Chapter 1: The Japanese Kitchen and Culture
“If you eat like the Japanese, you’ll be
fine.”
That was something that a lot of people
heard after World War II. In fact, it was during the second world war that
Americans first had access to Japanese food in all its strangeness and inspiring artistry.
It was also after the second world war that Japanese food first made it to
American shores, giving birth to fusion food like the California Maki and the tonkatsu, a lightly breaded and deep
fried slice of pork. There was something about the subtlety of the flavors and
the simple goodness that almost contradicted the incredibly detailed and
precise preparations that just seemed so healthy (compared to fries and burgers
and giant steaks).
What at first seems like a simple slice of raw tuna on rice turned
out to be a carefully selected part of the tuna belly chosen for its fat
content, cut and sliced to be paired with the sushi rice that was mixed with a
solution of sake or rice wine, sugar,
and salt and fanned until dry. It is then shaped by experienced chef’s hands
and served directly to a waiting guest. In the documentary Jiro Loves Sushi, an apprentice chef had to prepare tamagoyaki or a savory egg cake over and
over for weeks, even months, until Jiro finally deemed it worthy to be served
to guests. He cried.
Over time, we also discovered that there
is nothing simple about sushi and there is nothing simple about Japanese
cuisine. It also follows that there was nothing simple about authentic Japanese
dining, deeply rooted in traditional, Japanese culture. The Japanese make it
look simple, the way they make eating with chopsticks simple, but it takes
practice, skill, dedication, and genuine interest to prepare and even
appreciate Japanese dining. But the complexity of Japanese food extends beyond
the kitchen. Diners are also expected to follow dining etiquette, showing
proper respect to both the chef and the food.
But let’s start in the culture of a
Japanese kitchen.
The role of a chef is not just to
prepare food but to engage their customers, especially those seated at the bar.
Most customers come in at the end of a long day and as much as they need
delicious food, they also need a sympathetic ear. The chef, then, is not only
expected to master the preparation of food but should also be able to laugh,
talk, smile, and be hospitable.
To
reach the position of head chef in a Japanese restaurant requires decades of
training quite different from their Western counterparts. While being a chef in
other parts of the world is also considered demanding and rigorous, a good
culinary education and a good resume are usually the highlights restaurant
owners or hotel managers look for when hiring. That means that chefs in other
parts of the world are encouraged to travel and learn and study from different
chefs. In Japan, aspiring chefs rarely attend culinary school and instead
apprentice to master chefs. These cooks apprentice to the same chef for over a decade
(sometimes longer) before they are deemed fit to face the customers or prepare
the more intricate dishes. Food in Japan is a serious business and requires
very detail-oriented people. Otherwise, the food will suffer.
Here’s an example. Cutting sashimi is a
very detailed process, with the cut starting at the base of the knife and
eventually ending at its tip. According to Japanese chefs, for one piece of
sashimi to be perfectly cut, you must use the entirety of the sushi knife to
cut one piece, smoothly gliding at an angle through the tuna or salmon until it
rests on the end of the knife. They say that if the fish is not cut this way, the
quality will suffer. A true Japanese cuisine aficionado will taste the
difference and complain.
Sushi Maki, those rolls of rice and fish that have become so popular in the US and in other parts of the world, also requires detailed attention. It is not just preparation of the ingredients but also the handling of the components. It is how you pick up the sheet of nori or seaweed paper, making sure your hands are moisture free. It is how you shape the sushi rice into a ball before you spread it out into the nori. It is how you roll the maki up and how you divide it with a sushi knife, its edge lightly wetted with water. It is the direction of the maki’s rotation when it is served – when it looks like the nori paper is rotated to the left, it signifies death; it should always be to the right lest you offend your customer.
There is a certain way of movement in a kitchen that a Japanese chef or cook has that is distinct. Even in Japanese restaurants outside of Japan, you can tell by looking at the cooks whether they were trained by a real Japanese chef, whether they themselves are Japanese or not. Theirs is a craft of tradition and of respect for the food and ingredients. It is no wonder that they expect the same level of attention from their customers.
Daisuke Uttagawa, an influential figure in bringing Japanese cuisine to American taste buds, was once asked how he translates Japanese food to the American palate. He simply answered, “We don’t.” Instead, he spoke of instilling the Japanese philosophy into the ingredients that are available in the US and preparing them in the same Japanese traditions. One look at the California Maki and you see his point.
The California Maki has become one of the best known sushi maki worldwide and was actually first made in Los Angeles, California. Made in the 1960s in a land that rarely had sushi grade tuna (at the time), it was made with the more readily available ingredients like avocado, cucumber, and crab meat. It soon gave birth to a long line of what a lot of people considered Japanese-American fusion cuisine. But it is only the ingredients that were substituted; the traditions of sushi maki preparation weren’t sacrificed. Some would say that these traditions would never be sacrificed, but are sometimes evolved.
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