Food & Drink Flashcards
What did UNESCO do?
UNESCO registered Washoku as an intangible cultural heritage.
What are the Four Feature of Washoku?
1) Diversity and freshness of ingredients, and respect for their inherent flavours
2) An exceptionally well-balanced and healthy diet
3) An expression of natural beauty and the changing seasons
4) Close links with annual events
What is Koji?
Fermented food made by growing koji mold (a type of fungus) on grains.
What is Koji Mold?
- produces enzymes that break down starches into sugars and proteins into amino acids.
- creates rich flavors and umami
- Japans “national mold”
What are the different types of Koji?
rice koji, barley koji, and soybean koji
Koji plays a crucial role in …
Japanese fermentation culture.
Whats the history of Miso in the Heian Period?
-Luxury item
-Consumed as spread or food
-Used as payment for the elite
Three types of Miso
rice miso, barley miso, and soybean miso
Whats the history of Miso in the Azuchi Momoyama Period?
-Used as a military food
-Valuable source of protein
-Samurai promoted the production of miso.
Making process of Miso
soybeans + koji + salt
What are the three types of soysauce?
Koikuchi (common)
Usukuchi (light colour)
Tamar (dark)
What are the ingrediants for soysauce?
Soybeans, wheat, salt, water and koji-mold
History of Sake
Rice cultivation was introduced in Yayoi Period
Served as an offering to the kami gods in yayoi period
Ingredients for Sake?
Rice, koji, yeast, water
What are the differences between the brewing process of sake and those of beer and wine
Sake requires a unique double process of saccharification with Koji, unlike beer (which relies on malt) and wine (which skips saccharification due to natural grape sugars)
Benefits of using Sake for cooking
- Removes unwanted odors from the food (like fish)
- Preserve the original flavor and aroma.
- Enhances umami due to the presence of amino acids.
- Make the ingredients tender.
Why use mirin instead of (in addition to) sugar or sake
- sweeter
- Flavour balance (harmonizes overall flavor of the food)
- Creates a glaze
- Reduce odor
- Penetrates flavor
- Adjust sweetness (less overpowering than sugar)
Dashi and Umami, Four Japanese ingredients for making dashi
- Dried sardines
- Konbu, kelp
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Dried bonito flakes
Brief Description of Tow Kaiseki
- originated from tea ceremony
- Used seasonal ingredients
- visually stunning
Brief Description of Shojin ryori
- Based on Buddhist principles, it avoids meat and fish, focusing instead on vegetables, beans, and grains.
- Meal for purifying the mind and body
- Often consumed by Buddhist monks and during religious ceremonies
History of Sushi
Origin of sushi: Traced back to Southeast Asia.
Nara：Became a delicacy for the nobility.
Muromach: Became popular among the common people.
Mid-Edo：Started to use vinegar and salt on rice. (Haya-zushi, zushi=sushi)
Late-Edo：The emergence of Nigiri sush！
When was the California Roll Invented?
1970s
US: LA
Canada: Vancouver
What is the Osaka style of Okonomiyaki?
A wheat flour batter
Mix of cabbage, flour, egg, and sliced pork → cooked on an iron griddle
What is the Hiroshima style for Okonomiyaki?
Layered rather than mixed and features noodles
Types of Sake
Determined by two basic factors:
- Milling degree
- Whether or not distilled alcohol is added to the sake.
- The higher the seimai-buai (i.e. the more the rice is milled), the clearer and more pure the finished product.
Sake consumption is…
- declining in Japan
- Sake export has increased (in the world)
History of Green Tea in Kamakura
Matcha was introduced.
- The Zen monk Eisai brought back the prototype of matcha from China.
-Consumed to stay awake during meditation.
-Tea cultivation spread, primarily around temples.
-Only for monks and samurai
History of Green Tea in Edo
-dramatic changes and improvements in tea processing methods （Nagatanien)
-Still considered as a luxury item.
Matcha making process
Shade-Growing: Tea plants are shaded from sunlight 3-4 weeks before harvest to increase chlorophyll and amino acids.
Harvesting: Only the youngest, tender leaves are picked for matcha.
Steaming: Leaves are steamed to preserve color and nutrients.
Drying: Steamed leaves are dried, forming tencha (unrefined matcha leaves).
De-Stemming and De-Veining: Stems and veins are removed, leaving only the leaf.
Grinding: Tencha leaves are ground into fine powder using stone mills, producing matcha.
Storage: Matcha is stored in a cool, dark place to preserve freshness and color.
Features of Wagashi
Delicate flavors: subtle sweetness & natural flavors
Beautiful presentation
Use of natural ingredients: sweet rice, matcha, red beans, etc
Traditional techniques
Seasonal themes: reflect seasons and various events
What is Yogashi?
- western sweet
- introduced from europe after meiji period
- shortcake
- Baumkuchen (literally ‘tree cake’ in German)
- Maumkuchen
