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There are many views of what is fundamental to Japanese cuisine. Many
think of sushi or the elegant stylized formal kaiseki meals that originated
as part of the Japanese tea ceremony. Many Japanese, however, think of the
everyday food of the Japanese people--especially that existing before the
end of the Meiji Era (1868 - 1912) or before World War II. Few modern urban
Japanese know their traditional cuisine.
Traditional Japanese cuisine is dominated by white rice, and few meals
would be complete without it. Anything else served during a meal--fish,
meat, vegetables, pickles--is considered a side dish. Side dishes are served
to enhance the taste of the rice. Traditional Japanese meals are named by
the number of side dishes that accompany the rice and soup that are nearly
always served. The simplest Japanese meal, for example, consists of
Ichiju-Issai ("soup plus one" or "one dish meal"). This means soup, rice,
and one accompanying side dish--usually a pickled vegetable like daikon. A
traditional Japanese breakfast, for example, usually consists of miso soup,
rice, and a pickled vegetable.
The most common meal, however, is called Ichiju-Sansai ("soup plus
three")--soup, rice, and three side dishes, each employing a different
cooking technique. The three side dishes are usually raw fish (sashimi), a
grilled dish, and a simmered (sometimes called boiled in translations from
Japanese) dish -- although steamed, deep fried, vinegared, or dressed dishes
may replace the grilled or simmered dishes. Ichiju-Sansai often finishes
with pickled vegetables and green tea.
This uniquely Japanese view of a meal is reflected in the organization
of traditional Japanese cookbooks. Chapters are organized according to
cooking techniques: fried foods, steamed foods, and grilled foods, for
example, and not according to particular ingredients (e.g., chicken or beef)
as are western cookbooks. There are also usually chapters devoted to soups,
sushi, rice, noodles, and sweets.
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