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Meditation
If we change the wordmeditationinto lettersbreath -Oh, how serene! Even eating requires breathing. It's serene and logical. Naturally, we find the meal… lighter, and much tastier. Although, to be able to eat, if not through meditation, one must at least breathe; one isn't completely free. In reality, without any dogma, breathing itself is meditation. Whether you frequently visit temples, diligently read Thich Nhat Hanh's books, study Hinduism, master yoga poses, or are unfamiliar with all these activities, the basic definition of meditation remains unchanged.Breathing and being fully aware of your breathing—that is meditation.Similarly, we replace the verb.breathwalleatEating while being mindful of what you're eating—how delicious it is, why dish A and not dish B at this moment, how full you are—that is meditation. Therefore, whether we want to or not, we are always in the position of a meditator, even when we eat.
In the 4.0 era, food is being modernized and industrialized on one hand, and on the other hand (it seems) elevated to the status of gourmet cuisine with stars and degrees. Does the meditative aspect of food culture matter?
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, young Vietnamese people eagerly pooled their money to enjoy a KFC or Lotteria meal together, and while they were at it, they took the opportunity to memorize the definitions and names of the various industrially produced fried chicken dishes. Fans of KFC and Lotteria debated heatedly on social media about which brand's shaken chicken was better, and which side used the correct names for the chicken dishes. We welcomed the new millennium with a fast-food culture. Meanwhile, aristocratic Europeans were saddened by their own specialties of pastries, noodles, and soups. They flocked to Asia, amazed by its diverse and colorful culinary culture, with an endless array of unique specialties. It seemed as though each country was a complex and fascinating universe of culinary flavors. Not quite! Rather, within a single country, like Vietnam, each region is a captivating culinary heritage. The North, Central, and South of Vietnam each have distinct cooking styles, with each region branching out into countless delicious dishes, regardless of whether the preparation is simple or elaborate. Westerners are surprised and haunted by the question: why is Asian cuisine so diverse and unique?
Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia… thanks to their tourism and service skills, have amassed countless Michelin-starred restaurants. Young travel enthusiasts have a new inspiration for travel: traveling to check in at these "starred" restaurants. However, there is a promised land with countless unique eateries – a place where, whether or not a restaurant is "starred," no diner cares. And it's difficult to apply European-style "star rating" standards to a territory with a pure, simple yet sophisticated and heartwarming culinary essence.
Japan
Japan is famous for its "raw meat" dishes, yet the author "dares" to call it a land of culinary excellence, disregarding Michelin stars?
By "fresh meat" here, I mean... sushi and sashimi, and I have absolutely no intention of straying into other famous industries of Japan. As famous as pho and banh mi in Vietnam, it's known globally thanks to its frequent consumption.orderSushi is available at countless fast-food and slow-food restaurants, as well as supermarkets and convenience stores. While the Japanese may be proficient with machinery and have a highly organized, even somewhat robotic, work ethic, they are not robotic when it comes to cooking. As one of the world's most avid readers, the Japanese particularly favor cooking magazines. At any newsstand, you'll easily find countless food-related magazines. They are all eye-catching, neatly arranged side-by-side, forming small culinary photography exhibitions that stimulate our appetites to an extraordinary degree.
A restaurant with a distinctive Japanese style in Tokyo.
A customer waits for ramen at a small eatery on the street.
The owner of a ramen shop in Tokyo is now nearly 90 years old.
If China has the ability to transcribe global culinary icons into its own language, Japan embraces international delicacies and makes them… even better. You can enjoy exquisite ice cream, gelato, and cream puffs in Japan. Limits and secrets in cuisine seem to be gently erased and harmoniously elevated as foreign delicacies have the opportunity to enter Japan. A cake doesn't need elaborate decorations to impress guests; instead, it's made by the host using eggs from a traditional farm, butter from cows in the mountainous Hokkaido region, and flour.cleanJapanese cuisine clearly reflects the everyday character of the Japanese people: refined, thoughtful, considerate, dedicated, and most importantly, unpretentious. Eating a piece of cake brings a sense of tranquility, a complete and wholesome flavor spreading and gently permeating all the senses. Absolutely no one is "haunted" by the host's subtle display of wealth or sophistication through the cake. Host and guest are in harmonious balance; the hospitality makes the meal even more elegant. Meticulous, not careless, and avoiding unnecessary fuss, everything stops at just the right amount – that is the spirit of Japanese cuisine.
But what exactly is enough?
Many people scoff at the tiny portions on Japanese dinner tables. They wonder how anyone could ever get full eating so meticulously. Perhaps that worry is unnecessary. I dare say that while the Japanese are delicate and refined, they eat much more than we do. Having also experienced the trauma of war and bombing, the Japanese place particular importance on food. They are accustomed to delicious food and value good dishes. However, food is more valuable than the definition of good or bad. Whether at home or in restaurants, the Japanese usually eat neatly and cleanly. The reason they leave food uneaten is when there's a problem with the dish, or when the invitation to eat is "problematic," making them feel disrespected. Eating and drinking, especially in communal settings like on airplanes, the Japanese trays are always clean – both literally and figuratively. Modern industrial life has given people a new definition: empty food, or empty calories. Land is being exploited to the point of depletion; apple and pear trees still bear fruit, but the nutritional value of an apple now is only equivalent to that of a small slice of apple many years ago—a simple way to understand what "empty" food means. We eat (seemingly) voraciously, yet we rarely feel full and get hungry again quickly. Land resources are no longer carefully nurtured and cared for by humans, resulting in us "enjoying" foods that are "loose" in terms of nutrients.
Returning to the cake above, the host didn't want anything elaborate or ostentatious; they simply wanted the cake they made and offered to guests to be flavorful and well-balanced, that's all. But in reality, is Japanese cuisine really that simple?
Kaiseki Ryori
Kaiseki ryori meansfine-diningJapanese style.
Fine-dining sounds luxurious and extravagant. Zen is often understood as simplicity, without frills or embellishments. Therefore, fine-dining seems to lack any Zen spirit whatsoever.
Is that right?
In Europe, people invite each other to lavish fine-dining meals that last from evening until late at night, with countless salads, main courses, cheeses, fruits, cakes, ice cream, and fruit desserts, interspersed with a variety of wines to enhance the flavor of the food, stimulate gastric juices, and promote digestion… Finally, tea or coffee.
In Japan, kaiseki ryori is a traditional multi-course dinner where diners leisurely and unhurriedly enjoy their meal. You can enjoy kaiseki ryori at any Japanese family you know, or at ryokans (Japanese-style inns). If Michelin-starred chefs were to visit Japan, they'd probably run out of stars, because each family or inn has its own unique cooking secrets and skills, offering a different and unique kaiseki ryori experience unlike any other.
Kaiseki ryori is diverse and unconventional; however, the cook always adheres to a few fundamental, unchanging principles. A thoughtful Japanese dinner consists of four stages: appetizer, main course, next main course, and dessert. Each stage features multiple actors, not just one main character. Therefore, although there are four stages, the overall experience offers at least two hours to enjoy approximately 14 unique and exquisite dishes. You can enjoy tea, sake, or beer with the delicious food; there's no need to be particular about which beverage pairs with which food. However, for the appetizer, the host usually prepares a small glass of low-alcohol fruit wine, enough to gently flush the cheeks, subtly stimulate the senses, and warm the atmosphere before the meal.
Kaiseki ryori is fascinating and surprising in all four stages, because the Japanese believe in living in harmony with nature, enjoying seasonal foods in sync with the earth and sky. Not only is Japan skilled in fishing, but it also boasts four distinct seasons, each bringing forth a different culinary specialty. In spring, vegetables are delicately garnished with cherry blossom petals. In autumn, grilled wild mushrooms sizzle alongside vibrant maple leaves, creating a scene like a small flame. The food blends seamlessly with the surrounding scenery, brimming with nature itself. By capturing a photograph of a kaiseki ryori meal, we can discern the weather conditions at the time, the region where the host resides, their aesthetic sense, and even the number of generations and the historical context of the family.
These miniature dishes, imbued with the essence of harmonious nature, are neatly arranged within the homeowner's collection of tableware. This unique aspect of Japanese culinary culture captivates and fascinates the outside world. Fourteen dishes are presented in at least fourteen different types of bowls and plates. The dishes aren't arranged in a standardized set. Rather, it's a collection of various tableware sets deeply intertwined with the homeowner's life. Some remain, some are gone, but they are never forgotten or discarded. Objects are present and closely connected to people for a long time, fostering feelings of familiarity and understanding; therefore, only the homeowner truly understands which dishes are best suited to which type of tableware. Throughout the fourteen dishes, we are subtly shared by the homeowner about the family's growth and their worldview, in a simple and unpretentious way, through their collection of ceramics. That is the spirit of kaiseki ryori cuisine, where food is not simply delicious, but also embodies the genuine spirit of sharing and harmony.
In 2013, Washoku, which in Vietnamese means traditional Japanese cuisine, was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. This unique culinary culture was formed and nurtured by the distinctive geographical features of Japan. It is a culture that endures like breath, and is always mentioned.breathLet's go back to the beginning of the article; breathing is meditation.
