Japan's culture is a unique mixture of historic elements and a continuing stream of inputs from other countries both near and far, the foreign elements now arriving at an ever-increasing pace. This is only too evident when we start to look at what is happening in the rice industry. Japan's level of rice consumption has dropped considerably because there are now so many food choices, creating problems for rice producers. For a long time, the rice industry has been protected by the government and the lower level of consumption has led to the stockpiling of rice.
A national system of rice production was developed as long ago as 200 BC, which involved payments of rice as a form of taxation. From that point in time, Japanese food culture was influenced by politics and in some ways has been ever since.
In the Nara Era, (701-794), the ruling establishment operated along strong Buddhist lines, with strict laws forbidding the consumption of meat and strong condiments such as garlic, chili and ginger. Subsequently, under the direction of the Imperial Court, vegetable cultivation along Chinese lines was established. The temple cuisine which evolved at that time was very simple, but by the end of the Muromachi Era (1336-1573) a more sophisticated style known as Shojin Ryori had been developed. This involved much more attention to the ways in which the vegetables were prepared, cooked and presented; maximum effort with minimum ingredients. More specialized forms of banquet-style cuisine know as Honzen Ryori evolved for the court nobility (kuge) and samurai (bushi). Up till the Moromachi period, a system of shokureiho (food etiquette) had evolved which demanded high standards of correct placement and usage of particular bowls and chopsticks for specific foods. This became most evident during the meal preceding the Kaiseki (tea ceremony), which required a very delicate, controlled style of dining. Within high society, banquets were common and rather than being a convivial means of expressing their loyalty to the gods and their masters, they became more of a political power game of one-upmanship, a public pronouncement of allegiances. These banquets started with a greeting of sake, followed by a fine meal, followed by a sake banquet with entertainment such as singing, dancing and geisha. Whereas the taste of food had originally driven the involvement of Honzen Ryori, as it reached a peak, the visual effect of the food started to dominate, such that appearance and presentation rather than the taste or amount of food were the driving factors in change. Morsels of food, exquisitely carved, twisted, shaped and carefully placed on beautiful dishes were the order of the day. By the Edo Era (1603-1867), however, much of Honzen Ryori had become simplified and the elegant banquet style was reserved for special events such as weddings.
In earlier times, depending on the time of day, chanoyu, the tea ceremony was performed. It may have been preceded by a formal meal known as chakaiseki. It was not until some time in the Momoyama Era (1567-1600) that Riyku, acknowledged in japan as the founder of the tea ceremony, raised it to the level of an art form. The resulting chakaiseki is ritualistic and is more an expression of life's blessings than a full-on feast, it is a time to reflect, even meditate, a time to acknowledge the seasons and the design of the bowls, the plates and the presentation of the food. It also serves to ease the pangs of hunger before partaking of green tea.
During the Edo Era, The elevation of the status of merchant classes from their lowly beginnings to a level of considerable significance changed the balance of society, so that a broader range of food was accessible to a greater number of people. Formal dining and banqueting, which had previously been the domain of nobility and the upper classes, became mainstream Japanese cuisine and adapted accordingly. Further adaptations swept through the food industry with the opening up of trade in the Meiji Era (1867-1912) and again after World War II and continue to do so today. Despite this, among all the new, if we look carefully, we can still find the wonderful old traditions that have survived Japan's changing, well-notated eras. One of the joys of eating in Japan is discovering such a meal, imaging how it must have been in its heyday long ago and storing it up as a memory for the future. Natsukashi. (Oh, the good old days.)
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