What is Honzen Ryōri the aristocratic cuisine of Azuchi-Momoyama Japan? Recreating a pre-modern meal involves more than just following a bunch of pre-modern recipes. Pre-modern meals were composed of a variety of food items assembled together and presented in a manner specific to a particular culture, the occasion of the meal itself, and often reflected dietary theory along with religious and secular strictures. Recipes also depend upon a variety of culture-specific unwritten ingredients, equipment, and techniques.
Beginning with fundamental techniques and assumed ingredients, we will examine the structure of an early Winter pre-modern Japanese meal. This examination will revolve around recreation of a simple aristocratic meal with prerecorded video segments.