ABSTRACT
This chapter identifies rice as the focal point of a well-constructed Japanese meal. Essential cooking techniques are grilling, simmering, frying, and steaming. It isn’t only the type of food that contributes to a culture’s unique culinary identity, but also the eating utensils that are used. Considering the primary modes of eating in the world, using chopsticks is on par with using forks, knives, and spoons. The worldwide preference, in contrast, is the thumb and first two fingers used as a scoop. That is, no implement at all. Etiquette for using chopsticks has evolved over their history in Japan. Part and parcel with its cuisine, Japanese culture maintains its own etiquette for dining and for the use of its service ware. A historical perspective amassed from ancient culinary records reveals the development of traditional formal dining from the highly structured and ritualized tea ceremony.
