Introduction – History Review of Japanese Food

 

(Source : Lucas Six 2016)

Japanese cuisine has been influenced by other countries' food customs, but it has adopted and refined them to create its own distinct cooking style and eating habits. Around 300 B.C., China was the first foreign influence on Japan, when the Japanese learned to cultivate rice. The use of chopsticks, as well as the consumption of soy sauce and soybean curd (tofu), originated in China.

(Source : Dreamstime.com 2000)

Another significant influence on the Japanese diet was Buddhism, one of the two major religions in Japan today (the other being JapanShintoism). The rise of Buddhism in the 700s resulted in a ban on eating meat. As a result of this ban, the popular dish sushi (raw fish with rice) was born. Cooking styles became simpler in the 1800s. Using one of five standard cooking techniques, a wide variety of vegetarian foods were served in small portions. All foods were classified into five colour categories (green, red, yellow, white, and black-purple) and six flavours (bitter, sour, sweet, hot, salty, and delicate). This cooking system is still used by the Japanese.

(Source : Kunisada 1858 )

Beginning in the early 1200s, trade with other countries began bringing Western-style influences to Japan. Corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes were introduced by the Dutch. The Portuguese popularised tempura (batter frying). After a thousand-year ban, beef was reintroduced into Japan during the Meiji Period (1868–1912). Bread, coffee, and ice cream are examples of Western foods that became popular in the late twentieth century. Another Western influence has been the development of time-saving cooking methods. These include the electric rice cooker, as well as packaged foods like instant noodles, miso (fermented soybean paste) soup, and pickling mixes. The Japanese, on the other hand, are still devoted to their traditional cooking traditions.