Kaiseki
Encyclopedia
or is a traditional multi-course Japanese
dinner. The term also refers to the collection of skills and techniques that allow the preparation of such meals, and are analogous to Western haute cuisine
.
There are basically two kinds of traditional Japanese meal styles called kaiseki or kaiseki ryōri. The first, where kaiseki is written as 会席 (and kaiseki ryōri, 会席料理), referring to the fancy meal served at banquets. The other is written 懐石 or 懐石料理, referring to the simple meal that the host of a chanoyu gathering serves to the guests, and which is also known as cha-kaiseki (茶懐石).
characters 懐石 used to write kaiseki literally mean "stone in the bosom." These kanji are thought to have been incorporated by Sen no Rikyu
(1522–91), to indicate the frugal meal served in the austere style of chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony
). The idea came from the practice where Zen
monks
would ward off hunger by putting warm stones into the front folds of their robes, near their bellies. Before these kanji started to be used, the kanji for writing the word were simply ones indicating that the cuisine was for a get-together (会席料理). Both sets of kanji remain in use today to write the word; the authoritative Japanese dictionary Kōjien describes the "cuisine for a get-together" as a banquet meal where the main beverage is sake (Japanese rice wine), and the "bosom-stone" cuisine as the simple meal served in chanoyu. To distinguish between the two in speech and if necessary in writing, the chanoyu meal may be referred to as "tea" kaiseki, or cha-kaiseki.
and three side dishes; this is now instead the standard form of Japanese-style cuisine generally, referred to as a セット (setto, "set"). Kaiseki has since evolved to include an appetizer, sashimi
, a simmered dish, a grilled dish, and a steamed course, in addition to other dishes at the discretion of the chef.: an appetizer similar to the French amuse-bouche.: the second course, which sets the seasonal theme. Typically one kind of sushi
and several smaller side dishes.: a sliced dish of seasonal sashimi.: vegetable
s served with meat
, fish
or tofu
; the ingredients are simmered separately.: a "lidded dish"; typically a soup.: Broiled seasonal fish.: a small dish used to clean the palate, such as vegetables in vinegar.: served only in summer; chilled, lightly cooked vegetables.: another palate-cleanser; may be a light, acidic soup
.: a substantial dish, such as a hot pot.: a rice
dish made with seasonal ingredients.: seasonal pickled vegetables.: a miso-based or vegetable soup served with rice.: a seasonal dessert
; may be fruit
, confection, ice cream
, or cake
.
). It precedes the serving of the tea at a formal tea function (chaji). The basic constituents of a cha-kaiseki meal are the ichijū sansai or "one soup, three side dishes", and the rice, plus the following: suimono, hassun, yutō, and kōnomono. The one soup referred to here is usually miso
soup, and the basic three side dishes are the following:
Here under is a description of the additional items mentioned above:: clear soup served in a small lacquered and lidded bowl, to cleanse the palate before the exchange of sake (rice wine) between host and guests. Also referred to as kozuimono (small clear soup) or hashiarai (chopstick rinser).
Extra items that may be added to the menu are generally referred to as shiizakana, and these attend further rounds of sake. Because the host leaves them with the first guest, they are also referred to as azukebachi (lit., "bowl left in another's care").
falls under this, too.
is well known for its kaiseki. In Kyoto, kaiseki-style cooking is sometimes known as , to emphasize its traditional Kyoto roots.
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes throughout Japan. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of shogun rule...
dinner. The term also refers to the collection of skills and techniques that allow the preparation of such meals, and are analogous to Western haute cuisine
Haute cuisine
Haute cuisine or grande cuisine was characterised by French cuisine in elaborate preparations and presentations served in small and numerous courses that were produced by large and hierarchical staffs at the grand restaurants and hotels of Europe.The 17th century chef and writer La Varenne...
.
There are basically two kinds of traditional Japanese meal styles called kaiseki or kaiseki ryōri. The first, where kaiseki is written as 会席 (and kaiseki ryōri, 会席料理), referring to the fancy meal served at banquets. The other is written 懐石 or 懐石料理, referring to the simple meal that the host of a chanoyu gathering serves to the guests, and which is also known as cha-kaiseki (茶懐石).
Origin
The kanjiKanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
characters 懐石 used to write kaiseki literally mean "stone in the bosom." These kanji are thought to have been incorporated by Sen no Rikyu
Sen no Rikyu
, is considered the historical figure with the most profound influence on chanoyu, the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of wabi-cha...
(1522–91), to indicate the frugal meal served in the austere style of chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony
Japanese tea ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called . The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called...
). The idea came from the practice where Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
monks
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
would ward off hunger by putting warm stones into the front folds of their robes, near their bellies. Before these kanji started to be used, the kanji for writing the word were simply ones indicating that the cuisine was for a get-together (会席料理). Both sets of kanji remain in use today to write the word; the authoritative Japanese dictionary Kōjien describes the "cuisine for a get-together" as a banquet meal where the main beverage is sake (Japanese rice wine), and the "bosom-stone" cuisine as the simple meal served in chanoyu. To distinguish between the two in speech and if necessary in writing, the chanoyu meal may be referred to as "tea" kaiseki, or cha-kaiseki.
Style
In the present day, kaiseki is a type of art form that balances the taste, texture, appearance, and colors of food. To this end, only fresh seasonal ingredients are used and are prepared in ways that aim to enhance their flavor. Local ingredients are often included as well. Finished dishes are carefully presented on plates that are chosen to enhance both the appearance and the seasonal theme of the meal. Dishes are beautifully arranged and garnished, often with real leaves and flowers, as well as edible garnishes designed to resemble natural plants and animals.Order
Originally, kaiseki comprised a bowl of miso soupMiso soup
is a traditional Japanese soup consisting of a stock called "dashi" into which is mixed softened miso paste. Many ingredients are added depending on regional and seasonal recipes, and personal preference.-Miso paste:...
and three side dishes; this is now instead the standard form of Japanese-style cuisine generally, referred to as a セット (setto, "set"). Kaiseki has since evolved to include an appetizer, sashimi
Sashimi
Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy. It consists of very fresh raw meat, most commonly fish, sliced into thin pieces.-Origin:The word sashimi means "pierced body", i.e...
, a simmered dish, a grilled dish, and a steamed course, in addition to other dishes at the discretion of the chef.: an appetizer similar to the French amuse-bouche.: the second course, which sets the seasonal theme. Typically one kind of sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
and several smaller side dishes.: a sliced dish of seasonal sashimi.: vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s served with meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
, fish
Fish (food)
Fish is a food consumed by many species, including humans. The word "fish" refers to both the animal and to the food prepared from it. Fish has been an important source of protein for humans throughout recorded history.-Terminology:...
or tofu
Tofu
is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
; the ingredients are simmered separately.: a "lidded dish"; typically a soup.: Broiled seasonal fish.: a small dish used to clean the palate, such as vegetables in vinegar.: served only in summer; chilled, lightly cooked vegetables.: another palate-cleanser; may be a light, acidic soup
Soup
Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,...
.: a substantial dish, such as a hot pot.: a rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
dish made with seasonal ingredients.: seasonal pickled vegetables.: a miso-based or vegetable soup served with rice.: a seasonal dessert
Dessert
In cultures around the world, dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food. The word comes from the French language as dessert and this from Old French desservir, "to clear the table" and "to serve." Common Western desserts include cakes, biscuits,...
; may be fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, confection, ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
, or cake
Cake
Cake is a form of bread or bread-like food. In its modern forms, it is typically a sweet and enriched baked dessert. In its oldest forms, cakes were normally fried breads or cheesecakes, and normally had a disk shape...
.
Cha-kaiseki
This is the meal served in the context of chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremonyJapanese tea ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called . The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called...
). It precedes the serving of the tea at a formal tea function (chaji). The basic constituents of a cha-kaiseki meal are the ichijū sansai or "one soup, three side dishes", and the rice, plus the following: suimono, hassun, yutō, and kōnomono. The one soup referred to here is usually miso
Miso
is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the fungus , the most typical miso being made with soy. The result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso...
soup, and the basic three side dishes are the following:
- Mukōzuke: foods in a dish arranged on the far side of the meal tray for each guest, which is why it is called mukōzuke (lit., "set to the far side"). Often this might be some kind of sashimi, though not necessarily so. On the near side of the meal tray are arranged the rice and the soup, both in lacquered lidded bowls.: simmered foods, served in individual lidded bowls.
- Yakimono: grilled foods (usually some kind of fish), brought out in a serving dish for the guests to serve themselves.
Here under is a description of the additional items mentioned above:: clear soup served in a small lacquered and lidded bowl, to cleanse the palate before the exchange of sake (rice wine) between host and guests. Also referred to as kozuimono (small clear soup) or hashiarai (chopstick rinser).
- Hassun: a tray of tidbits from mountain and sea that the guests serve themselves to and accompanies the round of saké (rice wine) shared by host and guests.: pitcher of hot water having slightly browned rice in it, which the guests serve themselves to.
- Kō no mono: pickles that accompany the yutō.
Extra items that may be added to the menu are generally referred to as shiizakana, and these attend further rounds of sake. Because the host leaves them with the first guest, they are also referred to as azukebachi (lit., "bowl left in another's care").
Casual kaiseki
The thing which put all menus of Kaiseki in Jubako (a nest of boxes). Shokado-bentoBento
is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware...
falls under this, too.
Kaiseki locations
Kaiseki is often served in ryokan in Japan, but it is also served in small restaurants. KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
is well known for its kaiseki. In Kyoto, kaiseki-style cooking is sometimes known as , to emphasize its traditional Kyoto roots.
Further reading
- Murata, Yoshihiro. Kaiseki: The Exquisite Cuisine of Kyoto's Kikunoi Restaurant. New York: Kodansha International, 2006. IBN 4770030223.
- Tsutsui, Hiroichi. "From kaiseki 会席 to kaiseki 懐石: The Development of Formal Tea Cuisine" in Chanoyu Quarterly no. 50 (Urasenke Foundation, 1987).
- Tsuji, Kaichi. Kaiseki: Zen Tastes in Japanese Cooking. Kodansha International, 1972; second printing, 1981.
External links
- Images of Kaiseki on FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
- Kyoto Travel Guide—Lists of Kyo Kaiseki Restaurants in Kyoto