@The term bento refers to a light meal served in a portable container. The first bentos were @created by tea masters who took the multi-tray arrangement of kaiseki and condensed it into @ a portable form. In the process they created another fixed style of dining. There are many @types of bento, but the following two are representative of Kyoto. |
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1DDaitoku-ji Fuchidaka Bento Daitoku-ji is a Zen temple located in Kyoto's Murasakino district. The container in which this temple's tenshin was served was the prototype of this bento. Fuchidaka means "high-sided", a term which derives from its convenient stacking design. The bento can be used for serving both sweets and tenshin. The lid of this elegant and simple container can be turned over and used as a base for a soup dish, as well as for another surface for serving food. Because this bento originated in temples, it originally contained only shojin-ryori, or Zen vegetarian food. As its use expanded to include kaiseki, such items as fish came to be added to its contents.
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2DShokado Bento A paint box owned by early Edo-period priest Shokado Shojo is said to have provided the inspiration for this bento. The high-sided container is divided into four equal compartments. In time, the measurements of the container became fixed, as well as the placement of the rice and other morsels. The lid does not merely serve as a device to keep out dust, but can be turned over to provide a stand for the soup bowl. With its innovative touches, the shokado bento brought new refinement to the etiquette of kaiseki. |