"The first rule of cooking one learns in Japan is "Sozai o Mamoru" which means to protect an ingredient; or to showcase an ingredient's flavor without masking it", says Chef Niki Nakayama of n/naka in Los Angeles, California. When you pop a sushi roll in your mouth, it is the fresh and honest flavours that woo you. And Japanese cuisine is just that - a celebration of flavours and seasonal ingredients in their pure state, and food is presented as an art.
"A basic Japanese meal, which even I have grown up eating, consists of rice known as 'gohan', miso soup, pickled vegetables and fish or meat", says Chef Takanori Fukuda, from Megu, The Leela Palace, New Delhi. Have you ever eaten a cloud before? Because that's what their rice tastes like, incredibly light on the palate and the stomach. He adds, "As an island nation, the Japanese take great pride in their seafood. A wide variety of fish, squid, octopus, eel, and shellfish appear in all kinds of dishes from sushi to tempura".
Japanese food is usually healthy, fresh and well portioned. Take the bento box for example, one of their most simple dish concepts. It is a single portion meal prepared with rice, meat or fish, and vegetables, designed to include a variety of food sources addressing multiple nutritional needs. It offers a contrast of textures and flavours, and speaks volumes about the careful balance that is applied in Japanese cuisine. The first time I tried the bento box, I marvelled at the myriad textures and flavours released with each bite, then at its rapid disappearance.
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