Do you see the three small bowls just in front of you? The left one was made from seaweed and the right one was made from boiled sweet vegetables. The center was a cooked rice cake, which is the symbol of happiness in Japan. In other words, these dishes meant a gift from sea and land.
The symbolic Japanese cuisine is called "Kaiseki", which is artistic because each dish is served individually with a small amout of carefully prepared and beautifully arranged food. Kaiseki requires many attendants. As soon as each dish is prepared, it must be served to everyone, keeping hot dishes hot, cold ones cold. So that the attendants always have to observe the guests and inform the kitchen staff when every guest finishes the dish. The dishes are served at everyone's pace.
By the way, our party was planned with low cost and lots of dishes were put on the individual table at once. You'll see the thin transparent sheet on the raw food dish for protection from the dust and keeping it cool with refrigerant.
If served traditionally, the three dishes that I mentioned in the opening paragraph would be served individually at first with a small glass of plum wine as the appetizer.
(Vocabulary)
bowl 深鉢, わん, どんぶり, (料理用の) ボウル
plum wine 梅酒
refrigerant 保冷剤
(Jan. 10th 2010)
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