Culture, As health consciousness grows around the world, people are taking another look at plant-based foods and vegetarian cuisine. Here, we look at the appeal of the flavorful, environmentally friendly vegetarian food that has been a part of Japanese culinary culture since ancient times.
1 Appetizer of grilled eggplant and Manchurian wild rice stem coated in miso with chopped daikon radish and pickled takana mustard greens
2 Japanese clear broth soup called sumashijiru with sesame tofu, matsutake mushroom, and wax gourd. The dashi is a blend of kombu kelp broth and vegetable broth.
3 Hassun plate of seasonal vegetables and dishes featuring Chinese lantern plant, water chestnut, and deep-fried fu (wheat gluten) with nori.
4 Hiryuzu is a fritter made with mashed tofu and Japanese yam mixed with minced burdock root, carrots, and kikurage mushrooms.
5 Meaty abalone mushroom steak served with sesame sauce and wasabi.
6 Rice mixed with salted kombu kelp and topped with lotus root tempura (left) accompanied by akadashi (miso soup made from soybeans).
7 A special pudding made by steaming strained pumpkin with dashi stock.
8 Owner-chef Nomura Daisuke. His masterful culinary skills are evident in the depth of his dashi broth flavors.
9 Preparing the water chestnuts for the hassun plate. The hard shell is removed to reveal the edible white flesh inside.
10 The modern ambience of the SOUGO interior design.
Shojin ryori, a type of vegetarian cuisine made with vegetables, seaweed, mushrooms and other plant-based foods, was originally the diet of Zen Buddhist monks. These dishes do not contain either animal-based ingredients or the “five pungent roots” (garlic, onions, leeks, chives, and shallots), out of respect for Buddhist teachings. Once only served at temples and specialty restaurants, it is now easy to order this vegetarian fare at more and more restaurants and cafes in Japan, with the increasing interest in vegetarian cuisine. One restaurant serving vegetarian meals is SOUGO in Tokyo’s Roppongi neighborhood. Owner-chef Nomura Daisuke is listed as one of the world’s 50 pioneering chefs in plant based cuisine.
“Chefs from other countries are surprised by the variety of cooking methods we use,” says Nomura of his truly diverse 12-course meals. The restaurant's menu features a steamed kabocha winter squash dish called Shojin Pudding, steaks made of abalone mushrooms, and other contemporary dishes unknown in traditional Japanese vegetarian cuisine. These dishes are prepared various ways - grilled, steamed, boiled, and deep-fried - upending the image of vegetarian dishes as simple and healthy but bland. SOUGO does, of course, serve traditional dishes such as goma tofu, which is made from white sesame seeds, and fritters made with tofu and vegetables called hiryuzu.
Based on the wisdom of Japan’s traditional vegetarian culture, these dishes, too, offer more of the proteins and fats that vegetarian diets tend to lack.
The restaurant’s dashi broth, a basic to Japanese cuisine, is also unique, made from kombu (kelp) and vegetables and not from the typical animal-based ingredients like bonito flakes. Bringing kelp to the boil produces an astringent, bitter flavor, while slow-boiling vegetables releases the umami. Accordingly, the restaurant makes its dashi by preparing the kelp and vegetable broths separately and then mixing the two together. Paying close attention to each of the ingredients to bring out their individual characteristics results in rich, full bodied flavors. There is no waste in making of the dishes too, as the vegetable broth is made with the peels and scraps left from preparing other dishes.
As Nomura points out, “Buddhist teachings tell us that plants are living beings, too. Since the plants are giving their lives for us, we put our whole heart into cooking them and make sure nothing goes to waste.” Food loss in the kitchen here is virtually zero. Shojin ryori is also a cuisine that suits the current era of sustainability. Gorgeous presentation, delicious flavor, healthy, and environmentally friendly - Japan’s storied vegetarian culture may be the richest of diets, even today.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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