Question 1

Why does Japanese food use so many small separate dishes?

Accepted Answer

The many small dishes come from both philosophy and scarcity. On a mountainous archipelago with little farmland, portions had to be small, and dividing food into several vessels makes a modest meal feel generous. It also reflects ma, the aesthetic value placed on the space between things.

Question 2

What is umami and where was it discovered?

Accepted Answer

Umami is the fifth basic taste, a savory quality distinct from sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. It was identified in 1908 by Tokyo chemist Kikunae Ikeda, who isolated glutamate from kombu kelp broth and named the taste from umai, meaning delicious.

Question 3

What are the five colors, five tastes, and five methods in Japanese cooking?

Accepted Answer

This formula, go shiki go mi go ho, structures a traditional meal. The five colors are red, yellow, green, white, and black or purple; the five tastes are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami; the five methods are raw, grilled, simmered, steamed, and fried.

aesthetics

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The Empty Space on a Japanese Plate