How a Japanese Dish Tastes
1.Mitame. 「見た目」 2.Nioi. 「匂い」 3. Hazawari 「歯触り」、Shitazawari 「舌触り」、Nozogosi. 「喉越し」、Atusa 「熱さ」 4. Koku 「濃く」
I. Looks-- Mitame. 「見た目」
Japanese expression → 季節感 [ Kisetukan ]、旬 [ Shun] 、 風情 [ Fuzei ]、 侘び [ Wabi] 、 寂び [ Sabi ]、 粋 [ Iki ] 、艶 [ Tuya }
When the fundamental feature of a way of receiving a Japanese dish and of tasting is mentioned, appearance should be respected in the first place.
Although each vessel is chosen on the basis of how suitable it is for the dish to be served. It is considered as a foundation and the balance for the right color and quantity to be allotted for the form of a vessel, the form of foods, and dishing up with care as images because the customer admires the beauty of the dish by sight first.
A customer feels right or wrong by cooking condition of the used ingredients , and in the color, and feels the cook's mastery by the cut of the material, gloss, and the aura of the table setting.
2. Next is the smell-- Nioi. 「匂い」
Japanese expression → 香りが立つ [ Kaori-ga-tatu ]、 爽やか [ Sawayaka ]
A customer is stimulated by the scent, admiring the dish by sight. A good scent is a delicious smell. A customer explores the merit of the ingredients contained in the dish through the scent. The worst smell is a smell which comes out of the bitter taste of an ingredient. It is the smell which the amino acid of a material oxidizes and emits out. The bad smell which is from blood etc. is not from under-cooking the material exactly, or that it is from a bad material, or that it is old.
If a cooking fish smells fishy, a cooking poultry smells of strong poultry fat, and a cooking meat smells of bloody red meat, the Japanese people feel that they should minimize the cooking stench.
Fresh ingredients and the fresh taste adjustment (broth intensity), and a cooking temperature (boiled, steamed, stir-fried and baked temperature adjustments) are sensed by smell.
3. Next the texture-- Hazawari 「歯触り」,Shitazawari 「舌触り」、Nozogosi. 「喉越し」、Atusa 「熱さ」
Japanese expression → シコシコ [Shiko-shiko ] 、 シャキシャキ [ Shaki-shaki ] 、ツルツル [ Turu-turu ] 、 モチモチ [ Mochi-mochi ] 、プリプリ「Puripuri]
シットリ [Shittori]、パサパサ「Pasapasa」
There are three elements that determine the texture: the consistency on teeth, tongue and throat.
Teeth ( Hazawari 「歯触り」) feel the hardness of a material, the strength of the consistency, and stickiness; it is not only the crunchiness that is considered as texture. Consequently, beside cooking degree, the thickness, width, and length of the ingredients are really important for the texture. Therefore the chef have to consider handling their knife to be sharp.
Tongue ( Shitazawari 「舌触り」)feels the smoothness of a material, and how the taste spreads; this ranks the degree of sophistication.
Throat ( Nozogosi. 「喉越し」) , as we swallow, also feels the smoothness of a material. It feels the material’s maturity and the chef’s skills. It is felt by this tactile feeling, how the cook harnessed the characteristic of a material and the demerit is eliminated.
The temperature ( Atusa 「熱さ」 ) is also among tastes. Therefore the food temperature is very important elements. The hot food should be hot, and the cold food also should be cold. So that the chef have to consider keeping the food's temperature.
4. Finally the taste-- Koku 「濃」
Japanese expression → 濃がある「Kokugaaru」 マッタリした [ Mattari-shita ]、 切れが良い [ Kire-ga-yoi ]、味が立つ [ Aji-ga-tatu ]
サッパリした「Sapparisita」 クドい「Kudoi」
Here are five elements that determine the taste -- sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness, and temperature ・quote; “KOKU". Japanese especially refers to the "KOKU" which sets the weight of the taste. KOKU is also expressed as "UMAMI". Japanese people express good food as having "KOKU".
The degree of "UMAMI" is the strength of the taste of broth and fat. For example, wine evaluation obtains this taste and it is referred to as depth; this is equivalent to having full body.
Appreciating cooking means determining the delicate taste, evaluating the density, and enjoying oneself - the sensitivity of appreciation in a person makes one rich, forms love, and makes one cherish the warmth of humanity. On the other hand when the [fast foods], which is coarse and tasteless, are consumed continuously it may promote a man's rude field.
It is not an overstatement to put gratitude and to appreciate the dish which is made with a mother's love. And the love which rendered a cook's heart is condensed, and it is even called the bliss of life.
A cook is the conductor of an orchestra.
The harmony among which each material plays its role is made to appear as a beautiful rich symphony with the composition which breaks a heart and which stands high.
[A visitor also constitutes the Supreme bliss for the performance in between the same space-time united with a player.