Japan

Kyoto, Japan's thousand-year-old capital, has a rich and wonderful culinary culture that has won many accolades for its seasonality, cuisine, utensils, environment and culture. The charm of Kyoto is not only in the scenery, but also in the tip of the tongue.

Among the many Kyoto cuisines, the best is Kaiseki cuisine. The so-called "Kaiseki", from the Zendo, meaning the act of putting a stone between the chest, because in a long time listening to Zen not to eat, Zen monks embracing the warm stone, in order to reduce the feeling of emptiness in the abdomen. Kaiseki cuisine originated from the Japanese tea ceremony, in order to avoid the discomfort brought by tea on an empty stomach, Chiriku, who is known as the "Saint of Tea", created "Chakka Kaiseki", which is a dish prepared by the host for the guests before the tea ceremony. Today, Kaiseki cuisine is no longer limited to the tea ceremony, but has become one of the most prestigious and common upscale dishes in Japan, and despite the fast-paced nature of modern life, it still maintains a sense of elegance and Zen-like rituals.

Kaiseki is one of the three major traditional Japanese cuisines, along with Kaiseki and Honzen, and there is a difference between the three. Kaiseki cuisine, such as tea, pay attention to the elegant mood and spiritual appeal; Kaiseki cuisine gradually stripped of the tea ceremony, is a banquet cuisine centered on wine, accompanied by song and dance, the pursuit of a warm atmosphere; meals can be said to be the most basic, the most authentic form of Japanese cuisine, pay more attention to the sense of ceremony, only in the wedding and funeral formal occasions can be seen in the menu, dining etiquette, clothing, etc. There are strict rules.

Kaiseki cuisine is not only a set of exquisite meals, but also a very Zen, strict and solemn food culture. Kaiseki cuisine restaurants are mostly based on traditional Japanese architecture, the environment is beautiful and secluded, can be described as "hidden in the city", with a mysterious atmosphere. Ceremony and service are also important aspects of Kaiseki cuisine, and many Kaiseki restaurants will make preparations for their guests before the meal, including clean slippers, warm towels, and labeling of the origin of the food, so that the guests can fully feel their unique sense of ceremony. Before the meal, to show respect for the food and the chef, guests need to say "I'm going to start", a scene often seen in the cartoon "Crayon Shin-chan", and after the meal, you need to thank and praise the restaurant, the waiter and the food.

Kaiseki cuisine is particularly respectful of the changing seasons, emphasizing the natural alignment of ingredients with the seasons. As the seasons change, the food presents different colors and flavors, Kaiseki cuisine is best at capturing the beauty of the food color, fresh taste, spring of the vibrant, summer of the lightness of the beauty of the autumn of the fullness of the heavy, winter of the subtle cold, showing the original taste of the ingredients, Kaiseki cuisine restaurants usually update the menu according to the seasons, the utensils are very much concerned about the elements of the season, the spring and summer is appropriate to use the cool glass and porcelain, light and transparent, autumn and winter are changed to warmer tones, and the seasons are also very important. In the fall and winter, they change to pottery with warm tones and heavy texture. Kaiseki cuisine brings people the feeling of seasonal food awakening, but also back to the simple flavor of nature.

The original form of kaiseki cuisine was "one sauce, three dishes", which meant one soup, one sashimi, one boiled dish, and one fried or grilled dish. Today's kaiseki cuisine can be simple or complex, on the basis of the upgrading of specifications, large and small can be more than ten dishes, the order and rhythm of serving is also very careful, usually from the pre-dinner appetizer first pay, eight inches to start to the pay, cover the matter of, yakiniku, and so on step by step to the peak of the taste experience, and then to the imperial rice, incense, stop the bowl and so on to clear your mouth to relieve fatigue, and finally to the end of the meal with seasonal desserts and water things. The dishes and the order of serving may vary slightly from one restaurant to another, but the pursuit of the Zendo concept of kaiseki cuisine is very much the same.

The appetizers and hachisoba are the prelude to kaiseki cuisine. The starters are appetizers, similar to gazpacho, that are small in size and have a variety of flavors. They are usually made with the freshest ingredients of the season, such as fish and shellfish, chicken and poultry, meat, vegetables, mushrooms, and soy products, and are commonly prepared with salt, wine, and vinegar. Hachisoba, originally meaning an eight-inch cedar box used by Chirikyu to hold food, has evolved into a synonym for the food it holds. Hachisoba is a seasonally themed pre-dinner dish, featuring brightly colored mountain delicacies paired with seafood, with a strong sense of the season as the opening to the culinary story.

After the prelude, the Xiangfu, Gaijin, and Yakiniku that follow are the culmination of the first half of Kaiseki cuisine. Mukoyaki is seasonal fish sashimi, with snapper in spring, channa in summer, tuna in fall, and blowfish in winter all being premium ingredients, and the origin, knife skills, and seasoning are all important factors in determining the freshness of the mukoyaki. Kabayaki refers to food served in a covered container, usually soup, and has a light, delicate and rich flavor. Common ingredients include sea bream, sea eel, matsutake mushrooms, and crab. Yakiniku is the main event, usually seasonal fish grilled, salt grilled and smoked to highlight the original flavor, Yu-an-yaki and teriyaki is more seasonal, the chef can play to their heart's content.

Vinegared dishes, naka-inokuchi, and kyokuchi are the pinnacle of the second half of kaiseki cuisine. Vinegared dishes, also known as vinegar dishes, are small, delicate portions of vinegar-marinated fruits, fish, or vegetables that are used to cleanse the palate in preparation for the main course. Inokuchi" refers to the container in which the dish is served, and "chu-inokuchi" refers to the sour soup served therein, which is used as an appetizer and to adjust the taste. The main dish of kaiseki cuisine is the last course before the main course, which is usually grilled or steamed beef, poultry, fish, etc. Seasonal characteristics are obvious, such as stewed fresh bamboo shoots in spring, grilled beef in summer, seafood hot pot in fall, and blowfish hot pot in winter.

The last main course is oden, which is a rice-based main course served near the end of the meal, with side dishes changing according to the season. Bamboo shoots are the perfect choice for spring oden, lotus root, taro, and seasonal fish can be served in summer, matsutake mushrooms are the best in fall, and warming ingredients such as tofu and daikon radish are served with the rice in winter. The onigiri is accompanied by kamaboko, a Japanese pickle, and shabu-shabu, a soup that is served at the end of the meal. After the onigiri is served with the kamaboko and shirataki bowls, it signals the end of the kaiseki cuisine, and the guests are not allowed to drink any more alcohol.

Mizutaki is the end of kaiseki cuisine and refers to the after-dinner fruits and desserts, which are usually fresh fruits in season, and the desserts are usually traditional Japanese desserts, with matcha being the most common.

Kaiseki cuisine has both raw food and cooked food, the production of ingredients covering pickling, salting, steaming, cooking, frying and grilling and other cooking methods, but rarely thick oil sauce, but pay special attention to the alternation of the seasons, valuing the original flavor of the food, Kaiseki cuisine is a small amount of very delicate, although it is the taste of simplicity, but the price is expensive, using a beautiful utensils, a sense of ceremony.

Kaiseki cuisine is not to entice people with the aroma, but also with the spirit of the realm, not only to enjoy the natural flavor, but also to lead people to feel the spirit of precipitation. If "eating" can be regarded as an art, then Kaiseki cuisine is the highest level of this art.