Химия и химические
технологии/6.Органическая химия.
Kryvosheya M.S.
Vlasova I.A.
Donetsk National
University of Economics and Trade
Named after
Mikhailo Tugan-Baranovsky
Japanese cuisine has developed over the
centuries as a result of many political and social changes. The cuisine
eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding
of elitism with the age of shogun rule. In the early modern era massive changes
took place that introduced non-Japanese cultures, most notably Western culture, to Japan.
The modern term "Japanese cuisine" means traditional-style
Japanese food, similar to that already existing before the end of national seclusion in 1868. In a
broader sense of the word, it could also include foods whose ingredients or cooking methods were
subsequently introduced from abroad, but which have been developed by Japanese
who made them their own. Japanese cuisine is known for its emphasis on seasonality of food quality of
ingredients and presentation.
Since
its cultivation in Japan about 2000 years ago, rice has been Japan's most
important crop. Its fundamental importance to the country and its culture is
reflected by the facts that rice was once used as a currency, and that the
Japanese word for cooked rice. Also
has the general meaning of "meal". The literal meaning of breakfast,
for example, is "morning rice".
Japanese
rice is short grain and becomes sticky when cooked. Most rice is sold as
hakumai ("white rice"), with the outer portion of the grains polished
away. Unpolished rice (gemmai) is considered less delicious by most people, but
its popularity has been increasing recently because gemmai is more nutritious
and healthier than hakumai.
A
second major rice variety used in Japan is mochi rice. Cooked mochi rice is
more sticky than conventional Japanese rice, and it is commonly used for
sekihan, or for pounding into rice cakes.
Rice
is processed and prepared in many different ways. Some popular processed rice
products are listed below, while a list of popular ways to use rice can be
found here. okayu,
sake,
wagashi,
senbei,
mochi,
donburi
and sushi.
The Japanese eat three meals a day, and afternoon and late-night
snacking is normal. This popular expectation of three meals a day dates to the
middle of the Edo period (1600–1868). One traditional definition of a meal in
Japan is that it includes rice, soup, pickles, and at least one side dish.
In normal home cooking these components are usually served together rather than
as separate courses. In specialty restaurants, the main course is sometimes
served first accompanied by sake (rice wine), followed by rice, soup, and
pickles to mark the end of the meal.
Rice has been cultivated in Japan in wet paddies for about two thousand
years. Introduced from southern China, the preference in Japan has always been
for a glutinous, short-grained variety.
Traditionally rice is boiled or steamed, and in modern kitchens it is usually
prepared in automatic rice cookers.
Three major ingredients, which may be used together or separately,
create the basic stock of a Japanese soup. The first is katsuo-bushi, or dried bonito. The bonito is dried and processed
to create hard, woodlike pieces that are easily stored. A planelike tool is
used to take shavings from it that are dropped into hot water, then strained
out. Instant powders are often substituted. The second major ingredient is kelp, which is also
available as an instant powder. Konbu
and katsuo-bushi often are used
together to create a stock. The third ingredient, shiitake mushrooms, are
boiled with or without kelp to create a vegetarian soup stock used, for example, the vegetarian cuisine of Buddhist temples.
Japanese pickles are primarily pickled vegetables. They exist in
great variety and add texture and diversity to even a simple menu. Originally
pickling preserved vegetables for use through the winter, but pickles have come
to occupy a place in the menu year-round.
Traditional salads are served cold and can be divided into two basic
categories, vinegared salads and salads with heavier dressings. The vinegar-based dressings usually
include a basic soup stock and soy sauce and might also include some
fruit juice, ginger, or grated daikon radish as well. Heavier dressings are often
made with pureed tofu, ground sesame seeds, or miso.
Japan is surrounded by the sea. Both cold and warm currents lap the
islands, creating a variety of ecological niches. This in turn supplies Japan
with a variety of fish, shellfish, and marine vegetables. Since the Edo period
raw fish has been served as sashimi, sliced into bite-sized
pieces and garnished. Grated daikon radish or wasabi, a Japanese root product
related to horseradish that adds pungent flavor, is provided along with a small
side bowl of dipping sauce. The radish or wasabi condiment is added to the dipping sauce
to taste, then the fish slices are dipped and eaten. In casual home cooking
this dipping sauce might simply be soy sauce, but in restaurants it is often
soy sauce reduced with.
The traditional Japanese table setting has varied considerably over the
centuries, depending primarily on the type of table common during a given era.
Before the 19th century, small individual box tables or flat floor trays were
set before each diner. Larger low tables that accommodated entire families were
gaining popularity by the beginning of the 20th century, but these gave way to
western style dining tables and chairs by the end of the 20th century.
Traditional Japanese table setting is to place a bowl of rice on your
left and to place a bowl of miso soup on your right side at the table. Behind
these, each okazu is served on its own individual plate. Based
on the standard three okazu
formula, behind the rice and soup are three flat plates to hold the three okazu; one to far back left, one at
far back right, and one in the center. Pickled vegetables are often served on
the side but are not counted as part of the three okazu. Chopsticks are generally placed at the
very front of the tray near the diner with pointed ends facing left and
supported by a chopstick rest.