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Washoku (Traditional Dietary Cultures of the Japanese) and Kyoryori (Kyoto Cuisine)

Washoku (Traditional Dietary Cultures of the Japanese) and Kyoryori (Kyoto Cuisine)

The intangible “WAZA” that sustain Japan’s food culture have been refined and passed down through the country’s history to create the moving culinary experiences (“deliciousness”) we enjoy.
On January 18, a food culture WAZA inheritance program on “Washoku and Kyoryori” was held in Kyo-Kaiseki Minokichi Main Restaurant: Takeshigero in Kyoto Prefecture.

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    With a history spanning 310 years, Kyo-Kaiseki Minokichi Main Restaurant: Takeshigero is a long-established Kyoryori restaurant renowned for its kyo-kaiseki cuisine. While they welcome guests at the restaurant on a daily basis, Yoji Satake, Executive Chef, says, “We also have opportunities to provide food for international events, such as catering at the Palace of Versailles.” As participants listened to stories that highlighted how Japanese culinary culture has spread beyond national borders, they took part in hands-on practice, learning how to peel daikon radish into a continuous sheet (katsura-muki), refine knife techniques for cutting eel sushi, and apply plating techniques that enhance visual presentation.

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    Katsura-muki, the technique of peeling daikon radish into a continuous sheet, is difficult to perform with a standard household knife and requires a specialized blade. Moving the knife up and down is essential, and with superb knife control, Mr. Satake smoothly peeled the daikon in long, flowing strips. However, he explained, “Making it thinner improves the appearance, but it can also leave the flavor feeling lacking. That’s why there are times when we deliberately leave some texture.” Using “WAZA” to adapt to the ingredients at hand and the situation in front of them—this kind of flexibility and responsiveness emerges as an essential technigues for a chef.

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    While Edomae sushi (traditional Tokyo style) is shaped by gently incorporating air, sushi served in kyo-kaiseki cuisine is made by firmly pressing the rice and is referred to as oshizushi (pressed sushi). Carefully simmered eel is placed atop the vinegared rice shaped into a long bar, then pressed and formed using a bamboo rolling mat while applying steady pressure.
    “Cutting soft eel sushi is extremely difficult,” Mr. Satake explained. “If the difficulty of simply cutting vegetables were a one, then cutting sushi would be closer to a ten. Rather than pushing the knife, you cut by pulling it toward you.” Under his careful, verbal guidance, the students took up their knives themselves and experienced the “WAZA” firsthand.

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    “When plating, it’s important to be mindful of the front of the dish. When viewed from the diner’s perspective, the basic principle is to create height on the left side of the food and toward the back of the plate. Also, since most people in Japan are right-handed, brighter-colored ingredients are often placed on the right,” Mr. Satake explained as he skillfully arranged the dish. He went on to say, “We also incorporate the five basic tastes of Japanese cuisine into a single plate, so that diners can experience changes in flavor and enjoy the dish until the very last bite.” The finished appetizer brought together all five tastes: the saltiness of eel sushi and karasumi, the acidity of namasu made with daikon and carrot, the umami of tomato amber broth, the spiciness of mustard-dressed rape blossoms, and the sweetness of black beans—condensing the “WAZA” of expressing all five tastes into a single plate.
    At the end, a Q&A session was held while participants sampled the appetizer. “Today, initiatives like these skills-inheritance programs and food education efforts are expanding,” Mr. Satake said with a smile. “If you have even a small interest, I hope you’ll take the leap into the world of Kyoryori, even if it’s from scratch.”

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