Features, in seasonal format, the style of cooking that began as tea ceremony accompaniment and developed into the highest form of Japanese cuisine. This book explains the history and the components of kaiseki cuisine, the ingredients, preparation methods and the philosophy behind the dish. It also explains how the cuisine changed over the years. Kaiseki is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate, and chef Murata's Kaiseki' is at once a cookbook and a work of art. This sumptuously illustrated volume features - in seasonal format - the style of cooking that began'
Kaiseki, the cooking associated with the tea ceremony, is Japan's most sublime cuisine. Every effort is made to perfectly accommodate aroma, flavor, color, texture & serving ware to the season, guests & occasion. The techniques & principles that enable one to create a sense of harmony through a meal are given in this book.
"Through his innovative approach to cooking, Kunio Tokuoka reinvents the classic dishes of Kaiseki without deviating from the extraordinary history and tradition of Japanese cuisine. In this book, he shares the inspiration behind his dishes with reference to the seasons, art, natural history and culture of Japan and through the exquisite photographs, he gives a glimpse of the beauty and creativity of his extraordinary restaurant." --Heston Blumenthal, Chef de Cuisine/Owner, The Fat Duck restaurant Kaiseki had its origins in the sixteenth century as an accompaniment to the Japanese tea ceremony. Over time, it has evolved into a highly formalized, artistic cuisine that celebrates the seasons by using only fresh, natural, local ingredients. Today, what we know as "kaiseki" owes much to Teiichi Yuki, founder of Kitcho restaurant in Kyoto and the creator of a contemporary version of this traditional cuisine. Kitcho continues to be world-renowned as the high temple of kaiseki; and its current chef and owner (and Yuki's grandson), Kunio Tokuoka, is revered for his innovative and exquisite interpretations of kaiseki dishes. Now, with this book, readers will get a look behind the well-guarded doors at the secrets, recipes, presentation techniques, and philosophy of one of the world's premiere restaurants. Chef Tokuoka stands at the top of his profession. Yet his approach to cooking is remarkably simple. How can he draw the best flavors for a hearty stock? How can he cook a fish dish so that it becomes a transforming experience for even the most jaded diner? Answer: Simply by finding the optimum way to prepare or cook each ingredient so as to draw out peak flavor. Over and over again, he demonstrates how he has reinvented an old technique or created new dishes to astonish loyal patrons. At Kitcho, a full-course meal is a multisensory experience to be savored on many levels. It can be a revelation. It can change the way people think about food. This book will do the same. From innovative cooking techniques to an artist's touch in food arrangement, Kitcho: Japan's Ultimate Dining Experience reveals every aspect of entertaining in the Japanese mode through brilliant photography; the chef's recipe notes; and essays on cooking, food arrangement, Japanese aesthetics, food philosophy, and the exquisite Japanese art of entertaining at the table, penned by Nobuko Sugimoto, one of Japan's leading food writers.
Cuisines in Japan have an ideological dimension that cannot be ignored. In 2013, ‘traditional Japanese dietary cultures’ (washoku) was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Washoku’s predecessor was “national people’s cuisine,” an attempt during World War II to create a uniform diet for all citizens. Japan’s Cuisines reveals the great diversity of Japanese cuisine and explains how Japan’s modern food culture arose through the direction of private and public institutions. Readers discover how tea came to be portrayed as the origin of Japanese cuisine, how lunch became a gourmet meal, and how regions on Japan’s periphery are reasserting their distinct food cultures. From wartime foodstuffs to modern diets, this fascinating book shows how the cuisine from the land of the rising sun shapes national, local, and personal identity.
Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee! Niki Nakayama: A Chef's Tale in 13 Bites is a picture book biography that tells the story of the powerhouse female Japanese-American chef and her rise to fame As a child and adult, Niki faced many naysayers in her pursuit of haute cuisine. Using the structure of a traditional kaiseki meal, the authors Debbi Michiko Florence and Jamie Michalak playfully detail Niki's hunger for success in thirteen "bites" — from wonton wrappers she used to make pizza as a kid to yuzu-tomatillo sauce in her own upscale Los Angeles Michelin-starred restaurant, n/naka. To anyone who tells her a woman can't be a master chef, Niki lets her food do the talking. And oh, does it talk. Niki was featured on the first season of Netflix's culinary documentary series Chef's Table. And Chrissy Teigen proclaimed that Niki's restaurant was one of her absolute favorites. She's currently a featured teacher on MasterClass. A smart, strong woman with starpower, Niki is only just getting started — like the young readers who will devour this book, featuring illustrations by Yuko Jones!
"Katarzyna Cwiertka shows that key shifts in the Japanese diet were, in many cases, a consequence of modern imperialism. Exploring reforms in home cooking and military catering, wartime food management and the rise of urban gastronomy, she reveals how Japan's pre-modern culinary diversity was eventually replaced by a truly 'national' cuisine - a set of foods and practices with which the majority of Japanese today ardently identify." "The result of more than a decade of research, Modern Japanese Cuisine is a look at the historical roots of one of the world's best cuisines. It includes additional information on the influx of Japanese food and restaurants in Western countries, and how in turn these developments have informed our view of Japanese cuisine. This book is appetizing reading for all those interested in Japanese culture and its influences."--BOOK JACKET.
Spanning nearly six hundred years of Japanese food culture, Japanese Foodways, Past and Present considers the production, consumption, and circulation of Japanese foods from the mid-fifteenth century to the present day in contexts that are political, economic, cultural, social, and religious. Diverse contributors--including anthropologists, historians, sociologists, a tea master, and a chef--address a range of issues such as medieval banquet cuisine, the tea ceremony, table manners, cookbooks in modern times, food during the U.S. occupation period, eating and dining out during wartimes, the role of heirloom vegetables in the revitalization of rural areas, children's lunches, and the gentrification of blue-collar foods. Framed by two reoccurring themes--food in relation to place and food in relation to status--the collection considers the complicated relationships between the globalization of foodways and the integrity of national identity through eating habits. Focusing on the consumption of Western foods, heirloom foods, once-taboo foods, and contemporary Japanese cuisines, Japanese Foodways, Past and Present shows how Japanese concerns for and consumption of food has relevance and resonance with other foodways around the world. Contributors are Stephanie Assmann, Gary Soka Cadwallader, Katarzyna Cwiertka, Satomi Fukutomi, Shoko Higashiyotsuyanagi, Joseph R. Justice, Michael Kinski, Barak Kushner, Bridget Love, Joji Nozawa, Tomoko Onabe, Eric C. Rath, Akira Shimizu, George Solt, David E. Wells, and Miho Yasuhara.
Drawing on ethical and sociological theories of food, this book presents a new approach to food education that moves beyond nutrition-centred education. Food education has gained increasing scientific and political importance in many countries as a promising way to change contemporary eating. However, many practices fail to address two epistemological obstacles regarding its very components – ‘food’ and ‘education’. Food has largely been thought of from a nutritionistic viewpoint alone and the ethical issues over children’s freedom of choice and well-being have been absent. This book resolves these problems by applying ethical and sociological theories of food and analysing food education in two pioneering countries: Japan and France. The book focuses on taste education and gastronomy as two key concepts which have great potential to positively impact food education. Taste education is a promising alternative to nutrition-centred pedagogy which foregrounds the experience and pleasure of eating food, creating an environment for taste sensibility and food curiosity. From taste education, the picture can be broadened to examine the role and impact of gastronomy in food education. Examining the cultural traditions of France and Japan reveals how gastronomy can impact eating habits and food cultures and how these criteria should be an intrinsic part of food education. The book concludes by constructing an integrative theory for food education that moves beyond nutrition-centred education for the benefit of one’s well-being. This book will greatly interest students, scholars, policymakers and educators working on food education, food-related issues at the intersection between nutritional and social sciences, and ‘gastronomes’ searching for a pedagogical guide for developing their capabilities to eat in a more humanistic way.
This comprehensive guide to Japanese cuisine explores the rich history and philosophy behind Washoku, highlighting key ingredients, seasonings, and essential cooking techniques. From knife skills and various cooking methods to detailed instructions on preparing rice and other grains, this book provides a thorough understanding of traditional and modern Japanese cooking. It covers a wide range of dishes including sushi, sashimi, yakitori, ramen, and more, along with insights into kaiseki and street foods. Special sections focus on kitchen layout, cookware, and dietary considerations such as vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Additionally, the book delves into menu planning, seasonal ingredients, and contemporary trends in Japanese culinary arts.
