NIHON RYORI Japanese Cuisine

WESTERNERS who come to Japan often find that Japanese food is not what they had expected.

Although in recent years Japanese restaurants have become more common in the West, tourists

are not prepared for the "real" Japanese food they encounter once they are here. One reason

for this is that most foreigners associate Japanese food with dishes that are not considered

traditional fare by the Japanese themselves. Sukiyaki, for instance, is relatively new

to Japan, and tempura was introduced by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century. Teriyaki,

cooked and served in many Japanese restaurants in the West, is seldom eaten in Japan.

            The eclectic eating habits of modem Japan include foods from many parts of the world,

and this variety is reflected in homes and restaurants all over the country. But real nihon ryori

is made up of foods that often are not familiar to the Westerner. There is a great preponderance

of food from the sea, with an almost total absence of meat. This reliance on the sea as a

source of food is quite natural for an island nation like Japan, especially since there is very

little land available for raising cattle. Japanese did not begin eating beef and pork until the

Meiji period, relatively late in their history.

            Putting questions of taste aside for a moment, it is impossible to deny that Japanese

cuisine is almost universally regarded as the most beautiful in the world. The careful arrangement of the food has to do with the great concern that Japanese have for design and order. With the serving of food, nothing is left to chance. Food is served in individual lacquer or china dishes that are chosen for their shape and color to suit the food that goes into them. The desired combination of colors and textures is also a factor in choosing the food itself.

            The serving of Japanese food is a study in contrasts. Some foods like raw fish will be

served on ice in the same meal with hot dishes such as soup. Daikon oroshi (grated radish) will

be served to complement certain hot foods while green wasabi (horseradish) will accompany

such cold foods as sashimi. Both sweet and sour dishes may be served in the same meal.

And additional contrasts are often provided by serving Japanese foods with coarse textures

alongside those like raw abalone-however repulsed some Westerners may be by these slick,

rubbery textures.

            Pieces of pickled radish or eggplant may be added for just the right touches of color. And when several pieces of food are to be placed on one dish, the total effect of the combination

must be considered, much the same as in flower arranging. Flowers themselves are often placed

in arrangements of food, as are leaves, carved vegetables, and pieces of paper that have been

specially cut or folded. These adornments may reflect the seasons-cherry blossoms in spring,

paper snowflakes in winter.

            Connoisseurs of Japanese cuisine describe it as "delicate" and "subtly complex." They say that because the food is so fresh and its natural taste is so good, no sauces or seasonings are necessary or even desirable. To the non-Japanese palate, accustomed to more spices, such food

often seems bland or even tasteless. But traditional Japanese food does not attempt

to make dramatic appeals and displays to appetite and taste alone. Just as the tea ceremony

is concerned with much more than the mere drinking of tea, nihon ryori is prepared and

served to provide a feast for the eyes and the spirit as well as the body.