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. |