kaiseki

is an austere, simple, compact form of cuisine developed around the tea ceremony. It encourages the use of delicate, seasonal morsels of food to complement the bitter-blandness of tea, as well as the refined atmosphere of the tea ritual.

Kaiseki cooking, under the influence of Buddhism, eschewed meat to a large degree and encouraged the use of delicate morsels of food that would complement the bitter-blandness of tea, as well as the refined atmosphere of the tea ritual itself. Thus, above everything else, the kaiseki cook must be responsive to the seasons and to the event. Only the freshest of ingredients, only small portions, and only the most perfectly arranged utensils and foods can complement the staid ritualization of drinking frothy, jade-green tea. Kaiseki cooking has become a cuisine in its own right, and can be enjoyed without the tea ritual that is its parent. Nonetheless, the same principles of simplicity, compactness, and austerity still hold true.

kaiseki, n.Definitions

kaiseki