were fashioned to be round, others triangular or square. He worked fast and was very deft at spreading out the rice, adding the seafood then rolling everything compactly before slicing the roll into sections. All were presented very artistically of course. This sushi chef prepares meals daily for the market stall and for other businesses. He is up at the crack of dawn to receive the daily delivery from his seafood supplier. With all that repetitive daily use of hands and palms, I asked if he ever experienced pain in his arms and shoulders. And he did in fact say that he often needs to have treatments, particularly with acupuncture, but that it no longer lasts as long as before. This labor intensive skill does eventually take its toll on limbs. It used to also be a skill passed down from father to son and took years to master starting out as an apprentice first. Our chef has two daughters who are not interested in following his career and he does wonder who will eventually take over from him. It was fascinating to watch how quickly he assembled the sushi and how artistically he cut the portions and arranged them into different designs. 

He also showed us his personal knife collection, an absolute essential like any tool required for a specific use. The Japanese are of course known for their knives.

When we took the Shinkansen, the bullet train, from Tokyo to Kanazawa, we experienced Japanese take-out convenience cuisine. In the Tokyo Station, which is more along the lines of a major airport in size with all sorts of shops and restaurants, the area where we boarded the bullet train has an entire section specifically devoted to catering ekiben or train bento boxes. This was Japanese cuisine and presentation, plus efficiency all wrapped into one perfectly organized carry out container. The selections and choices were overwhelming, the various stalls numerous. We strolled up and down gawking at the possibilities totally overwhelmed. 

Finally we settled for a chicken with salad and a salmon with rice to share. Everything was fresh, delicious and satisfying, and the best take-out meal I ever ate while traveling. 

We also stopped at the bakery across the aisle. Besides typical breads and soy rolls, at this time of year, there were also pumpkin and apple muffins which we bought as well as a bread with sweet cream inside. The bakery was self-serve and we noticed that each customer placed selections on a tray, carried it to the cash register counter where the young women packed each item into individual packets and took payment.

We flew to Japan from Seattle on Al Nippon Airways. The meals we had in flight were a clue of what to expect. Looking back now, I realize but did not yet appreciate the same attention to detail, presentation and cuisine. These photos I took of the in flight meals are a reminder: 

On the return flight, I was able to recognize the familiar layout and presentation, the chopsticks placed in the proper postion on the tray (or our cutlery similarly arranged at the lower end of the tray), the many smaller dishes for each food, and the traditional rice and miso soup. 

We arrived in Tokyo a day early to allow our bodies to get used to the time change. On that first evening before the start of the tour, we wandered in search of a restaurant in the Ginza area where our hotel was located. The many restuarants located in a large mall seemed a bit overwhelming and unfamiliar and after walking around to see what was available that also appeared recognizable, we settled on one restaurant. Thankfully the waiter could understand some English and helped us through the menu choices. 

One of the restaurants that we saw as we did the circuit, a Chinese restaurant, posted this sign outside together with their menu:

It sums up everything about Japanese cuisine. Not only are the Japanese masters at presentation and preparation, but the quality of their food is fresh and of high quality. This is true anywhere food is prepared and consumed, from the smallest stalls to the fanciest restaurants. The Japanese take great pride in their meals which are always prepared with the greatest care and best quality ingredients. And if healthy equals quality, then it follows that Chinese food in Japan must be healthy.

Here are a few more photos of the Japanese cuisine we enjoyed - it was a daily varied experience we looked forward to, so different from any other cuisine. And yes, we always used chopsticks to eat!

this dessert treat whcih looks like icecream is made
with bean paste