For most people, Japanese cuisine means sushi and sashimi, followed by ramen, tempura, miso soup, and kobe (wagyu) beef, but there's another type that whets their appetite and provides spiritual nourishment:shojin ryori. The name literally means vegetarian food, but in practice this cuisine is 'pescatarian', meaning that sometimes fish and other seafood are used. Either way, it's wholesome, home-cooked cuisine created by Buddhist monks in temples across the country.
By excluding meat, fish and spicy ingredients from other Japanese cuisines, shojin ryori focuses on fresh seasonal ingredients that are packed with nutrients. These are the meals Buddhist monks eat daily to help cleanse and purify their bodies and minds in support of ascetic practices. However, you don't have to seek relief to enjoy this delicious, healthy food. Combining shojin ryori with Japanese cultural experiences, such as Zen meditation and copying sutras, is said to help reset body and mind.
While it may seem contradictory to promote an intoxicating drink alongside a purifying diet, it is not uncommon for some Japanese monks to include sake in a balanced diet. They certainly cook with it when making shojin ryori like the Italians cook with wine. When it comes to drinking “hannyato” (as monks call sake), the specific rules vary by group, but most agree that moderate consumption can raise body temperature during frigid winters and clear the voice and soothe the throat. calm down while chanting sutras. In the spirit of hospitality, some temples even offer sake to visitors and there's even a monk-operated bar in Tokyo's bustling Shinjuku district that offers sake with a side of spiritual advice.
Legend has it that the founder of Zen Buddhism, a monk named Dogen Zenji, introduced shojin ryori to Japan in the 13th century. He did this because Buddhist tradition forbade the killing of animals for consumption, believing that doing so could cloud the mind and interfere with meditation. So, Zen Buddhist monks usually make meals without meat and other ingredients like garlic and onion that impart overwhelming flavors. These principles became the foundation of shojin ryori cuisine.
If the lack of meat, fish or spicy ingredients sounds bland, don't worry – shojin ryori is still delicious. That's because the monks follow the "rule of five" when cooking. That means each meal offers five colors (green, yellow, red, black, and white) and five flavors (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami or savory). These flavors naturally arise from proper preparation of the ingredients, not from additional flavorings. By balancing colors and flavors, the monks believe that a shojin ryori meal will provide a nutritional balance that keeps the body in tune with the seasons. For example, in the summer, cucumber and tomato help to cool the body, and in the fall and winter, root vegetables help to warm the body.
Monks typically prepare shojin ryori meals around the guiding idea of "ichi ju san sai," meaning "one soup, three sides" plus rice and pickles. It can be creamy carrot soup made with soy milk, or clear broth made with root vegetables, vegan dashi, and tofu. Small side dishes like goma-dofu (sesame tofu) are topped with freshly grated ginger, a little soy sauce and a pinch of wasabi – just to spice it up a bit.
Because shojin ryori is predominantly vegetarian, shojin ryori typically uses tofu and other soy-related products, such as abura-age (fried soy curd), koya-dofu (dried tofu), and natto (fermented soybeans). A traditional wheat gluten called fu is also used, as well as konnyaku, a gelatinous food made from the nutritious konjac plant, also known as glucomannan. shojin ryori is seasoned sparingly with dashi broth made with kombu kelp, mirin, miso, sake, sesame oil, soy sauce, and vinegar—just enough to bring out the flavors of the vegetables. Some dishes may use eggs and milk, but if one is vegan it is possible to get a dairy free meal.
Shojin ryori is very seasonal. In spring, tender wild mountain vegetables such as fuki (butterfly) stems and buds and the flowering nanohana (rapeseed) plant provide a gentle tartness. In summer, these ingredients are combined with juicy tomatoes and aubergines. In the fall, they accompany kabocha squash and sweet potatoes. In winter, they go well with daikon radishes and firm root vegetables.
Sometimes seasonal vegetables are prepared tempura-style – first they are marinated in miso-flavored water, then breaded and fried. When eggplant is in season, the monks will fry it and cover it with a rich miso glaze. It's delicious.
Shojin ryori meals often include traditional Japanese salads, such as shiro-ae, which consists of mashed tofu and vegetables flavored with soy sauce and sesame, or namasu, made with vinegar-seasoned julienne carrot and daikon radish.
By consuming a balanced diet of the five flavors, five colors and five methods of shojin ryori, in just the right portions, one gets all the nutrients needed to cleanse and stabilize the body. Few things are more enjoyable than sharing a healthy home-cooked meal with Japanese monks after a session of Zen meditation and copying sutras in a beautiful Japanese temple.
