"No place I've ever been, or even heard about, is as guaranteed to cause stimulation in the deepest pleasure centers of a cook's brain. No cuisine, broadly speaking, makes as much sense: the simplest, cleanest, freshest elements of degustatory pleasure, stripped down and refined to their most essential." (Bourdain, 136) That is how celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain describes Japanese cuisine.  It is a cuisine that reflects both the culture and character of the Japanese people. It is based largely on tradition and structured very differently for formal and informal dinners. The Japanese eat very different than do western cultures and utilize very different staple ingredients.

The Japanese generally eat three main meals per day. Breakfast is usually either a bowl of steaming rice to which a raw egg is added, or misoshiru, a thick soup made from bean paste. Lunch is generally consumed in a restaurant or snack bar. Dinner is frequently enjoyed at a restaurant or at home.

The basic meal served in a home is known as "iccuju sansai or soup and three" (Booth, 34)  This means a soup for a starter and three main dishes, plus  white rice and pickled vegetables. The three dishes are each prepared in a different cooking style.  The main styles used by the Japanese are:

  • yakimono (grilled)
  • mushimono (steamed)
  • nimono (simmered),
  • agemono (deep fried)
  • itamemono (sauteed)
  • sunomono (vinegared)
  • aemono (dressed salad).

Kaiseki Ryouri is the Japanese formal cuisine. It was created to accompany Chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony. It can be said that Kaiseki Ryori is the ultimate Japanese cuisine.  It is prepared by the most skilled and artistic chefs. Kaiseki Ryori uses the freshest ingredients of the season and is prepared in ways that enhance the original taste of the ingredients. Each dish is seasoned and presented beautifully in fancy dinnerware. Items from nature, such as tree leaves and flowers, often accompany the dish. Kaiseki Ryori was originally vegetarian, but the modern Kaiseki meal may include meat and seafood.

Japanese people go to a Kaiseki restaurant to celebrate special occasions. If they have special guests to entertain, Kaiseki Ryori is a good choice. Kaiseki is a meal of many small courses: steamed dishes, simmered dishes, and grilled dishes. A typical Kaiseki meal includes:

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shiizakana (appetizers eaten with sake)                        mukouzuke (mainly sashimi)

kuchitori (side dish)                                         suimono (soup)

 nimono (simmered dish)                                        aemono (Dishes dressed with sauce)

 kounomono (pickles)                                        hassun (morsels from the mountains )

sunomono (vinegared dish)                                yakimono (broiled fish)

 mushimono (steamed dish)                                 nabemono (pot dish)

 rice                                                        miso soup

dessert (eg. ice cream).

Although each dish holds only a small serving, it is customary to take your time  eating, enjoying the presentation of the food and the atmosphere of the room. Most Kaiseki restaurants are high class and formal. The Kaiseki Ryori meal is usually expensive, since it takes so much time and skill to prepare. If ...

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