Japanese food is one of the more
original cuisines
on this planet, having developed over millenia in relative
isolation (the sole major influence being
China) and with rather strict
dietary restrictions
born from both
poverty and
religion. To reduce the subject of dozens of books and scholarly
dissertations to a series of bullet points, Japanese food could be characterized as:
- healthy, consisting primarily of rice,
vegetables, and fish in that order
- frugal, since nearly all parts of anything that grows or swims is eaten
- simple or even austere, because the flavor of fresh ingredients is crucial
- mild, as spices are used very sparingly
- elegant, since the appearance of the meal is considered nearly as important as the taste
...and, let's face it, often rather...
- weird to non-Japanese folks, since so many of the ingredients and some of the preparation methods used are unique to Japanese cuisine and thus unfamiliar.
For an excellent introduction to Japanese food, I
wholeheartedly recommend
Shizuo Tsuji's
Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art (Kodansha). Of course, an even better introduction would be a visit to
Japan, since
"real" Japanese food is notoriously difficult to find
elsewhere.
An extensive collection of Japanese recipes can be
found in the Cookery catalogue under
Japanese recipes.