【Tokyo】Shojin Cuisine Experience

What is Shojin Ryori?
Shojin-ryori is an ancient cuisine that has been eaten by Zen Buddhist monks in Japan since the 13th century.\nDue to Buddhism's restrictions on meat-eating, it is fully vegetarian and avoids any strong flavors like garlic or onion. Instead, there is an emphasis on drawing out the five food flavors (salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami) naturally. Each meal should also visually represent five colors (red, yellow, green, black, and white) and use five preparation methods (raw, stewed, boiled, roasted, and steamed). This concept is known as the "Rule of Five" and is connected to Buddhist ideas on spiritual balance.
As a traditional Japanese cuisine, shojin ryori changes to fit the seasons and different ingredients are used to represent the different times of year. For this reason, shojin ryori can differ greatly depending on when eaten, but common ingredients include: tofu and other soy-bean based foodstuff, konnyaku jelly, dashi stock, miso and soy sauce. With its strong emphasis on nature, fresh mountain vegetables make up a large portion of the meal.
At the kitchen venue in Shiba Park, you can experience making Shojin cuisine.

“Shojin ryori” is a vegetarian dish that has been created over 700 years by Zen Buddhist monks.

This experience is guided by one or more instructors for each small group, so you can rest assured about hygiene.

In this program, you will learn the spirit of shojin while actually making shojin ryori.

Menu example
・Sesame tofu
・ Komatsuna mixed with seaweed
・ Vegetarian teriyaki
・Vegetable tempura
・ Mixed grain rice
・Soup
・ Tofu shiratama, etc.

・Learn the ancient cooking practices of Zen Buddhist monks
・Make delicious vegetarian food representative of the season
・Practice under the guidance of a licensed instructor
・Dietary requirements can be accommodated with advance notice (vegan, kosher, halal, etc.)