Article on Japanese Cookery for Vegans

A lot of the food eaten throughout Japan is not vegan. For although dairy products are not normally encountered in the Japanese diet, shellfish and fish are frequently included in Japanese recipes and so too are eggs. Sea products feature very strongly in Japanese cookery because only about 16% of the land is cultivable and consequently Japan harvests most of its food from the sea. Japan's mineral-rich waters contain many fish, shellfish and sea vegetables (seaweeds).

So, with all this talk about fish, you may be starting to wonder if it is possible for vegans and vegetarians to eat any Japanese food at all? The answer is yes if you know where to look for it and also what to look for. If you plan to visit Japan, then the best place to find vegetarian/vegan food is in a Zen temple!

Shojin Ryori (Temple Food)

Shojin Ryori is a vegetarian cuisine which was first developed in the Kyoto area of Japan. It is based mainly on rice, tofu and fresh vegetables and is eaten by Buddhist monks (who are forbidden to include any fish, meat or eggs in their diets). Shojin Ryori is not a particularly popular way of eating in Japan, but vegetarians and vegans will find it well worth experiencing. It is frequently served in the restaurants which are located near to Zen temples and can also be purchased from many of the temples themselves, providing a reservation has been made in advance. Zen Temple addresses are often listed in guidebooks.

However, as most of us will probably not be visiting Japan, at least not in the near future, this month I would like to introduce you to some do-it-yourself Japanese cookery.

Incidentally, the Japanese have the longest life expectancy in the world and although no one knows exactly why this is so, it is possible that their diet, which is high in fibre and vitamins and low in fat could have something to do with it. And, the Japanese diet, like the Mediterranean diet, also contains certain protective foods such as green tea, shiitake mushrooms and soya products (e.g. tofu). These foods have been shown to contain substances which may offer some protection against cancer and heart disease.

Japanese food does, however, tend to have a high salt content and so anybody who has to be careful about their salt intake, should avoid consuming a lot of miso, tamari or pickles.

Japanese Ingredients

The following ingredients are frequently used in Japanese cuisine. You will probably find these ingredients slightly harder to find than the Mediterranean ingredients, I wrote about in last month's issue. However, most of them can be obtained fairly easily from either a health food shop, or from an Oriental or Japanese grocery shop. And, if you do find it difficult to obtain any of these ingredients, then you will find a list of Japanese mail order suppliers in The Japanese Vegetarian Cookbook, which is listed in the further reading section of this article.

Commonly Used Japanese Ingredients

Aduki beans - small red beans which are used to make red rice.
Bamboo Shoots (takenoko) - If you can't obtain fresh ones, these can often be purchased in cans.
Burdock (gobo)- a long root vegetable with a crunchy texture. Prepare it by trimming off the rootlets and then scrub clean with a brush. Burdock should be immersed in cold water after slicing in order to retain its colour. If you would like to grow your own Burdock, then see this month's 'What's Happening in the Veganic Garden'.
Daikon - a large white radish which can weigh up to 2.2 kg. It is used in stews and soups, or raw as a garnish. It can also be grated and used in a dipping sauce.
Dashi - A soup stock, made from hot water and kelp. Dashi often contains bonito flakes (katsuo-bushi). These are flakes of mackeral and are definately not suitable for vegans/vegetarians! Check out anything which contains dashi (e.g miso soup) when eating in Japan as it might well contain bonito flakes.
Ginger - widely available in Britain. Always use fresh ginger root, not powdered ginger. Break a piece off the root and peel it before use. Japanese grocer shops also sell vinegared ginger which can be used as a garnish in some recipes.
Green tea - is grown on low hills in Japan. It picked from May onwards by tea pickers, who wear traditional cone-shaped, straw hats and is steamed soon after picking so that it retains its green colour. It is drunk throughout Japan (and also in China) and is believed to contain cathechins - special chemicals which are thought to have anti-cancer properties.
Konbu (kombu) - dried kelp. A greenish-brown sea vegetable, used in dashi.
Mirin - a form of sweet sake which is used for cooking.
Mochi - a rice cake which is used in soups. Mochi are grilled until golden brown, placed in the bottom of a soup bowl and then the soup is poured over them.
Noodles - Varieties which are commonly used in Japanese cookery include:
- Udon - white noodles made from wheat flour. They come in various thicknesses and can be bought dried.
- Soba - (buckwheat noodles) a greyish brown in colour, these noodles are also sold dried. Green ones can sometimes be purchased which are made with green tea.
- Harusame - are very fine transparent noodles which are usually made from rice. Soak for five minutes before use.
Nori (laver) - a sea vegetable which is used to wrap sushi, or as a garnish. It can be toasted by passing through a gas flame several times and is also sold as flakes - ao-nori.
Onions - see veganic garden section if you would like to grow your own, or else substitute spring onions. This type of onion is frequently used as a garnish in Japanese cookery.
Rice - is eaten at most meals in Japan, even breakfast! It is grown in terraced paddy fields which have been hacked out of the mountainside. Purchase Japanese or American-Japanese rice if possible, or else use any short grain rice.
Sake - Japanese rice wine. Sake is frequently used in Japanese cookery. It is served in a sake bowl. As far as I can see, sake appears to be suitable for vegans. However, I am still waiting for confirmation. Unfortunately, The Vegan Society does not have any information on it either.
Sesame seeds - both white and black sesame seeds are used as a garnish on salads, or on bowls of rice.
Shiitake Mushrooms - these mushrooms are often used in Japanese cookery. They can also be purchased dried. Dried mushrooms need to be soaked for 30-60 mins before use. The soaking water should never be wasted - add it to dashi! Matsutake, Nameko and Enokitake mushrooms are also frequently used in Japanese cuisine, but they can be difficult to obtain outside Japan.
Soy Sauce - a rich sauce which is made from soya beans, wheat and salt. Can be dark or light. (The light sauce is saltier.) Clearspring make an organic Japanese tamari soy sauce. Price about £1.99.
Tofu - bean curd. Can frequently be purchased in a supermarket as well as in more specialist shops.
Umeboshi Plum - a pickled and salted plum, used for example to make onigiri.
Vinegar - only use Japanese rice vinegar when cooking Japanese meals. Use in salad dressings and for making sushi.
Wakame - a bright green seaweed. Use it in soups and as a salad garnish. It needs to be soaked before use. Always remove the central rib after soaking.

Japanese Vegetarian Cuisine

Japanese vegetarian food tends to be based on rice, tofu, vegetables, sea vegetables and mushrooms. On the whole, it is simple food, which is often cooked quickly by methods such as grilling, steaming, or stir-frying. Japanese food is always well-garnished, using vegetables which are cut in decorative ways - twists, fan shapes, flower shapes etc. Most recipes use fresh ingredients to which flavourings such as soy sauce, sake, miso or dashi are added.

When a Japanese meal is served, all of the courses are usually put on the table at the same time and food is served in several small bowls, rather than on one plate, so that the different flavours can be appreciated. Meals are eaten with chopsticks which are kept in a chopstick rack when they are not being used. A typical Japanese vegetarian meal would consist of: rice, soup, two or three savoury protein and vegetable dishes (Okazu) and Japanese pickles. Desserts are not usually eaten. Green tea is usually drunk at the end of a meal and on special occasions fresh fruit would be eaten too. Eggs are frequently used in Japanese recipes, either in omelettes, or raw eggs are sometimes added to soup or to hot rice. So, vegans beware!

Breakfast in Japan usually consists of rice, pickled vegetables and miso soup, but the western-style breakfast of coffee and toast is becoming more popular.

Soup

Soup is usually served in a lidded bowl (to keep it warm) and is eaten throughout the meal, rather than as a separate course. Soup can be thick (miso shiru) or clear (suimono). Both types of soup are made with dashi. Vegetarian dashi is generally made by soaking seaweeds (such as kombu or wakame) and/or shiitake mushrooms in water for about an hour. The stock is then boiled and the solid ingredients are removed. Clear soups can have tofu cubes added to the dashi and they are usually garnished with twists of lemon zest or shredded spring onions. Thick soups usually have miso added to them. Vegetables such as beansprouts, carrot matchsticks and cabbage can also all be added to this kind of soup.

Rice

Rice is served at most Japanese meals, even breakfast! When using rice for Japanese recipes, use a special Japanese rice (or American-Japanese) if possible, as this is moist and can be picked up easily with chopsticks. In Japan rice is often cooked in an electric rice cooker. Gohan is plain white rice and is served in its own bowl with a rice garnish. Suitable rice garnishes (furikake) include: goma-shio (toasted sesame seeds, crushed with salt) and nori-goma which is made in a similar way but ajitsuke nori seaweed is also added. Plain rice can also be livened up by cooking the rice with peas, shiitake mushrooms, aduki beans, or sticks of ginger root. Cooked, left-over, rice is used in many ways in Japanese cuisine. Onigiri are riceballs or triangles. They are often taken to work in lunch boxes and can be garnished with strips of ajitsuke-nori seaweed, or can contain umeboshi (plum) paste. Donburi are also made from left-over rice and are served in special donburi bowls. They often have strips of aburage (flat sheets of tofu) placed on top of them. Sushi (rice sandwiches) are made from vinegared Japanese rice and are stuffed with a tasty filling. Suitable vegetarian stuffings include: aburage, shiitake mushrooms or sheets of nori. Watch out for fish which can also frequently be used to stuff sushi! The Japanese take sushi to work in their lunchboxes. The lunch box is in two sections - with rice on one side and sushi (or a similar savoury) on the other. Pickles are included too. Sushi can also be purchased from a sushi bar, or from a stall and some restaurants even deliver them by bicycle!

Noodles

Noodles are usually served as a snack rather then for a meal. In Japan they can be purchased in a noodle bar and are commonly eaten at lunchtime. The most commonly available types of noodles include: udon, soba or harusame. Udon and soba noodles are often served in a soup base (similar to dashi) and natto (a soya bean product), fried tofu cubes, ajitsuke nori seaweed, or chopped spring onions, can all be added to the noodles. It is possible to buy packets of 'instant' noodles in most oriental shops.

Tofu

Tofu is frequently used in Japanese cuisine. It can be added to soups, or deep-fried and is served in its own bowl with slices of pickled ginger or chopped spring onions. Tofu is also served grilled, barbequed or even iced!

Tempura

These are vegetables which are deep-fried in a batter which contains eggs. Tempura are therefore not vegan. Many different kinds of vegetables are used to make them. They are eaten with pickles, rice, miso soup and a tempura dipping sauce.

Pickles

There are many types of Japanese pickles. In Japan pickles are eaten with all meals - including breakfast!

Salads

Japanese salads are usually made from edible flowers, beansprouts, seaweed, daikon radish, or bamboo shoots.