Samurai Food by Catherine Qin

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 01:38:19 UTC

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 01:44:15 UTC

Soba Noodle

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 01:52:19 UTC

Popular food in Edo (eaten standing at portable roadside stands).

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 01:52:53 UTC

Tempura

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 01:55:09 UTC

In the 16th century, Portuguese Christian missionaries brought the Western-style cooking method of coating foods with flour and then frying them to Japan.

Shojin Tempura (Vegetable Tempura) –– Buddhism forbade the eating of meat, which meant that only vegetables were used in tempura.

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 01:57:40 UTC

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 01:58:50 UTC

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 02:01:37 UTC

On the side of the road, there are "shiruko stores," "dango stores," "barley tea stores," "nihachi soba stores," "tempura stores" (the only ingredient was fish at that time), "squid barbecue stores", "water vendors" (water from deep wells), "sushi stores", "slushy stores."

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 02:24:25 UTC

Recent retiree Takeshi rediscovers his passion for food and life by getting in touch with his inner warrior and eating what he truly desires.

Rice

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 02:38:49 UTC

Samurai ate husked rice. They are far less pleasant, with a grainy texture and bad taste compared to the brown rice we eat today.

Focus on practicality (unpolished rice has higher nutritional value)
Reveal an adherence to wabi-sabi — an ancient Japanese aesthetic philosophy that embraces simplicity and authenticity over-refinement and luxury.

Meat

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 06:18:09 UTC

Both the Shinto and Buddhist root religions consider eating meat to be unclean. The laws may restrict the consumption of mammals, but they say nothing of seafood.

*The people of Medieval Japan were unaware that whales were mammals and thus consumed them.

The Samurai became what we today would call pescatarians –– people who do not eat meat but do eat fish.
Meat was considered a luxury item and was often only eaten by higher-ranking Samurai and commanders.
Red meat was not part of the pre-modern Japanese diet and did not become popular until the Meiji Era.

Sake (Rice Wine)

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 06:25:30 UTC

Samurai of all ranks consumed sake (made from fermented rice), said to be their second favorite drink after tea.

Originated between 1000 and 500 BCE, around the time rice cultivation began in Japan.
Drink before battle, often having three cups, a lucky number in Japanese society.
Give courage and calm the nerves, a common practice of the time that persists even to this day in some militaries.
Drinking was common among the samurai class. It was sometimes considered impolite not to get drunk at a drinking party.

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 06:28:32 UTC

The samurai had a disciplined approach to food. Food for the samurai was simply a matter of fuelling their bodies, not something to be enjoyed.

There was no big difference in the contents of their meals between the lower-rank samurai and peasants. Some of the samurai had gardens in which they grew vegetables and lived almost self-sustainably.

Staple foods in the samurai diet included brown rice, miso soup, fish, fresh vegetables, seaweed, tofu, pickled vegetables (Tsukemono), and green tea (Matcha).

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 06:41:10 UTC

Seasonal and local ingredients played a significant role in samurai cooking, reflecting their deep connection with nature and adherence to sustainable practices.

They make the most of what is readily available around them while remaining cost-effective. In line with the principle of ichi go ichi e (cherishing every encounter), each meal was treated as a unique experience that honored these seasonal offerings handed down by nature itself.

Tea (Matcha)

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 06:42:56 UTC

Tea played a significant role in samurai culture and was often used as a tool for relaxation and meditation.
It was also seen as an essential part of hospitality, with tea ceremonies being an important aspect of social gatherings.
Samurai warriors would also carry small bags of matcha with them on long journeys or battles to boost their energy levels and promote focus.

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 06:44:34 UTC

One such custom was the use of Ochawans or small rice bowls that were never filled to their brim but served in moderation as an expression of humility.

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 06:45:12 UTC

Samurai dining etiquette was highly ritualized with specific tools and techniques used when eating. Today’s Japanese culture still reflects these practices.

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 06:50:55 UTC

The presentation of food — each dish was delicately arranged to resemble nature, with fruits and vegetables cut into intricate shapes like flowers, birds, or other animals.

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 06:50:59 UTC

Only specific utensils were used when handling different types of food — skewers for grilled dishes and chopsticks reserved for delicate servings like sashimi (sliced raw fish).

Katsuobushi

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 07:00:22 UTC

This dish is a dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna that has a smoky and savory flavor. It was a staple food for the samurai.

Miso Soup

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 07:00:30 UTC

Made from fermented soybean paste, this traditional Japanese soup was also part of the samurai’s diet.

Sushi

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 07:00:44 UTC

Originally served as a way to preserve fish, sushi was later enjoyed by samurai before going into battle.

Some say it actually originated in China between the 5th and the 3rd centuries BC –– a dish called Narezushi.

Pickled Vegetables (Tsukemono)

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 07:45:07 UTC

The traditional Japanese principles suggest that a meal should contain a variety of colors, flavors, and cooking methods while taking into account sensory and aesthetic considerations. Tsukemono helped create this harmony.

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 08:18:49 UTC

Washoku –– Japanese food.

Washoku places heavy emphasis on seasonal ingredients, balance with nature, and gratitude for the people and things that made the meal possible.

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 08:21:06 UTC

Yoshoku –– Western (international) food reinvented the Japanese way.

It originated in the Meiji period when many things started to fuse.

Kare Raisu (Curry Rice)

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 08:26:32 UTC

Although originating from India, this dish made its way to Japan via the British in the late 1800s.

Omurice

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 08:31:51 UTC

The name omurice comes from the words “omelet” and “rice.”

Tonkatsu

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 08:35:30 UTC

Tonkatsu is modeled after continental dishes like the British cutlet, French côtelette, and German schnitzel.

Do you think the Bushido codes have an impact on the samurai's culinary habits and practices? If so, how?

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 08:46:23 UTC

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 08:53:23 UTC

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 08:53:50 UTC

cqin20241_1 — 2023-11-14 14:05:19 UTC

“Whenever Kasumi is challenged by a new experience, an imaginary wandering samurai appears – Kasumi’s idealized self – to show him the way. (When he is too embarrassed to drink a beer with lunch, the samurai swaggers into the restaurant and demolishes a bottle of sake. Emboldened, Kasumi orders two beers.) On his journeys of self-discovery, he finds unfamiliar inner strength in the face of uncertainty and lets go of the pressures and worries of his former life, eating and doing whatever he wants.”