What do the Japanese like to eat? Basic table manners

In many countries, a balanced breakfast is considered an important part of getting the day off right, and Japan is no exception. Since ancient times, the Japanese have followed a three-meal regimen, and it begins with healthy breakfast, which provides the energy needed for the work day.

However, ever since the Edo period (1603-1868), people have become increasingly busy. In the modern era, we hardly have time to cook for ourselves. proper breakfast. And even the types of breakfast foods have changed to accommodate busy work schedules.

Interestingly, these days, as a rule, families still eat a more proper breakfast in the morning, which is prepared by their mother, while people who live alone can eat something insignificant and simple at home or have a snack at way to work. Let's follow the evolution of breakfast in Japan.

Traditional breakfast

Breakfast in Japan is called 朝ご飯 asagohan, if you look at the hieroglyphs, then 朝 ace"morning", ご飯 gohan“rice”, then you get “morning rice”. Well, of course, it is not surprising that the main thing in a Japanese breakfast is rice. Along with rice, small portions of dishes are served, for example, miso soup, grilled fish, pickles, nori. Eggs are also a staple of Japanese breakfast and can be served raw, boiled, fried, or cooked a little. Natto (spiced fermented soybeans) can also be included in traditional breakfast.

These days, traditional Japanese breakfasts are becoming less common as they are prepared by hostesses, and now more women are returning to work as soon as the children are older. But despite this, traditional breakfasts are still offered in restaurants and inns, and this is one of the main elements in 旅館 ryokan - traditional Japanese inns.

Rice with raw egg (卵かけご飯)

Compared to a traditional Japanese breakfast, tamago kake gohan it is much easier to prepare - they put an egg on the rice and add soy sauce, salt, and furikake is also sprinkled on top. It's delicious and light dish which can be prepared at home in two to three minutes.

Rice drenched in tea or broth (お茶漬け)

Although not a traditional breakfast, in recent years お茶漬け ochazuke is another dish that has gained popularity among the Japanese. Usually salmon, Japanese pickles ( umeboshi(pickled plums)), spices. Green tea is much more commonly used, but dashi broth or even just hot water will also fit. Ochazuke can be cooked or eaten in a special establishment.

toasts

Of course, breakfast in Japan is not only about rice, tea and pickles. Shokupan is a simple and crispy white bread. The Japanese are looking for a quick, Western-style breakfast option and often opt for a thick slice of bread spread with jam. It is easy to make at home and shokupan can be ordered at any restaurant that serves breakfast.

morning set European food

The Morning Set is a Western-style breakfast that includes eggs, ham, toast, and green salad. The morning set is gradually becoming more common, and now, compared to the traditional Japanese breakfast of rice, fish and miso soup, Western food is the main choice.

Kashi

Kashi is another Western breakfast that is becoming the standard in Japan. This is a popular solution among working mothers with little time to cook. full breakfast for family members. These breakfasts tend to be lower in sugar than their Western counterparts, and simple cereals like corn flakes are one of the best-selling varieties. Muesli with dried fruits or nuts is also popular among health conscious people.

Onigiri (お握り )

For the working Japanese with little time onigiri will become great option breakfast. The most popular are onigiri with salmon, umeboshi (pickled plums) and tuna with mayonnaise. Onigiri is rice glued into a triangle or ball, which is wrapped in a sheet of dried nori seaweed. If you buy it in a store, you can easily unpack the onigiri - there will be a sign on the package where it is written how to do it correctly. Also, onigiri can be wrapped in plastic to avoid direct contact with food and not litter.

Sandwich

In addition to onigiri, busy Japanese can pop into the convenience store before work to pick up a sando, a sandwich made from bread with the crusts cut off. Convenience stores range from the more familiar ones that have clear Western counterparts, like the egg or tuna salad sandwich, to more Japanese options like the pork cutlet sandwich or the salad and potato sandwich.

Bakery

While rice is still a staple of the Japanese breakfast, bread has been a staple of the Japanese diet since the post-war era. There are a number of bakery chains throughout Japan, and bakeries can usually be found near train stations or inside supermarkets. Japanese bakeries offer a range of confections that can be served for breakfast, including sweetened buns such as cone-shaped buns filled with chocolate; or (roll stuffed with sweetened bean paste).

In fact, to answer the question "what do the Japanese eat for breakfast?" not so easy. A lot has changed since ancient Japan! Regardless of which type of Japanese breakfast you end up choosing, the key thing to remember is that you need to eat the food that will give you energy for the day in order to walk and see the sights. Whether you're in the mood for something traditional or you want something exclusively European, Japan has it all! Itadakimasu! (Bon Appetit)

“Walk around Tokyo or any other city in Japan. You will immediately notice that the Japanese are very good looking ... They also have the lowest rates of heart attacks, breast cancer and prostate cancer. And if we talk about more superficial topics, then for the most part they look on average at least ten years younger. They have a lively look, glowing health skin and shiny hair. Kelly Baker, journalist

Today it is no longer a secret to anyone that The Japanese are the longest living people on earth.. Their average life expectancy is constantly increasing and in 2011 it has already reached 79 for men and 86 for women. The Japanese are not only world champions in longevity, they are the healthiest nation on earth!

Rate them healthy longevity is 77.7 years. There are practically no fat people among the Japanese: out of 100 people, only three can have excess weight, which is 3 times less than the French, and 10 times less than the Americans. But that's not all! In this country, women look much younger than their true age - forty-five-year-old ladies look like twenty-five-year-old girls. Even octogenarian grandparents are young and very active - they play golf, ride bicycles and drink every day, without any embarrassment.

Why does the world's most food-loving nation have the lowest obesity rates of any civilized nation and the longest life expectancy in the world?

Experts explain this phenomenon by several factors - this is its own philosophy of well-being- they eat right, move a lot, visit mineral springs. Such unsurpassed indicators of health and longevity are achieved with minimal medical costs, they created the world's first wellness industry - an industry that helps maintain health and prolong youth.

Almost every Japanese from the age of 20 begins to use for the health of the joints and youthful skin fish collagen, which is also called "rejuvenating apple". In Japan, there is a cult of sex and they talk about it openly and easily discuss with colleagues over lunch who and what kind of hero was. Moreover, they do not use Viagra, but use oysters or oyster extract in tablets. The Japanese do not fight alcoholism, they drink every day and protect their liver.

Here are eight secrets of healthy longevity of the Japanese:

Secret number 1. The basis of Japanese cuisine is fish, vegetables, fruits, soy and rice. The Japanese have fish, like we have meat.

It is eaten in the morning, afternoon and evening. The favorite fish of the Japanese is salmon, and they also eat tuna, trout, cod, mackerel, mussels, scallops, shrimp, octopus, squid. The so-called passion of the Japanese for fish originated in the 7th century AD, when the emperor issued a law that forbade the consumption of meat from land animals. Enough time has passed since then, but, fortunately for the Japanese, the ancient traditions have been preserved and strengthened even more.

Every year, the Japanese eat almost 68 kg of fish per person. This is more than four times the consumption of fish in other countries. The Japanese simply "bathe" in the vast ocean of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are found in significant amounts in mackerel, sardine, salmon and trout.

Currently, heart disease is taking many lives in many countries, and the fact of the relationship of omega-3 fatty acids with a healthy heart and blood vessels is considered by doctors as the main the key to understanding the causes of health and longevity of the Japanese. “If you want to take care of your heart health,” said cardiologist Robert Vogel, “then either eat a little fish daily or take one-two-gram fish oil capsules containing healthy fats". And British professor Philip Calder emphasized: “Fish also contains minerals, such as selenium, iodine, and some antioxidants. It is they who most likely perform a protective function, preventing cardiovascular diseases, malignant tumors and inflammatory processes.

Thanks to The Japanese eat a lot of fish., the amount of red meat eaten is drastically reduced. According to the latest estimates from The Economist, the Japanese consume about 45 kg of meat per person every year. In the US, this figure is 130 kg per year, in France - 102 kg, in Germany and the UK - 80 kg. Japanese dishes are much lower in fat, sugar and calories.

The percentage of fat in Japanese meals is only 26, while American meals are 34. With a fish-based diet, the Japanese get more of the “good fats” like omega-3 fatty acids and less of the “bad fats” from red meat. In addition, per capita consumption of processed and refined foods in Japan is much lower than in the West, and the total number of calories in food is much lower than in any other country.

1. Stick to the following rule Hara hati bumne: Eat until you are 80% full.

2. Watch your portion sizes: put food on a small but beautiful plate.

3. Chew food slowly, savoring every bite.

4. Get in the habit of decorating your dishes beautifully.

5. Eat more fish, fresh fruits and vegetables and less saturated fat.

6. Cook food for rapeseed oil or rice bran oil.

7. Teach yourself to eat breakfast like the Japanese instead of snacking on sandwiches.

What do the Japanese eat and how do they do it?

The basis of modern Japanese nutrition is rice and various seafood. Rice is Japanese bread. By the way, boiled rice in Japanese it is called "gohan", which translates as "food". In ancient Japan, the amount of rice needed for an adult to live for a year was called "koku" and was approximately 180 liters. Therefore, the salary, for example, of samurai was determined in "koku".

For Russians who eat rice most often as a side dish for meat or fish, it is difficult to imagine that one can eat rice as an independent dish. And only by cooking rice according to the main Japanese recipe, you can understand how tasty, fragrant, fragrant, crumbly, soft and dense it is at the same time.

The second most important component in the diet of the Japanese is seafood. Yes, and how else? After all, Japan is surrounded by seas and oceans, rich in algae, as well as fish and other marine animals (the Japanese know more than 10 thousand of them and most of them are eaten). Since sea creatures are usually small in size, the Japanese have no concept of main course and side dish. It is customary for them to serve several types of food, for example, 15-20 small dishes.

The Japanese cook fish in a variety of ways: "yakimono" (grilled fish), "nimono" ( boiled fish), "mushimono" (steamed fish), "agemo-no" (pan-fried fish), "sashimi" (raw fish cut into slices, and only certain, high grades fish, mainly "tai" with white meat and "maguro" with dark red), "namasu" (raw fish mixed with vegetables in vinegar).

A very famous and beloved Japanese dish is "tempura" - pieces of fish in a batter of water and flour, fried in boiling oil. Tempura is made not only from fish, but also from other seafood, as well as from vegetables, and different products, equally fried, are served together. It can be served on its own as an appetizer or on rice as meshimono (in which case it is served in a bowl of donburi and is called ten-don).

The Japanese eat mainly sea fish, since freshwater is not caught in the country much and it is highly valued. Fried river fish “ayu” (Plecoglossus altivelis) is considered a special delicacy. Fish, mostly raw, is also part of the snacks: "nigirizushi", "norimaki", etc.

Unagi eels are a common and highly valued dish. Such specific dishes are rarely prepared at home, usually specialized establishments do this; fried eels are served (or sent) to the customer in special boxes along with rice (“donburi” or “unagi-donburi”).

Caviar different fish also used in Japanese cuisine. Salmon caviar - "suzuko" - is used as a snack, and herring caviar- in the manufacture of obligatory festive dishes, especially for the New Year. On this holiday, after sake and "zoni" soup, guests are served "juzume" - a set of dishes in four "jubako" boxes stacked one on top of the other. The top drawer contains "kuchitori" appetizing snacks, the second drawer contains "yakimono", fried foods, the third drawer contains "nimono", boiled dishes, and the fourth drawer contains "sunomono", whole snacks and marinades (with vinegar). Kutitori, in addition to vegetable snacks, includes a lot of fish: fresh herring caviar, cut into pieces and poured with sauce; dried sardines, lightly roasted in a frying pan and moistened with a thick syrupy sauce made from a boiled mixture of sugar and soy sauce, etc. Sunomono includes fresh vegetables, soaked in vinegar, and small fish of different breeds, usually lightly marinated. Fish caviar "tai" goes to boiled dishes: it is slightly boiled in the "dashi" broth along with vegetables - peas in pods or cauliflower.

Along with fish, a variety of marine animals are used for food: various types of mollusks, dried and fresh trepangs, squids, octopuses, fresh, dried, salted and canned shrimps, crabs, spiny lobsters, etc.

Mollusks (bivalves and gastropods) are eaten raw or cooked, usually as part of other, more complex dishes. Cephalopods - squid, octopuses - are eaten raw, boiled and fried, usually as an independent dish. A delicacy is young octopuses (5-10 cm), boiled in sauce and smeared with mustard. Squids are cut into transverse slices or fried whole, but with transverse notches - then they are easy to dismember with chopsticks. Of the echinoderms, in addition to trepangs, sea urchins are eaten, or rather their caviar.

Lots of crabs, shrimps and lobsters various kinds usually eaten boiled. In Hokkaido, small crabs (the size of a tea saucer), boiled whole, are tied to the lid of a cheap "bento" (a set of food in a box), since such a crab does not fit in a box; they eat not only the meat of claws and legs, but also the inner part of the cephalothoracic region. The meat of large crabs is boiled, cut into pieces, mixed with figuratively cut gherkins and seasoned with a mixture of vinegar and soy.

From raw meat lobsters make a snack - "sashimi". Since the lobster meat is very tender, they do not cut it with a knife, but tear it with their hands into pieces. small pieces and washed ice water to make them firmer. They are served folded on the opened lobster shell. The beauty and elegance of the form of the lobster, when served whole on a plate, is as highly valued as the taste.

Japan has an exceptional variety of vegetable crops. Almost all vegetable crops of the tropical zone grow here, as well as a large number of specific cultures unknown outside of Japan or the Far East.

Salted and pickled vegetables ( pickled radish, pickled garlic, pickles, etc.) are widely used to make soups and other dishes.

Of the most used herbal products, in addition to common with European cuisine, it should be noted "gobo" (root of garden burdock), "satoimo" (taro), "hakusa" (Chinese lettuce), "udo" (a kind of celery), "negi" (Japanese leek ), "shungiku" (leaf chrysanthemum), "shiso" (spicy greens such as savory), "kabu" (table turnip), "nanohana" (rapeseed inflorescences), "kinkai" (small lemon), "ginnan" (gingko nut ).

The Japanese eat a variety of seaweeds, mushrooms, many types of wild plants, such as young bamboo shoots, lotus rhizomes, which are boiled with meat or fish and eaten with soy. From finely chopped lotus rhizomes, for example, by pickling in soy sauce, fukujin-zuke pickles are prepared, spicy in taste, dark brown in color. Soy sauce is generally used to enhance flavor pickled vegetables. In addition, rice bran is used in fermentation, which is poured over vegetables.

Of the algal products, it should be noted “nori” (thalli of some red algae marinated in soy), “kombu” (brown algae), “tororo-kombu” (seaweed of the genus Laminaria), “wakase” (lobes of thalli of the algae of the genus Undaria), “ hijiki" and others.

An obligatory component of many Japanese confectionery products is "kanten" - a gelatin-like frozen decoction of tengusa algae (Gelidium amansil).

A significant part of the vegetables, in addition to being an integral part of hot dishes, is used in fresh, as a main product or as part of salads. In addition, almost all salad vegetables can be included in hot dishes: lettuce is often thrown into soup, and cucumbers are sometimes served boiled or stewed. There are many varieties of salads, but the main ones are made from radishes, radishes and herbs.

Many vegetables are grown and used exclusively for special condiments or dishes. So, the turnip-like root crop of the “konnyaku” plant is used mainly for the preparation of a specific yellowish marmalade-like product that has sweet taste. It's being sliced small cubes and included in lunch as a vegetable dish accompanying rice. Grated vegetables are added to the vegetables for taste. walnuts, peanut and Sesame oil. Mustard, red pepper, wasabi (Japanese horseradish), leaves and fruits of shiso, leaves and fruits of sansho (Japanese pepper), Japanese garlic, ginger add spiciness to food. The ginger root "shoga", which is used as a spice in cooking, is very popular. various dishes, and also served on the table pickled (finely chopped) as a seasoning, especially for "sushi".

Shoga rhizomes are also eaten raw with vinegar. Another variety of ginger - "myoga" - does not have rhizomes, but elongated bulbs that are eaten fried and baked. The Japanese variety of horseradish - "wasabi", which is grown in stream beds, on rocky beds washed by running water, is used to prepare a spicy greenish seasoning, which is always served with so-ba noodles. spicy seasoning grated radishes are served with fried fish or shellfish dishes.

Traditional Japanese cuisine is also differentiated by region and season. In certain seasons, it is customary to eat certain foods. For example, tender, crunchy, with a pleasant aroma, bamboo sprouts (which generally play an important role in the national culinary tradition) is a sign of the dishes of the spring season. The lotus root is revered as a seasonal food in spring and autumn. Even in antiquity, it was noticed that fried eel best restores strength during the heat.

Japan is a country that stretches for thousands of kilometers from north to south, located in various climatic zones, and this leaves an imprint on the cuisine of different regions of the country. For example, in Hokkaido, with its vast open spaces and cold climate, there are no conditions for growing rice, so the local population has long been happy to eat potatoes, corn and dairy products. Grilled meat and salmon are highly respected there, and even Chinese noodles cooked in their own way, adding oil. There are significant differences in the culinary habits of residents of the Kanto (Tokyo, Yokohama and neighboring prefectures) and Kansai (Kyoto, Osaka and environs) areas. For example, "miso" soup made from fermented soybeans in the Kansai area is light and light, while in Kanto it is dark brown or red, dense and spicy. There is also a big difference in how sushi (rice balls with raw fish) is prepared by Eastern Japanese and Western; They also have very different recipes for sweets and pickles. The residents of Okinawa and other Ryukyu islands have their own gastronomic preferences: here they love pork dishes, they eat a lot of pineapples and papaya, and they use “awamori” (sweet potatoes) from strong drinks. Kyushu is famous for its tea, fruits and seafood.

It is enough to get acquainted with Japanese cuisine once to become its ardent admirer forever.

One of the main, if not the most important condition for Japanese cuisine is the following: all their ingredients must be fresh. In addition, the Japanese are distinguished by the desire to preserve the original appearance of products as much as possible, to cook fish, shrimp, and vegetables so that they can be recognized. Probably, these requirements for food are largely shaped by the religion - Shinto ("the way of the gods"), which is based on the worship of natural supernatural beings - kami (spirits of mountains, rivers, winds, seas), who accept only “miraculous” products as a sacrifice: the freshest fish, ripe fruit, rice.

No less important than the actual cooking in Japanese cooking is table setting. For the Japanese, eating is a responsible procedure. We can say that it is the way the dishes are served that brought Japanese cuisine worldwide popularity.

It is not customary for the Japanese to eat common table: each guest should sit at a separate low lacquered table with cushions. All dishes are immediately put on each table, since most of them the Japanese eat at room temperature. The only exception is rice and soup, which must be hot. The dishes served on the table can be eaten in any order you like, but you should try them all at once. After tasting a little of each dish, you can proceed to the “main” meal, or rather the dish you like the most.

When laying the table, aesthetic requirements are certainly observed: the menu is carefully thought out not only in terms of product compatibility, but also taking into account appearance dishes, and all the dishes are beautifully laid out on a variety of small plates, saucers, trays and bowls, and, as a rule, each type of dish has its own special dishes. For example, sushi is served on wooden stands, fried foods are served on wooden trays, salads and soups are served in bowls, and noodles are served in bowls with lids. The lids are designed to keep the dish hot and to make the person look forward to the pleasure before he opens the lid and starts eating. National drinks, in particular sake, are also served in special dishes: small earthenware or porcelain jugs without handles (sake is heated in the same bowl). And they drink sake from small piles or small square wooden boxes.

Receiving tea is generally a whole ceremony. Tea drinking in Japan takes place in strict accordance with the established order, the observance of which is so important that girls go to school before marriage, where they are told how the hostess and guests should behave, they are taught how to pick up and arrange dishes, hold a cup, teapot, greet and seat guests, etc.

When laying the table, the Japanese alternate round and square dishes, widely using dark lacquered, as snow-white rice looks more appetizing on it.

The Japanese also developed their own rules for arranging dishes: rice is placed on the left side; soup - on the right, other dishes - in the center; various marinades and pickles are placed to the left, right and slightly behind the "main dishes", and sauces and seasonings are placed to the right of the dish for which they are intended. Chopsticks (hashi) are placed on special coasters or trays so that they do not touch the table, while they should be turned to the left with the end with which they take food.

It is also important to decorate dishes, including seasonal ones. For example, it is customary in summer on sweltering hot days to serve snow-white boiled cold noodles framed by red fresh leaves perilla, and in autumn decorate dishes with red maple leaves, pine needles, chrysanthemum flowers or cut carrots or radishes in the form of the same maple leaves. Some Japanese chefs even specialize in "making" flowers from vegetables. From pieces of radishes, carrots, pumpkins, they create iris flowers or roses on dishes that look like they are alive. In addition, during the autumn and winter months, it is customary to place small bowls with small pebbles on the tables, in which small colorful paper or straw umbrellas are placed. It probably migrated from the life of a Japanese peasant: to put on capes made of rice straw and open straw umbrellas in bad weather.

A special type of Japanese serving - bento, that is, a set traditional food in a special box divided into several sections, each of which contains one type of product. Bento is made at home or bought in a store and eaten when traveling by train or during country walks. Bento is also very popular among schoolchildren and students, workers and employees. The set of products included in the bento is extremely diverse, but it always includes boiled rice and a tube of soy sauce. It may also include various vegetables(carrots, bamboo shoots, cabbage, pickled plums, etc.), seaweed and fish or meat in any form. Homemade bento can contain anything: sandwiches, scrambled eggs, fried meat, sushi, vegetables.

Also in Japan, there is a fairly clear division of food into homemade and restaurant food, however, in both cases, any dish must be eaten within 10 minutes after its preparation, when it has not yet lost the taste that the chef wanted to give it. In Japanese restaurants, dishes are served in several stages on separate trays, and the order of serving is determined quite strictly. On the first tray, dishes of vegetables, sashimi and oysters are necessarily served, on the last - soup, rice and marinades, and in the interval between them all kinds of fish and meat dishes with all kinds of seasonings can be served.

During home meals, rice, soup, fish dishes and fried or stewed vegetables are usually on the table. If there are guests at the table, then appetizers, salads, pickled vegetables and sake are added to this list, and very many delicious dishes are prepared directly in the presence of guests, since this does not require much time and effort, but only a frying pan and pre-prepared products, beautifully laid out on a tray, are needed. As a rule, there is no dessert on the home table, but green tea is served before, after and during meals.

The rules of conduct at the table are also important for the Japanese, since eating among the Japanese is a complex and obligatory ritual. Following it, they kneel or sit on a mat, wipe their face and hands with snow-white napkins, and only then immerse the sticks in translucent porcelain cups with food. Solid food is eaten with hashi sticks, and liquid food is drunk from bowls. Guests are served in order of seniority.

If food is served in a cup covered with a lid, then after eating, you should cover the cup again with a lid.

Japanese utensils were specially designed to be comfortable to hold in one hand. It is an especially important part of etiquette to raise the cup to chest level when drinking soup or eating rice.

Fried fish is most often served on big dishes or plates, and it does not need to be lifted.

To properly eat soup, you should first drink the broth, and then use the chopsticks to eat the contents (dressing). This rule must also be observed in relation to soups in which there are noodles. Some soups, however, are eaten with a ceramic spoon.

National noodles are usually quite long, and therefore they are eaten like this: once intercepted with chopsticks, you should suck the noodles into your mouth and chew. Do not be ashamed of the squelching sound that comes with it. When you eat soup or noodles - slurp and squish - well. The Japanese consider this quite acceptable.

When eating rice, you should take the bowl of rice in one hand and the chopsticks in the other. as seasoning in White rice(gohan) pour some soy sauce.

If you are eating tempura, sashimi, sushi, or any other dish that is dipped in sauce before you eat it, take the plate of sauce in your left hand and lift it up.

When eating sushi, pour some soy sauce into a special saucer. Take the sushi, flip it on its side and take it again so you can dip the fish in the soy. Some types of sushi are eaten without soy sauce. Usually one sushi is eaten whole. Men can eat sushi with both hands and chopsticks, women always eat sushi with chopsticks.

To properly eat sashimi, you need to pour a little soy sauce into a special saucer, add a little wasabi (Japanese green horseradish) and mix thoroughly. Dip each piece of sashimi into the sauce.

Large pieces of food (tofu, shrimp, tempura) can either be divided with chopsticks into several pieces, or bite off a piece.

When drinking sake or beer, it is considered good manners to pour the drinks into the glasses of fellow guests without pouring the drink into one's own glass. You must always keep an eye on the glasses on the table and do not leave them empty. If someone wants to pour a drink into your glass, move it towards that person so you don't make them reach for you.

Before eating, one is supposed to say "Itadakimasu", which roughly corresponds to the expression "Bon appetit". After eating, it is customary to say "Gochiso-sama deshita", thereby expressing gratitude to the owner for the treat and for preparing it.

It is especially important to remember how not to behave at the table.

In Japan, it is not customary to pour drinks into your own glass. Take care of those around you and they will take care of you in turn.

The Japanese are neutral about the squelching sounds that accompany the absorption of noodles or soup, but it is not customary to burp at the table.

When using hashi sticks, you need to follow a number of rules:

Do not stick chopsticks into food, especially rice; this is a sign of very bad taste;

You can not put them with sharp ends to the left (when not in use);

Do not bring a cup or plate too close to your mouth and rake food into your mouth with chopsticks; it is both ugly and indecent;

You should not "wander" aimlessly with chopsticks around food;

You can not pass food with chopsticks to another person directly;

Do not put chopsticks across the cup;

You can not prick food on sticks;

Sauce should not drip from chopsticks or food;

Do not lick sticks;

Never point your chopsticks at anything or anyone or wave them in the air;

Do not pull dishes towards you with chopsticks; you must always take it in hand;

You can not knock with chopsticks on a cup or plate in order to attract someone's attention to yourself;

You should not "draw" with chopsticks on the table;

Do not hold two sticks in a fist; the Japanese perceive this gesture as threatening.

The Japanese, unlike Europeans, eat with chopsticks - hashi. And without the ability to use them, you will not be able to comprehend the beauty of Japanese cuisine. However, learning this is not as difficult as it seems. Try it.

1. Take one stick (at a distance of one third from the upper end) and hold it between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand (Fig. 1). Hold the wand with your thumb and ring finger in such a way that the index, middle and thumb fingers form a ring.

2. Take the second stick and place it parallel to the first at a distance of 15 mm so that when the middle finger is straightened, the sticks move apart (Fig. 2).

3. Bring the chopsticks together, bending the index finger, and pinch the food with the tips of the chopsticks (Fig. 3). If the piece is too large, then it can be divided with chopsticks. Really, be very careful. Also, remember that big chunks much easier to take.

Hashi in Japan are made mainly of wood - long, thin, with pointed ends. Bone and plastic sticks common in China and South-East Asia, are less typical for Japan. In domestic use, hashi made of painted and lacquered wood is round or square in section, respectively descending to a conical or pyramidal point. They are stored in a small narrow glass, often suspended. There are elegant hashi, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, covered with ornaments. Very cute and touching hashi is made for children. Miniature drawings are applied to them - dolls, bunnies, etc.

Hashi that the Japanese use in places Catering, usually made of plastic or unpainted smooth planed wood. They are designed for single use and are served together with the dish in a sterile sealed paper envelope, decorated with the name and emblems of the company (canteen, restaurant, shop). This is much more hygienic than using the used long time cutlery(spoons, forks) European type.

There are many varieties of disposable hashi. The most common are "waribashi" - broken hashi. The sticks in them are not completely separated from each other: this is a long board with a double-sided longitudinal cut; with a little effort, the consumer himself divides it into two sticks.

Usually hashi is placed across in front of the device, horizontally, with pointed ends they look to the left; put on a stand with pointed ends up.

Sticks are used not only as table utensils. Longer hashi are used by the cook when preparing food, especially when sautéing. Metal hashi of large sizes are used for laying out smoldering coals in "hibachi"; this tool is as thinner than the European poker as the surgeon's scissors are thinner than the lumberjack's axe.

A kind of disposable wooden tableware - Yoji toothpicks. They are used not only for their intended purpose, but also for stringing small snacks on them. Some dishes, such as marmalade, are cut and taken with the help of "yoji", which serve in such cases as a knife and fork.

Sushi can be eaten with both hands and chopsticks. However, according to modern Japanese etiquette, women should only eat sushi with chopsticks, while men can choose to eat with chopsticks or with their hands. This is, in principle, a simple following of traditions: many centuries ago in Japan, noble people ate everything except soup with chopsticks, and the poor ate with their hands. Noble women never ate with their hands, unlike noble men (they had to eat only with their hands). Why did such a division occur? There is an opinion that noble men, visiting geishas in tea houses, had to eat with their hands in order to keep themselves within the bounds of decency. After all, a geisha's kimono soiled with dirty hands could cost them a fortune. Warriors, on the contrary, had to eat only with chopsticks in order to be able to grab the sword at any time. Women were not supposed to get their hands dirty for the same reason: so that they could quickly get a dagger and fend for themselves.

What the Japanese Eat and Drink The Japanese treat food with great respect. They like to eat tasty, quite often and a lot. And at the same time, in moderation, they don’t make a cult out of food. There are practically no very fat people among the Japanese, and this suggests that most Japanese