What Are The Principles of Japanese Cuisine?

Washoku (Japanese food) differs from Yoshoku (Western food) in many respects. For centuries, Washoku’s philosophy has been based on five principles - five being essential to Japanese Buddhism as it represents the five elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Energy. These five principles of Japanese cuisine include five colours, five flavours, five cooking methods, five senses, and five reflections.

Five Colours

Since the 6th century when Buddhism began in Japan, the five colours of white, black, red, green and yellow have been used not only in religious architecture and artwork but also in food.

It makes sense that the more colours you have on your plate, the healthier and more nutritious your meal will be.

For example, a typical home cooked breakfast in Japan will include white rice garnished with black sesame seeds,  accompanied by miso soup, pickled vegetables, tofu, and a filet of grilled fish.

Five Flavours

According to the five principles, Japanese meals should contain a balance of salty, bitter, sweet, sour and savory or ‘umami’. Umami is that elusive quality that is usually obtained by adding dashi (stock made from konbu and katsobushi) for example, to various elements of Japanese cuisine such as miso soup, ramen, dressings and marinades.

In Western cooking, umami can be found in aged foods such as parmesan or prosciutto but also in vegetables such as tomatoes or mushrooms.

In Japanese cooking none of the five flavours should overwhelm the other.

Five Cooking Methods

Japanese cuisine makes use of five different methods of cooking which include raw, simmered, steamed, grilled, and fried. In traditional kaiseki cuisine there is a gradual progression of mild dishes to more substantial dishes and then back to simple dishes.

For example, sashimi, chawanmushi (steamed custard dish), simmered vegetables, tempura, grilled beef or fish, followed by soup, rice and pickles. A simple dessert of fruit or pudding might be served at the end of this meal.

On a daily basis, a typical home cooked meal might include a salad, simmered vegetables, grilled fish, deep fried tempura, steamed rice and pickles.

Five Senses

“We eat with our eyes” is a saying in Japan. Since ancient times when food was scarce, meals were prepared with small but visually appealing portions. So although the sense of taste is important, so is the stimulation of smell, sound, touch, and especially sight. Since visual presentation is so essential to the enjoyment of Japanese food, so is the tableware that is used to serve the meal.

Grilled salmon that is served on a roughly hewn piece of stoneware will taste vastly different to one served on a delicate porcelain plate. 

Five Reflections

The five attitudes of Japanese cuisine originate in ‘shojin ryori’, the strict vegetarian diet of the monks who follow Zen Buddhism, a style of teaching that has been around for 800 years:

• we should be thankful to the whole process of growing, gathering and cooking food.

• we should be worthy of the food on our table.

• we should be at peace when we eat our meal.

• our food should nourish our stomachs and also our souls.

• after eating, we should try to achieve enlightenment.

Home Cooking
 

The typical Japanese cook does not consciously consider the five principles of Japanese cuisine on a daily basis. But because of his or her subconscious exposure to eating Japanese food since childhood, it becomes second nature to have meals that are cooked in a variety of ways, to use ingredients that encompass a kaleidoscope of colours and flavours, and to present dishes in a way that stimulate all the senses.