THE EDIBLE BEAUTY

I have been living and traveling around Japan for almost a decade. My passion in cooking and food is second to none. I work as a freelance translator, interpreter, and writer since 2009. In 2017, I published my first book about Japanese food and traveling tips, “Adventure Japan”.

Washoku (Japanese cuisine), the edible beauty: In Japan, ‘delicious’ can be seen with our own eyes. All details are well-thought and all components are well-placed in their own spaces and forms as if each dish is a piece of art. Absolutely, food is art. Dynamic colours play a very large role in Washoku. Ruby-red from tuna, Sakura-pink from Tai (a red sea bream), different shades of green from okra and avocado, golden brown and amber from Nattō (Japanese fermented beans), and a little bit of accent from Myōga (a Japanese ginger) create a perfect and peaceful harmony in a Bakudan-don (a kind of rice bowl). The harmony of colours is emphasised in all dishes including Tonjiru (a pork and vegetables miso soup), Karaage (fried chicken), and Sakura mochi. Each dish looks simple, sophisticated, and well represents the concept of edible beauty. The art of Washoku lies beyond mere arrangement of colours but also includes other subtle elements awaiting to be revealed.