JOIN USI had barely sat cross-legged on a tatami mat when Kenichi Takano of Japan National Tourism Organization folded his hands and muttered Itadakimasu. On the low table lay a traditional Japanese meal — sushi, sashimi, yakitori, udon noodles, a bowl of rice, wasabi paste, tempura and sukiyaki. Small morsels neatly stacked in ceramic bowls with a pair of chopsticks sitting lazily in a paper holder.
“Itadakimasu (I receive gratefully) is a before-meal prayer. We need to be thankful for the food and all the people involved in making it,” Kenichi explained. It sure was no ordinary meal; I was partaking in Washoku, the popular Japanese food culture, which has also found a place on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Food for the soul
In Takayama’s Suzuya restaurant, a personal stove stood on my table, topped with magnolia leaf, on which mushrooms and vegetables were simmering with a dash of miso. Before picking the chopstick, I picked up the food thoughts: never waste a grain of rice because 88 spirits live in every grain. The rice on the left, soup on the right and side dishes beyond. Drink the miso soup from the bowl. Slurping noodles is not bad manners. Eat sushi in one bite. Do not pour soy sauce over white cooked rice. At the end of the meal, return the dishes to how they were at the start of the meal. And say gochisosma, the after-meal gratitude.
That day in Takayama, a mighty meat-myth was dispelled — Japan has enough fare for vegetarians. If Japanese cuisine is not your food for soul, there are countless Indian restaurants all across the country. Having stirred the vegetables on a burning stove, I
realised that the Japanese cuisine is inherently healthy. The standard meal of rice and ichijusansai (soup, main dish plus two side dishes) has the prefect nutrition balance. The food culture is also deeply connected with the seasons and festivals — Omsiko (New Year’s eve), Setsubun (February, beginning of spring), Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival
in March), Tanabata (Star Festival in July) and Otsukimi (moon viewing in September).
Sushi, sashimi and yakitori were scrumptious, but I was getting gluttonous in Japan; I wanted to chew gold. Literally. And not a drop of sake, the local rice brew, had gone down my gullet. I wasn’t tipsy to crave for gold on my dinner plate. In Kanazawa, the prefecture famed for its art and craft, one can actually buy ice-cream sprinkled with gold shavings or dust. Gold flakes float in sake and one can buy cakes with a gold-leaf sheath. And if you really want to feel like an empress, buy a bottle of above 95% pure gold dust and do bottoms-up with a golden drink.
I am no princess to order gold for a meal, but I could certainly choose a pink fish or Hello Kitty for dessert. For that sugar moment, I stepped into Ishikawa Kanko Bussankan, a confectionery store in Kanazawa, for a lesson in making wagashi, a traditional Japanese sweet. On the second floor, a wrinkled man in white was rolling rice dough into beautiful shapes — sea urchin, fish, triangles, iris, little pink pumpkins. I pulled the chair, wiped my hand with a wet cloth, flattened the purple dough, added a layer of white dough topped with a pinch of yellow and tried rolling it into a perfect round. The old man’s hand moved like quicksilver while I fumbled, faltered and yet could not roll a perfect round. The man smiled forgivingly and taught how to wrap the ball in a wet cloth and twist. As I gingerly unwrapped the white cloth, off popped a purple sweet, twisted as if magically into a sugary delight. I whooped. I was no empress in Japan but I could surely be a wagashi-maker.
Things to know about Japanese cuisine
Busting some myths
Myth: Sushi pairs with sake.
Truth: Since sushi and sake are both made with rice, that’s too much of the same thing. You usually pair it with beer or green tea. I can’t recall seeing anyone eat sushi and sake in Japan.
Myth: Salmon’s a traditional sushi fish.
Truth: Salmon was not considered a
traditional sushi fish because it spoils
really quickly. It only rose to prominence after refrigeration became widespread in Japan.
Myth: Miso soup is an appetiser.
Truth: In Japan, miso is usually what you eat for breakfast.
Table manners
In some restaurant settings, particularly when you are sitting at a low table with a tatami mat, you may be required to remove your shoes. Never use chopsticks to pass food from one person to another.
It is considered impolite to point with your chopsticks or wave them around.
Don’t stick your chopsticks vertically into a bowl of rice, as this resembles the burning of incense at a Japanese funeral.
While eating sushi, one should take care that the rice coating is not dipped into the sauce. The rice will absorb the sauce and ruin the taste. The correct way is to dip only the tip of the sushi for good taste.
When you’re out at a bar or restaurant drinking with Japanese friends or business associates, it is customary for drinking companions to pour drinks for one another.
Japanese food has more to offer than sushi and sashimi dishes. Whenever you head to a Japanese restaurant, try something new — enjoy the rich, bold, mouthwatering flavours.
Kapil Sahi, executive chef, Fukusuke at Davanam Sarovar Portico Suites, Bengaluru