TheLunarCat

Did you know that 12,000 years ago, Japan was connected to the mainland before it was separated? It is believed that the country was either settled by the Chinese or Koreans from the mainland, and these first settlers were known as the Jōmon, who were hunters and gatherers. 

Around 800-300BC another wave of settlers called the ‘Yayoi’ came to Japan from China and Korea. These settlers brought with them wet rice farming, and influenced Japan’s use of chopsticks and consumption of soy sauce. Rice remains one of Japan’s most important foods, with rice harvesting taking up roughly half of Japan’s arable land.

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By the end of the third century, Japan was organised into federations with over 100 kingdoms. The most powerful was the administrative and military power called the Yamato.

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In the mid-6th century, Buddhism was introduced by the Korean kingdom of Baekje, this changed the Yamato culture and resulted in a ban on consuming meat. Sushi, a well know Japanese dish, was a result of this ban. This ban on meat lasted over 1,000 years and was finally abolished during the Meiji Period in 1868-1912. Buddhist priests also introduced soybean products such as miso to the Japanese cuisine around this time, as the fermented combination of salt, grains and soybeans was a way to preserve food during the warm months. Tofu (bean curd) was also introduced around the 8th century from China and was originally called ‘okabe’ in Japan. 

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From 794-1185 the samurai warrior class developed with samurai lords called shoguns. They took over the government in 1185, and Japan was then ruled by emperors until 1868. Sake, the famous alcoholic beverage made by fermenting rice, was of great importance to the key rituals in the Samurai warrior code. It is believed that Sake was invented in China as early as 500BC. Initially the primary distillers of Sake in Japan were Japanese temples. During the 8th century thin noodles were also introduced to Japan from China, they were originally made from rice flour. During the Kamakura Period from 1185 to 1333, thin wheat noodles were developed in Japan and their popularity began to spread - known as Somen noodles, they were mainly eaten in the Western and Southern parts of Japan where wheat was grown. 

During the 1200’s Japan started trading with other nations including the Dutch who introduced  corn, potatoes and sweet potatoes and the Portguese, who introduced batter frying which is now known as “tempura” in Japan.

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During the 1800’s Japan introduced the ideas of Goho (five cooking techniques), Gomi (five tastes), Goshiki (five colours) and Gokan (five senses). The Goho cooking techniques of cutting (Nama), simmering (Niru), grilling (Yaku), steaming (Musu) and deep-frying (Ageru) are all featured in the famous Kaiseki cuisine which features five dishes using each technique. Gomi - the five tastes of Sweet, Sour, Salt, Bitter and Umami are also now famous worldwide and often emphasised as a way to create a great dish. The five Goshiki colours are also important in Japanese cuisine - red and yellow, stimulate the appetite; white, evokes cleanliness; black, creates contrast; and blue, a refreshed feeling. The colours also increase the visual appeal and enjoyment of the dish.  The five Gokan senses of Sight (physical attractiveness), Hearing (what it sounds like when you bite into it), Smell (to notice the seasonings), Touch (its texture and how it feels in the mouth)  and Taste are also important to the Japanese, as they enhance the enjoyment of the food.

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Japan’s geography has also contributed to it’s cuisine, it is an archipelago of islands made up of four main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and over 4,000 smaller islands. Seafood features in many Japanese dishes, some famous seafood dishes include Sushi, Sashimi, Nigiri, Nanbanzuke (pickled fish), Takoyaki (octopus balls), Kaisendon (seafood donburi) and Ebi Furai (crumbed and deep fried prawns).  Each Japanese citizen consumes about 65kg fish per year!