1. Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Awesome.2Cents! A Healthy Lifestyle Curriculum for Teens…
Lesson 9, Vegetarianism
Tribal Diet C
Buddhist Monks of Japan
Japanese Vegetarian Cuisine
About 44 percent of Japanese are Buddhists. Buddhists monasteries are
vegetarian. Traditionally, Zen monasteries served only a couple of meals a
day ñ all before midday.
Japanese vegetarian food tends to be based on rice, tofu, vegetables, sea
vegetables and mushrooms. On the whole, it is simple food, which is often
cooked quickly by methods such as grilling, steaming, or stir-frying. Most
recipes use fresh ingredients to which flavorings such as soy sauce, sake,
miso or dashi are added. Diet consisted mostly of rice, millet, soy, and
vegetables in various forms. Other foods are sweet potatoes and bamboo.
Usual vegetables used are shiitake mushrooms and dried bonito. Of all
beans, the soybean is the most significant. It is a good source of vegetable
protein, and its importance in the Japanese diet is surpassed only by that of
rice. Some several hundred varieties of salted vegetables are known in
Japan; however, the method of pickling common in the West, using vinegar,
has not developed there.
Konbu, (giant kelp added salt and calcium) is used to flavor the broth. Konbu
stock is a signature element of both modern and traditional Japanese cuisine
Another kind of kelp, is called wakame. Hijiki is another kelp. Nori is a
seaweed that has is used a lot in Japanese cuisine.
Bacillus subtilis bacteria, which grow on rice straw, are cultivated on boiled
soybeans to produce natto¯. Natto¯ has a unique sticky consistency and is
usually seasoned with soy sauce and mustard before eating; minced natto¯
is used as an ingredient of soybean-paste soup. Natto¯ contains abundant
protein and vitamin B2 and has been popular as a breakfast food because it
is easily digestible.
Vegetarian diets, or sho¯jin-ryo¯ri, rely on a variety of foods processed from
soybeans. These include tofu, abura-age (fried tofu), ko¯ri-do¯fu (freeze-
dried tofu), and yuba (paper-thin processed tofu), as well as mushrooms, sea
plants, sesame, walnuts, and, of course, vegetables. Fu, which is produced
by condensing wheat gluten, has also been a popular foodstuff. From a
dietetic point of view, the Japanese vegetarian diet is both well balanced and
quite rational. It supplies protein from tofu and similar products, fat from
sesame, walnuts, and vegetable oil, vitamins from vegetables, and minerals
from sea plants. Such a diet not only is nutritious but also offers many

2. palatable recipes, which have been refined by such techniques as employing
a broth made from dried sea tangle and mushrooms as a base for cooking.
Vegetable oils, which are extensively used, were especially developed by
those Zen Buddhist monks who had maintained contacts with China.
When a Japanese meal is served, all of the courses are usually put on the
table at the same time and food is served in several small bowls, rather than
on one plate, so that the different flavors can be appreciated. Meals are
eaten with chopsticks which are kept in a chopstick rack when they are not
being used. In daily meals, vegetables have generally constituted the main
ingredients of side dishes and soups, accompanied by rice.
Japanese food is always well-garnished, using vegetables which are cut in
decorative ways - twists, fan shapes, flower shapes etc. A typical Japanese
vegetarian meal would consist of: rice, soup, two or three savory protein and
vegetable dishes (Okazu) and Japanese pickles. Desserts are not usually
eaten. Green tea is usually drunk at the end of a meal and on special
occasions fresh fruit would be eaten too. Eggs are frequently used in
Japanese recipes, either in omelettes, or raw eggs are sometimes added to
soup or to hot rice. So, vegans beware!
Breakfast in Japan usually consists of rice, pickled vegetables and miso soup,
but the western-style breakfast of coffee and toast is becoming more
popular.
Soup
Soup is usually served in a lidded bowl (to keep it warm) and is eaten
throughout the meal, rather than as a separate course. Soup can be thick
(miso shiru) or clear (suimono). Both types of soup are made with dashi.
Vegetarian dashi is generally made by soaking seaweeds (such as kombu or
wakame) and/or shiitake mushrooms in water for about an hour. The stock is
then boiled and the solid ingredients are removed. Clear soups can have tofu
cubes added to the dashi and they are usually garnished with twists of lemon
zest or shredded spring onions. Thick soups usually have miso added to
them. Vegetables such as beansprouts, carrot matchsticks and cabbage can
also all be added to this kind of soup.
Rice
Rice is served at most Japanese meals, even breakfast! In Japan rice is often
cooked in an electric rice cooker. Gohan is plain white rice and is served in
its own bowl with a rice garnish. Suitable rice garnishes (furikake) include:
goma-shio (toasted sesame seeds, crushed with salt) and nori-goma which is
made in a similar way but ajitsuke nori seaweed is also added. Plain rice can
also be livened up by cooking the rice with peas, shiitake mushrooms, aduki
beans, or sticks of ginger root. Cooked, left-over, rice is used in many ways
in Japanese cuisine. Onigiri are riceballs or triangles. They are often taken

3. to work in lunch boxes and can be garnished with strips of ajitsuke-nori
seaweed, or can contain umeboshi (plum) paste. Donburi are also made
from left-over rice and are served in special donburi bowls. They often have
strips of aburage (flat sheets of tofu) placed on top of them. Sushi (rice
sandwiches) are made from vinegared Japanese rice and are stuffed with a
tasty filling. Suitable vegetarian stuffings include: aburage, shiitake
mushrooms or sheets of nori. Watch out for fish which can also frequently be
used to stuff sushi! The Japanese take sushi to work in their lunchboxes. The
lunch box is in two sections - with rice on one side and sushi (or a similar
savoury) on the other. Pickles are included too.
Noodles
Noodles are usually served as a snack rather then for a meal. In Japan they
can be purchased in a noodle bar and are commonly eaten at lunchtime. The
most commonly available types of noodles include: udon, soba or harusame.
Udon and soba noodles are often served in a soup base (similar to dashi) and
natto (a soya bean product), fried tofu cubes, ajitsuke nori seaweed, or
chopped spring onions, can all be added to the noodles. It is possible to buy
packets of 'instant' noodles in most oriental shops.
Tofu
Tofu is frequently used in Japanese cuisine. It can be added to soups, or
deep-fried and is served in its own bowl with slices of pickled ginger or
chopped spring onions. Tofu is also served grilled, barbequed or even iced!
Tempura
These are vegetables which are deep-fried in a batter that contains eggs.
Tempura are therefore not vegan. Many different kinds of vegetables are
used to make them. They are eaten with pickles, rice, miso soup and a
tempura dipping sauce.
Pickles
There are many types of Japanese pickles. In Japan pickles are eaten with all
meals - including breakfast!
Salads
Japanese salads are usually made from edible flowers, beansprouts,
seaweed, daikon radish, or bamboo shoots.

4. Commonly Used Japanese Ingredients
Aduki beans - small red beans which are used to make red rice.
Bamboo Shoots (takenoko) fresh or canned.
Burdock (gobo)- a long root vegetable with a crunchy texture
Daikon - a large white radish which can weigh up to 2.2 kg. It is used
in stews and soups, or raw as a garnish. It can also be grated and
used in a dipping sauce.
Dashi - A soup stock, made from hot water and kelp.
Ginger – a root, spice.
Green tea - It is drunk throughout Japan (and also in China) and is
believed to contain cathechins - special chemicals which are thought to
have anti-cancer properties.
Konbu (kombu) - dried kelp. A greenish-brown sea vegetable, used
in dashi.
Mirin - a form of sweet sake which is used for cooking.
Mochi - a rice cake which is used in soups. Mochi are grilled until
golden brown, placed in the bottom of a soup bowl and then the soup
is poured over them.
Noodles - Varieties which are commonly used in Japanese cookery
include:
o Udon - white noodles made from wheat flour. They come in
various thicknesses and can be bought dried.
o Soba - (buckwheat noodles) a greyish brown in colour, these
noodles are also sold dried. Green ones can sometimes be
purchased which are made with green tea.
o Harusame - are very fine transparent noodles which are
usually made from rice. Soak for five minutes before use.
Nori (laver) - a sea vegetable which is used to wrap sushi, or as a
garnish. It can be toasted by passing through a gas flame several
times and is also sold as flakes - ao-nori.
Onions – scallions or regular onion.
Rice - is eaten at most meals in Japan, even breakfast! Use any short
grain rice.
Sake - Japanese rice wine. Sake is frequently used in Japanese
cookery. It is served in a sake bowl.
Sesame seeds - both white and black sesame seeds are used as a
garnish on salads, or on bowls of rice.
Shiitake Mushrooms - these mushrooms are often used in Japanese
cookery. They can also be purchased dried..
Soy Sauce - a rich sauce which is made from soya beans, wheat and
salt.
Tofu - bean curd.
Umeboshi Plum - a pickled and salted plum, used for example to
make onigiri.
Vinegar - only use Japanese rice vinegar when cooking Japanese
meals. Use in salad dressings and for making sushi.

5. Wakame - a bright green seaweed. Use it in soups and as a salad
garnish. It needs to be soaked before use. Always remove the central
rib after soaking.
Weblinks:
http://www.btinternet.com/~bury_rd/japanese.htm