Table Of ContentPublishbeyPd e ripEludsi tiwointseh d itoorfifailac te s
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Copyri©g h2t0 05P eirpluEsd iti(oHnKsL )t d
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ISBN-01:4 -80530-013 -0
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Alrle cipweesr et estiendt heP eripTleussKt i tchen.
photcor ediAtlsfl:o opdh otograbpyhH ye invzo nH olzen
exceptth ef ollowpiangge:1 2b yB enS immonsp;a ge1 0
byD all&a sJ ohnH eatopna;g e4s and9 byE riOce y;
page7 byP hotobank.
PrintienSd i ngapore.
10 09 08
6 5 4 3 2
Contents Shnmp and Bamboo Shoots tn Clear Baked Scallops wtth Mtso in an Orange
Broth 44 Cup 85
Gnlled Eggplant and Shnmp wtth Mtso Baked Scallops and Mushrooms tn an
Sauce 44 Apple 86
Food in Japan 5 Vegetables Stmmered tn Dasht and Gnlled Fish Rolls stuffed With Burdock 86
Bitter Sweet 7 Sake 47
A Portable Feast 9 Ftsh Mannated wtth Kelp 48 Meat and Poultry
Eating and Cooking Japanese Style 13 Ftsh Tempura tn Clear Dasht Broth 48 Chtcken Rolls wtth Sour Plum 89
Authentic Japanese Ingredients 16 Golden Cuttlefish 50 Chtcken Wtngs and Potatoes Bratsed
Japanese Seafood Varieties 20 Cnspy Seasoned Whttebatt 50 m Gtnger and Soy 89
Duck or Chtcken Dumplings and Tofu Fned Pork Cutlets on Rtce 90
Soup Stocks tn Clear Broth 53 Pork S!lr-fned wtth Gtnger and
Baste Dasht Stock 23 Crispy Stuffed Lotus Root 53 Vegetables 90
Cold Soba Dasht Broth 23 Cold Soba Noodles With Assorted Seasoned Chtcken Loaf 92
Topptngs 54 Chtcken Wlth Asparagus 92
Sauces and Batters Hot Soba Noodle Soup With Tempura 56 Stmmered Duck or Pork with
Sashimt Soy Dtp 25 Rtce wtth Green Tea and Wasabt 56 Vegetables 94
Chtcken Yakttori Glaze 24 Cold Dasht Custard Tofu 99 Strlotn Steak Tenyakt 97
Sesame Dtpptng Sauce 24 Stuffed Lotus Root and Eggplant
Ponzu Dtpptng Sauce 24 Sushi and Sashimi Tempura 97
Terryakt Sauce 24 Susht Rice 25 Seared Tatakt Beef 99
Suktyakt Sauce 24 Assorted Sashtmt 58
Tempura Batter 25 Rolled Susht 61 Hotpots
Japanese Mayonnatse 25 Susht Rice wtth Assorted Topptngs 61 Suktyakt 10 0
Tosa Vmegar 24 Mtxed Rolled Susht 62 Oyster and Mtso Hotpot 101
Sweet Vtnegar 24 Fresh Shellftsh Sashtmi 64 Shabu-Shabu 102
Beef Susht 64 Mtxed Seafood Hotp ot 103
Pickles Seared Tatakt Bonito with Tangy
Pickled Eggplant 26 Dressing 66 Desserts
Ptckled Gtnger 26 Pressed Mackerel Susht 67 Green Tea Ice Cream 104
Ptckled Cabbage, Carrot and Tomato Cognac Sorbet 104
Cucumber 26 Seafood Red Bean Pancakes 10 7
Daikon Ptckled in Miso 26 Shnmp Stmmered tn Sake 69 Sweetened Azukt Bean Paste 10 7
Garlic Ptckled tn Mtso 26 Steamed Ftsh wtth Noodles tn Clear Jellied Plums 107
Shtba-zuke Ptckles 26 Broth 69 Lily Bulb Dumplings 108
Steamed Seabass wtth Vegetables 71 Cherry Blossom Dumplings 108
Appetizers, Soups and Noodles Stmmered Ftsh tn a Light Datkon
Mixed Chtcken and Vegetable Yakiton 28 Broth 71 Measurements and conversions 11 0
Braised Burdock and Carrot 31 Tuna and Datkon Stmmered tn Sake Index of recipes 111
Gnlled Bean Curd Topped With Mtso 31 and Soy 72 Mail-order/online sources 112
Stmmered Butternut Squash or Steamed Egg Custard Cups With
Pumpktn 33 Shnmp, Chtcken and Mushrooms 72
Green Bean Salad wtth Tart Sesame Gnlled Red Snapper 7 4
Dressing 33 Abalone Stmmered in Sake and
Sptnach wtth Sesame Sauce 34 Gtnger 74
Seaweed and Cucumber Salad 34 Salmon Tofu Fntters 77
Gnlled Eggplant Salad wtth Gtnger and Shutake Mushrooms Stuffed
Bontto Flakes 36 wtth Shnmp 77
Mixed Gnlled Seafood Appettzer 36 Crunchy Almond Shrimp 79
Fresh Seared Tuna wtth Seaweed and Deep-fried Cnspy Whitebait
Cucumber Salad 39 79
Datkon and Carrot Salad With Sweet Baked Tuna Seasoned wtth Mtso.
Vinegar Dressmg 39 Gtnger and Kelp 80
Mtso Soup With Mushrooms 41 Gnlled Miso Cod 80
Rtce wtth Wtld Vegetables and Barbequed Eel 83
Mushrooms 41 Gnlled Clams wtth Miso and
Rtce Parcels 42 Mushrooms 83
Mtso Soup wtth Clams 42 Gnlled Whole Ftsh wtth Salt 85
Food in Japan
A cu1s1ne des1gned for all the senses
More than any other cutstne tn the world, Japanese food tS The Evolution of Japanese Cuisine
a complete aesthetic experience-a delight for the eyes, the Japanese cutstne today is the result of two millenn~a of
nose and the palate The des~re to enhance rather than to culinary tnfluences tmported from the outstde world, reftned
alter the essential qualrty of fresh seasonal tngredtents results and adapted to reflect local preferences tn taste and pres-
1n a cutsme that tS untque. a tnbute to nature and to man entation. resultmg tn a style that is uniquely Japanese
who. after all. produced the exqutstte tableware on whtch Rtce cultivation. believed to have come from Chtna.
the food ts presented
began tn Japan around 300 a.c . Rtce was used as a form
Japanese restaurants abroad were once frequented of tnbute and taxation unttl the early 20th century, and 11
largely by homestck Japanese tourists or bustnessmen became a rare luxury for the farmers who produced tl-
longtng for a taste of home. Over the past few decades, they had to survtve on barley, buckwheat and other gratns
however. Japanese cutstne has earned an tnternattonal Meat and milk were part of the Japanese dtet until the
folloWing and tnsptred the presentation of French nouvelle late 7th century When Buddhtsm emerged as an tmportant
cu1sme as well as a wave of Japanese-influenced dtshes force tn the natton, restricttons were placed on meat con-
from Paris to San Francisco to Sydney As palates become sumption In the 8th century. meat-eattng was offictally
more adventurous and as health-conscious dtners seek prohtbtled and the forerunner of today's susht appeared
foods that are low tn fat and sugar and make Wide use of Chmese tnfluence on Japanese cutstne continued to be
soy beans and vegetables. Japanese food ts becomtng strong for the next three centunes. It was from Chtna that
increasingly popular and Japanese tngredients are now Japan learned the art of makmg bean curd, and how to
easter to obtatn tnternattonally
use chopsticks Chtna was also the ongtn of soy sauce
Surrounded by seas, the Japanese have made the bounty satd to have come from the Astan matnland tn the 8th or
of the sea a vttal part of thetr dtet, eating a vanety of sea- 9th century, although today's Japanese-style soy sauce tS
weed as well as many different ftsh and shellftsh. The basic a product of the 15th century Tea was first tntroduced from
stock of Japanese cutstne. dash1. ts redolent of the sea, Chtna 1n the 9th century, but gradually faded from use only
betng made from dned kelp (konbu) and dned bonito flakes to be retntroduced by a Zen pnest tn the late 12th century
There is a Japanese saymg that a meal should always
tnclude "somethtng from the mountain and something from
the sea • The mountatn betng represented by a range of BE""' rAr •E.earrelyo blleacaQk~lars tb aotx a c otrra.·dai:tnl(m)llCg lls•orne oona tlhoea sdlso plheast oalr eM 5oeufVnte cFlu
seasonal vegetables together With the staple, nee Poultry ounng lhe I rst week ol the new yea~
and meat are also eaten, although these are less tmportant
than the humble soy bean. whtch appears as nutritionally
rich bean curd (tofu). as mtso. fermented soy bean paste
used for soups and seasontng, and tn the form of the
ubtquttous soy sauce
A number of factors come together to form the matn
elements of Japanese cutstne Seasonal and regional
spectalltes set the overall tone for the meal Hlstoncal
tnfluences can be seen 1n the chotce of foods, preparatton
techntques and the custom of eating certatn foods at
certatn limes of the year. The presentation of food is of
paramount tmportance, Wllh great care gtven to delatl,
color, form and balance. The food provtdes a showcase
for the Japanese arts of porcelatn, ceramtcs. basketware.
lacquer and bamboo
The secret to prepanng Japanese cutstne at home tS
an understandtng of a few very stmple tngredtents and
of how a meal tS composed, the culinary methods used
are actually very easy to master But the most tmportant
reqUirement of all ts stmply a love for good food prepared
and presented wtlh a sense of harmony
Food tn Japan 5
In the Heian Period (794 1185). Japan's distinctive Buddhist temple fare), heavily Influenced by Chinese
style of cu1s1ne began to develop The cap1tal was moved Buddh1st temple cooking, features small port1ons of a Wide
from Nara to Kyoto and the thnvmg anstocracy had the vanety of vegetanan foods prepared usmg one of the five
t1me to 1ndulge 1ts 1nterests 1n art. literature. poetry, fine standard cook1ng methods Shopn ryori gUidelines mclude
cu1s1ne and elaborate games and pastimes Elegant dining plac1ng emphaSIS on food of f1ve colors (green. red. yellow.
became an important part of the lifestyle and the anstocracy white and black-purple) and six tastes (b11ter. sour. sweet.
were not only gourmets but gourmands who supplemented hot. salty and delicate) It was an exlremely 1mportant cull-
their regular two meals a day w1th numerous between-meal nary 1nfluence dunng 1ts lime and this emphas1s on certa1n
snacks Today. kyo ryori. the cu1s1ne of Kyoto. represents tastes. colors and cooking techn1ques lives on today. Shopn
the ultimate 1n Japanese d1n1ng Th1s IS exemplified by ryoo also led to the development of cha kaiseki, food served
ka1sek1 wh1ch features an assortment of carefully prepared before the tea ceremony, 1n the m1d-l6th century
and exqu1s1tely presented dehcac1es. Japan's trade w1th the outs1de world from the 14th to
In 1885. the government moved to Kamakura where 16th centuries brought many new Influences. Kabocha. the
the more austere samura1 lifestyle and Zen Buddh1sm fos- much-loved, green-skinned pumpkin, was Introduced via
tered a healthier. s1mpler cu1s1ne Shopn ryoo (vegetanan Southeast As1a by the Portuguese 1n the 16th century The
6
Bitter Sweet
Few things are as QUintessentially Japanese
as the ritual tea ceremony wh1ch, for the
non-Japanese, seems to encapsulate all of
the mysteque, d1sopl1ne and refinement of
Japanese culture. Cha-no-yu, the Wflf of Tea,
began n the 15th century and 1n its early
form, placed much emphasis on displaying
and adm1nng imported Chinese art objects
The Way of Tea gave nse to two of the
more interesting aspects of Japanese cue-
Sine cha kaiselci, Japanese haute CUISine
designed to be served as a light meal before
a tea ceremony, and wagasht, traditional
Japanese sweets which became an Impor-
tant accessory to the tea ceremony from the
mid-16th century on ~ today very
from the rather light treats enjoyed with a cup
of pale green tea in the afternoon to the
exquiSitely deliCate and often extremely sug-
ary wagashi offered to neutraliZe the bitter
taste of the I'J(M'dered green tea J8fT1 and wrapped in a cherry tree leaf 18 pop& cUing
Kanlen an agar agar-based gelatin, IS an Important spnng time Kashlwa moeN a similar cake wrapped In an
1ngredeent 1n the sweets When made Into a jelly, kanten Is oak leaf, Is eaten In May Auturm foliage • replicaled in
a pliable sculpting material In the hands of a skilled crafts- October and snow-capped rncu1t8in dalllcJ18 take over In
man who can swiftly carve a pale purple portiOn of kanten wint• In JnJary, the Oriental zoc:lac ....... tor ..., ..
into a beautiful hydrangea 111 full bloom n spnng, or aeate makes .. appearance
goldfish afloal1n a cool sea of jellied kanten 1n summer A visit to a tracltional Japanaaa sweet ahop II Indeed a
Due to their assoceat100 with the tea ceremony and the treat for the eyes as well as the stomach
ancient anstocracy wagashi sometimes bear names that
allude to the literaue and poetry of the distant past
Although there are some standard favorites &vallable
all year-round, most wagashi makers vary their products
according to the changing seasons Sakura mocht, a soft
nee dumpling tinted cherry blossom ptnk, filled with bean
Dutch followed a century later and Introduced corn. pota- to pursue 1ts sophlsllcated tastes 1n food and the arts grad-
toes and sweet potatoes European cook1ng techniques ually arose. Noodle restaurants proliferated during th1s
created some 1nterest and developed 1nto what came penod and mgm-zush1 (seasoned nee wrapped 1n toasted
to be known 1n Japan as the cook1ng of the southern seaweed) was 1nvented
Barbanans or nanban ryon It IS from the Portuguese pao The MelJI Penod (1868 1912) marked the return of con-
that Japan denved 1ts word for bread. pan The Portuguese tact w1th the outside world In the late 19th century, beef
are credited w1th introduc1ng tempura (batter-fned foods) was aga1n allowed on the menu. and the early 20th century
as well as the popular cake. kasutera (caslllla) The culinary brought grow1ng interest 1n fore1gn treats such as bread
cross-cultural commun•callon was not ent~rely one-s•ded- curry. 1ce cream. cottee and croquettes
the Dutch are rumored to have taken soy sauce back to In the postwar penod punsts have decned the decline
Europe w1th them of Japanese home cook1ng Clllng the electnc nee cooker,
Dunng the Edo Penod (1603-1857). Japan underwent 1nstant noodles in styrofoam cups. 1nstant m1so soup, pow-
almost three centunes of self-1mposed seclus•on from the dered dash1 stock and ready-made p1ckllng preparallons
outs1de world The nallon looked 1nward- and a h1ghly that prov1de "homemade" piCkles m m1nutes Yet the
rehned and very prosperous merchant class w1th the cash numerous cooking programs on Japanese televiSIOn and
Food tn Japan 7
the number of cookbooks 1n the bookstores confirm that Nagoya, located halfway between Tokyo and Kyoto. 1s
modern Japanese are sllll very much Interested in the known for 1ts flat udon noodles and wro. a sweet rice Jelly
preparation of good food. Pilgnms VISiting the Buddhist temples on Sh1koku Island
The Japanese des1re to adapt outs1de 1nfluences to would be sure to try the Island's famous Sanuki udon noo-
local tastes has never waned and has produced such dles, fresh sard1nes and mandarin oranges Kyushu Island
un1que blendmgs of East and West as green tea 1ce cream, IS known for 1ts tea. frUits and seafood products, and for the
seaweed-flavored potato ch1ps and cod roe spaghetti And Chmese and Western culinary Influences that developed
deep 1s the shock of the v1s1tor to Japan who b1tes 1nto a because of Nagasaki's role as a center of trade w1th the
frozen chocolate-colored ice cream. only to d1scover he outs1de world. V1s1tors to Nagasaki make 11 a po1nt to taste
has bought an azukt or red bean bar instead. its kasutera sponge cake, which is said to be as authenti-
cally rich as those made 1n Spa1n.
Regional Cooking Styles On the subtrop1cal Islands of Ok1nawa. d1shes featunng
The extremes 1n Japan's climate-from the very cold north- pork are favored Sweets made w1th raw sugar. p1neapples
ern 1sland of Hokka1do to the subtrop1cal ISlands of Ok1nawa and papaya are also popular. as are several powerful local
-result 1n a range of reg1onal cu1s1nes that are as d1verse dnnks. for example, awamori, made from sweet potatoes, as
as the land 1tself. well as habu sake. a type of liquor that comes complete
In Hokka1do. w1th its wide open spaces and climate that w1th a deadly habu snake coiled ins1de the bottle.
IS not conducive to nee cultivation. people have acqu1red a
taste for potatoes corn, da1ry products, barbecued meats A Food for All Seasons
and salmon. Thelf spec1al vers1on of Chmese noodles. called One sinking aspect of Japanese cu1s1ne IS the emphas1s
Sapporo ramen, IS often seNed With a dab of butter. Seafood on seasonal cu1s1ne Every food has 1ts appropnate season.
o-nabe (one-pot stews) featunng crab. scallops and salmon ensuring that Japanese tastes are 1n harmony with nature.
are also a spec1alty of the region. and that the 1ngred1ents are the freshest poss1ble.
There is a great difference 1n the food preferences of Conno1sseurs delight in the flfst appearance of any
the residents of the eastern Kanto reg1on (centered around seasonal spec1ality, and are eager to partake of the first
Tokyo and Yokohama) and the western Kansa1 reg1on (Kyoto. bon1to f1sh or new green tea 1n spnng, or the hrst mackerel
Osaka and enwons) In the Kansa1 area, fermented soy or matsutake mushrooms in autumn
bean soup, or m1so. IS almost while compared w1th the The Japanese year IS filled With holidays and fesllv111es
darker brown and red m1so favored 1n the Kanto reg1on that requiTe spec1al seasonal delicac1es. appropriate sweets
Eastern and western Japan are also d1v1ded by diffenng and sweet sake for the Doll Festival part1es held for little
tastes in sush1, sweets and pickles The Kyoto area 1s lden- glfls on March 3rd and rice dumplings for moon-v1ewing
llhed with the light, delicately flavored CUISine of the anc1ent part1es 1n September
court-true haute cu1s1ne-and many 1n western Japan feel The most Important of seasonal d1n1ng specialit1es IS
TokyOites are a little heavy handed w1th the soy sauce osechi ryon, the spec1al foods that are seNed dunng the
flfst week of the new year Dozens of 1tems are decorat1vely
arranged 1n tiered lacquer boxes. wh1ch are brought out
again and again over the first few days of the new year.
prov1ding housew1ves a little resp1te from the non-stop
eat1ng (and seN1ng) that marks the holiday Customs vary
from home to home and reg1on to reg1on. but the typ1cal
New Year foods usually 1nclude kamaboko f1sh sausages
bearing ausp1C1ous bamboo, plum and pme designs, konbu
seaweed rolls lied 1nto bows w1th dned gourd stnps. bo1led
black beans, chestnuts in a sticky sweet potato paste, her-
nng roe. shredded carrot and while rad1sh 1n sweet vtnegared
dress1ng and p1ckled lotus root Vegetables such as shutake
mushrooms, rad1shes. lotus root. carrots and burdock are
boiled 1n a soy sauce and dasht broth The savory steamed
egg custard known as chawan-musht IS also often eaten
at this time.
Marry Japanese musnroom var~~?toes SUCh as enoki'.ake and
Sho!ake are 1"011 W10Ciy avcuatJJe OLtSide Japan Other vall!? oes
as marsJ"ake are rTlOfe eso•enc ana cny rroke o ra appearance .n
Japanese speoa :y stores
8
A Portable Feast local touch that has made Takasaki's ekiben famous
nat1onwide For many travelers to Japan, tast1ng all the
different local ekiben alorlQ the1r route IS no less than a
The o-bento or box lunch 1s a Japanese 1nst1tut1on wh1ch vital part of the tnp.
conSists of while nee and an assortment of tiny helplllQS
of meat. fish, vegetables. egg, fruit and a pickled plum
(umebosh1), all arranged 1n a small rectangular box.
The pickled plum IS believed to aid d1gest1on and IS a
method of keeping the nee from spot11ng If other 1ngredtents
are not ava~lable. an o-bento may cons1st only of a red
piCkled plum planted 1n the center of a f1eld of while nee,
th1s IS called a Hmomaru bento or "Ris1ng Sun flag lunch •
Since only small portiOns of each food are 1ncluded and
a well-balanced vanety of foods IS necessary, prepanng a
proper o-bento can be a t1me-consum1ng ntual As Wtth
almost all Japanese dishes, attention to detail and attrac-
ttve presentation are paramount
A homemade o-bento 1s considered a tar'1Q1ble symbol
of a Wtfe s or mother's love and devotiOn. A young hus-
band may be embarrassed by the t1me and tender lov1ng
care devoted to the preparat1on of the lunch box known as
the 8/Sal bento ("loving wife's lunch") and be hesitant to eat
it 1n front of colleagues. Children. less eas1ly 1nt1m1dated.
glory and gloat over their lunch boxes. They compare and
trade deltcacles, demonstrating a sense of security and
pride 1n the love of a mother who Wtll wake at 5 A.M. to fry
chicken t1dbits, make rectarlQular omelets. and create
panda bear and beagle faces out of seaweed and vegetables.
The most famous of the commerc1ally made o-bento
are the ekiben, the box lunches available at most of the
natiOn's tra~n stat1ons. These vary greatly from one area of
the country to another and are considered to be an impor-
tant way of promoting regtOnal dellcac1es, customs and
crafts In Takasak1, Gunma Prefecture, a reg1on known for
its doll-making 1ndustry, the lunch boxes are sold 1n little
red plastic bowls shaped like a Daruma doll, the plastic
cover resembling the face of the Daruma It IS a dist1nct1ve
The staple accompan1ment for these d1shes is o-mochi, short not1ce throughout the year whenever some spec1al
wh1ch are nee cakes that can be gnlled or boiled 1n a soup occas1on anses
known as o-zom 0-zom and o-mochi are trad1t1onally served Past1mes and events 1n the trad11tonal Japanese calen-
on New Year's morn1ng These chewy treats must be eaten der are Intimately linked to the related foods of the season,
carefully, for each year several elderly d1ners choke to death ennch1ng and celebrating the da11y rhythm of life Fru1ts and
on the1r New Year o-moch1 vegetables are eaten at the he1ght of the1r season. or the1r
Once. all Japanese families made the1r own nee cakes. shun and some f1ne restaurateurs keep thetr ears on the
but now 11 IS a trad11ton that IS ch1efly ma1nta1ned 1n the ground for the latest news or s1ghttng of the freshest sea-
countryside Moch1-gome. a spec1al type of glut1nous nee. sonal foods-thiS never rema1ns a secret for long. Japanese
IS prepared and molded-while 111s sttll hot- 1nto a ball culture cont1nues to be fed by the produce from the forest
and placed 1n a large round wooden mortar where the nee seas and f1elds, prepared skillfully, tastefully and s1mply
IS pounded rhythmically. The f1nal product IS rolled out 1nto Cherry blossoms s1gnalthe com1ng of spnng, and 1n
a flat cake and cut 1nto rectangular p1eces In present-day top Japanese restaurants, d1ners may be served a cup of
Japan. housew1ves hv1ng 1n the countryside freeze some cherry blossom tea wtlh several delicate blossoms float1ng
of these spec1al cakes so that they can be defrosted at 1n the clear slightly salty beverage. Cherry blossom VIewing
Food 1n Japan 9
