Traditional Japanese food was added to the list of intangible cultural treasures in 2013 at a meeting of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee. But even before that, it became well-known throughout the world. Its distinctiveness, which accounts for its remarkable popularity, is built on a few straightforward but efficient guidelines:
Maximum diversity and freshness of components.
The ambition is to find a balance of components that would highlight the unique natural characteristics of each product rather than trying to outdo nature by inventing new, fantastic flavors.
We are honoring the seasonality of food.
A diet that adheres to the ichiju-sansai philosophy and is healthful and balanced. It suggests that the main course should consist of rice, one soup, and three different types of snacks comprised of vegetables and protein-rich meals.
A direct relationship to customary holidays and the development of family bonds through shared meals.
The food of the Land of the Rising Sun is uncomplicated but astonishingly harmonious, delicate, delectable, and endlessly diversified. Its fundamental tenets were developed during the medieval Heian era and are followed today.
Eating in Japan
The five tastes of gomi—sweet, salty, spicy, sour, and bitter—must be represented in Japanese cuisine. But there is a sixth, unique flavor that the nation’s chefs are experts at bringing out: umami. It is a defining feature of many protein-based products and broths.
For a meal to be genuinely satisfying, it must please every sense. Because of this, the aesthetics and elegance of dish design and presentation are highly regarded. Seasonality is a notion that is used for both serving and the selection of ingredients for cooking. The tableware’s layout, color scheme, and shape are all carefully considered. It should be seasonally appropriate and complement the contents of the dishes that will be presented. In various arrangements, white, black, yellow, red, and green must all be present on the table. Additionally, the unique table manners, which call for the use of hash sticks, transform every meal into a sort of theatrical production.
Japanese food is widely regarded as an example of a healthy diet. Here, they only utilize the freshest and widest variety of components and are incredibly cautious about long-term storage items (excluding those fermented). The food must be prepared swiftly and, if feasible, with minimal heat exposure to preserve the maximum amount of flavor and nutritional value. Small quantities are offered at meals, and a wide variety of foods make you feel full. Every meal, even a little snack, is significant and ought to be enjoyable and healthy. This seemingly straightforward notion has elevated Japan’s culinary customs to a new level. This nation’s food is now a part of the global heritage and an inspiration to the top chefs on earth. One of the best reasons to travel to the Land of the Rising Sun is to get to know it.