Abstract
In contemporary Japanese, the word "kaiseki" is written with characters for "gathering" (KAI/AU) and "seat, occasion, place" (SEKI) and commonly refers to an exquisite Japanese banquet cuisine. Kaiseki is characterized by its delicious, refined, seasonal, local, and expensive nature. A kaiseki meal typically consists of a succession of about a dozen courses, masterfully prepared from micro-seasonal local ingredients and served on spacious dishes. The presentation is an essential part of the overall experience, with dishes reflecting the season, style, and locale. With Japanese cuisine expanding into many parts of the world, the Japanese taste and style have significantly influenced the global culinary scene. Not only is sushi available practically everywhere, but we can also find "French kaiseki," where traditional Japanese forms are adapted to create a completely different banquet experience. However, few remember that the term "kaiseki" originally derives from "chakaiseki," a meal that precedes partaking of tea in a formal tea gathering. Historically, "kaiseki" referred to a warm stone that Zen monks placed inside the overlap of their meditation robes to ease hunger during meditation sessions and prevent stomach growling. This paper will trace the evolution of the kaiseki meal from the tradition of shojin ryori (vegetarian meals at Zen monasteries) to its role in a full tea gathering (chaji) and its broader influence on Japanese cuisine, transforming from a "warming rock" to a "gathering place." Additionally, the study will explore kaiseki as a culinary style and its impact on global cuisine.
Author Information
Alexandre Avdulov, Saint Mary’s University, Canada
Paper Information
Conference: KAMC2024
Stream: Aesthetics and Design
This paper is part of the KAMC2024 Conference Proceedings (View)
Full Paper
View / Download the full paper in a new tab/window
To cite this article:
Avdulov A. (2024) “Warming Rock” of Japanese Cuisine ISSN: 2436-0503 – The Kyoto Conference on Arts, Media & Culture 2024: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 189-193) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2436-0503.2024.18
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2436-0503.2024.18
Comments
Powered by WP LinkPress