Search results
Japanese cuisine, or washoku, has influenced cultures everywhere. In this article, we explore how the roots of Japanese foodways are sewn into the fabric of global cuisine.
- History of Yoshoku
- Five Popular Yoshoku Dishes and Background
- Yoshoku Today
Meiji Era
To begin talking about the origins of Yoshoku, let’s go back to the Meiji era (明治時代). The arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry at Kurihama in 1853 triggered the rapid modernization of Japan from an isolated feudal society. As portrayed in the historical fiction movie The Last Samurai or the popular anime and manga Rurouni Kenshin, this era marked a dramatic turning point in Japanese history where, to avoid the fate of many colonized Asian countries by Western powers, Japan opened its borders an...
Prohibition of Meat Consumption
You may have noticed that the traditional Japanese diet is mainly fish and seafood-based. This is because the “open” consumption of meat is relatively new. Several factors, such as the introduction of Buddhism from China, the rise of Shintoism and its teachings on the impurity of slaughtering, and Emperor Tenmu’s decree of banning the killing and eating of meat during certain times of the year (675 AD) created an ambiguous and undefined social taboo against the practice. However, the consumpt...
Now that you’ve gotten a brief history of the Meiji era and the history behind Yoshoku, let’s look into the iconic dishes that are still popular today!
Both casual and upscale, Yoshoku was à la mode compared to the rice and fish-based Washoku meal during the postwar period. Yoshoku can still be found today, served at Famiresu (ファミレス, casual diner chains), cafes (カフェ), Kissaten(喫茶店, old-school Japanese coffee houses), hotel restaurants, and even at convenience stores. Many restaurant establishments...
People also ask
What influenced Japanese cuisine?
What influence does Japanese culture have on food?
Does Japan have Western food?
What is Japanese cuisine recombined into traditional Japanese food culture?
Historically influenced by Chinese cuisine, Japanese cuisine has also opened up to influence from Western cuisines in the modern era. Dishes inspired by foreign food—in particular Chinese food—like ramen and gyōza, as well as foods like spaghetti, curry and hamburgers, have been adapted to Japanese tastes and ingredients.
Nov 12, 2019 · Yōshoku are dishes with Western origins that have been adapted to the Japanese palate. They are as much a part of modern culinary culture as traditional cuisine such as sushi and soba noodles.
Jul 4, 2023 · Explore the captivating journey of Japanese cuisine, from the incorporation of Western influences to the recombination of traditional and international flavors, creating a unique culinary...
Thus, several male and female cooks set up a style of mixed Japanese-Western cuisine (wayō secchū ryōri 和洋折衷料理) whose traces are still present today. Japan has thus appropriated a set of foreign culinary cultures, adapting it to its local conditions and giving birth to a large number of eclectic cuisines that are today one of its ...
Food is profoundly embedded in these frameworks, and shoku bunka (food culture) is a key concept for understanding the day-to-day foodways of Japanese society. Today in Japan, foodstuffs and cuisine attract constant attention.
