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What Is Kyoto Cuisine?         More about Kyoto Cuisine

                   Kyoto Cuisine

    An island nation blessed with a mild climate, Japan enjoys an abundance of seafood,vegetables,
    and rice. This wealth of ingredients largely explains why Japanese cooking evolved to become
    one of the world's great cuisines.

    Of the various types of Japanese cooking, Kyoto-style cuisine, or Kyo-ryori, occupies a foremost
    position. The city of Kyoto sits in a basin surrounded by mountains. Because the city is blessed
    with both good soil and water, vegetables of a very high quality can be produced in this setting. 

    The home of the imperial court, Kyoto served as the capital of Japan for more than one thousand 
    years. As a result of this long and aristocratic history, Kyoto's citizens became sophisticated 
    judges of quality. Having first-hand knowledge of the"real thing," they naturally tended to reject 
    the second-rate and the excessive. This continual striving for perfection perhaps accounts for 
    the refinement which characterizes Kyoto cuisine.  

    Kyo-ryori centers around vegetables and includes many items made from soybean products. 
    One of its main characteristics is its subtle flavoring, a result of a Zen Buddhist notion that
    the taste of fine ingredients is best altered as little as possible. Fortunately, the outlying areas
    of the city provide a supply of delicious food items, and these have helped make possible the 
    famous delicacy of Kyoto cuisine. 


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