PARALLEL FOOD CULTURE OF JAPAN AND INDIA

 いただきます (itadakimasu) - Japanese way of thanking for the food. 

 It would be wrong to say that Japanese and Indian food are very similar In taste but their way of native food preservation is quite similar. In contrast to the relatively homogeneous Japanese cuisine, India offers a variety of cross-cultural food options that correspond to its many traditions and geographical area.

Japan, food is served on separate small plates and bowls instead of on one big plate. Diners take turns having little tastes of everything. Japanese believe serving smaller portions is one of the best ecrets for eating healthfully and losing weight. Also, inclusion of nutritious foods like tofu, rice, vegetables and even fish which is believed to have anti-carcinogenic properties makes they believe that they follow a healthy diet.

Since India is a huge nation which is divided into different regions, culturally different cuisines have evolved in their own way in such parts. 

Now let us look at some of the similarities and differences between the two cuisines: 

Extensive use of vegetables: Both the cuisines involve wide use of variety of vegetables. In the Japanese cuisine, these vegetables are generally soaked and pickled and served as accompaniments along with the main dishes. In the Indian cuisine, the vegetables are sauted or stir- fried to from thick curries or gravies or even dry preparations. 

Rice as the staple food : It is the primary staple food of Japanese diet and of such fundamental importance to the Japanese Culture that it was once used as currency and the word for cooked rice (Gohan) has become synonymous with the general meaning of ' meal '. Indian rice is also steam cooked most often when it used as plain rice to accompany gravy - based dishes. The creative rice preparations like kheer, Khichdi , Biriyani can really tempt anybody in the world.Both the cuisines give utmost importance to the hospitality aspect of service. One can see both the natives eating on the floor as it is the tradition. Dining table is not the trend , however in recent times there has been a major shift towards the western practice.

Even though both the cuisines use different cooking methods, the ideology behind them is more or less the same. The Japanese believe in retaining the original natural flavor of any ingredient and therefore prefer to eat food which is not cooked thoroughly. Whereas, the Indians believe in using spices to incorporate their flavor into their food to make the final produce more flavorful.Both the cuisines believe in aking use of freshest seasonal local produce. 

Both the cuisines believe in the concept of encouraging the diner to “eat with their eyes” by enjoying the beauty of their food.For instance: The knife used to cut sashimi is a long knife beveled on one side. The sharpness of the edge and the slicing method involves pulling the knife on the fish, which does not damage the tissues, maintaining its umami (savour). Itamae (specialist chefs of Japanese cuisine) make the technique look easy, but it requires extensive training.

No generalization of the cuisine : Unlike the Japanese cuisine, the Indian cuisine cannot be generalized by any one characteristic.

Japanese speak highly of Indian Curry and learning from India ,they introduced their own kind of different curry which is mostly eaten with sticky rice, udon or bread.

What all similarities do you find in both the cuisines? Do let me know in the comment box below.

-Aanchal Singh