Message from aschleicher

[Anonymous]

The basic tenet of Japanese cuisine today is the continuation of the Heian period which was influenced by the Nara period. Eric Hath in Honzen Dining, explains that the early period Japanese meals were highly structured with a hierarchical structure for those who dined. How many trays of meal depends on the diner’s status. The “way” to go about eating the Japanese meals became highly stylized, similar to flower arranging, tea ceremony, etc. In Modern Japanese Cuisine, the author discusses at length the beginning of Western influence on the Japanese diet. Professor Yamashita spoke of Portuguese (tempura) and Dutch influences. What do modern Japanese people think about their food as cultural heritage? I am curious to know the common person's thoughts on the popularity of Japanese food around the world.
The history of ramen was an interesting portion of professor Yamashita's presentation, and I think that I can use excerpted portions of The Untold Story of Ramen in a mini-unit regarding food. I will need to find other texts about ramen, video, poetry, etc. I do think that food, and the history of food can be adapted into a unit at the high school level.