Culinary Nationalism and Gastrodiplomacy through Japan
What makes food beautiful? Is it based solely on the presentation and aesthetics of the dish? Do we account for the flavors and textures of the dish? There are an endless amount of criteria we can subject our food to when judging its beauty, but the fact of the matter is that beauty is subjective, and our opinions on the beauty of certain foods will vary based on a number of variables. A significant variable in this subject is cultural background; different cultures consider different aspects of food when assessing its beauty. The food selected for this project, however, was based on the seven aesthetic principles that align with the Japanese standard of beauty: simplicity, asymmetry, subtlety, naturalness, profundity, freedom from habit, and tranquility. The food item I selected for this project was matcha, which is a fine powder of high-grade green tea leaves.
Even just at first glance, matcha tea is a beautiful drink, and it embodies the seven standards of Japanese beauty. It is natural in itself; after all, it is the powder of high-grade green tea leaves. The preparation of the drink itself is simple: it is a traditional Japanese drink and is typically prepared by mixing the powder with hot water with a bamboo whisk until the tea becomes frothy. The tea is typically prepared and drank out of the same bowl. This form of preparing matcha is an important part of Japanese culture, as this is typically performed as a tea ceremony. The flavors of the tea are quite subtle and can be described as sweet with a slightly creamy and smooth texture. The vibrant and eye-catching color of the tea will create a visual contrast in almost bowl or cup it is served in, as the bright green color of the tea tends to pop against most backgrounds. Aside from being prepared as a drink, however, matcha powder is also commonly used as a flavoring ingredient in different sweets such as ice creams, chocolates, baked goods, and much more.
Matcha has quite a significant cultural impact on its origin country of Japan. As mentioned earlier, the traditional way of preparing matcha in a bowl is part of a Japanese ritual known as a tea ceremony. Japanese tea ceremonies are meant for more than just consuming the drink; there is the symbolism behind each step of the tea ceremony. Traditional Japanese tea ceremonies symbolize a plethora of things, such as happiness, peace, and harmony, and are meant to demonstrate respect to guests through the means of proper etiquette. Additionally, this type of tea ceremony is a way to promote bonding between the people involved in the ceremony itself. Everything that the tea ceremony stands for symbolically is representative of what the Japanese culture seeks to integrate and promote into daily life.
Through this project, I have learned a lot about not only matcha itself but the implications of matcha on culture as a whole. It is interesting to see how such a seemingly simple ingredient can have so much symbolism and tradition associated with it. It is rare to see food used like this in our culture here in the United States. Food is often seen as something to indulge in, and something we should be shoveling into our mouths. We see this every day, whether it be on social media, in ads, or on television; we place more importance on self-satisfaction when it comes to food rather than appreciating our food and understanding the broader implications of what we eat. Learning about how food can be used in ways that symbolize such beautiful ideas is refreshing, and it has given me a new perspective on how I view what I eat.
