Yōshoku

In Japanese cuisine, refers to a style of Western-influenced cooking which originated during the Meiji Restoration. These are primarily Japanized forms of European dishes, often featuring Western names, and usually written in katakana. It is an example of fusion cuisine.

History

At the beginning of the Meiji Restoration (1868–1912), national seclusion was eliminated and the Meiji Emperor declared Western ideas helpful for Japan's future progress. As part of the reforms, the Emperor lifted the ban on red meat and promoted Western cuisine, which was viewed as the cause of the Westerners' greater physical size. ''Yōshoku'' thus relies on meat as an ingredient, unlike the typical Japanese cuisine at the time. Additionally, many of the Westerners who started to live in Japan at that time refused to touch traditional Japanese food ('' washoku''), so their private Japanese chefs learned how to cook them Western-style cuisine, often with a Japanese spin.

The first recorded print appearance of the term "''yōshoku''" dates back to 1872. In the past, the term was for Western cuisine, regardless of the country of origin (as opposed to French, English, Italian, etc.), but people became aware of differences between European cuisines and ''yōshoku'' in the 1980s, due to the opening of many European restaurants serving more authentically European (non-Japanized) food.

In 1872, Japanese writer Kanagaki Robun popularized the related term ''seiyō ryōri'' in his ''Seiyō Ryōritsū'' ('western food handbook'). ''Seiyō ryōri'' mostly refers to French and Italian cooking while ''Yōshoku'' is a generic term for Japanese dishes inspired by Western food that are distinct from the washoku tradition. Another difference is that ''seiyō ryōri'' is eaten using a knife and fork, while ''Yōshoku'' is eaten using chopsticks and a spoon.

Earlier dishes of European origin – notably those imported from Portugal in the 16th century such as tempura (inspired by the fritter-cooking techniques of the Portuguese residing in Nagasaki in the 16th century), are not, strictly speaking, part of ''yoshoku'', which refers only to Meiji-era food. However, some ''yōshoku'' restaurants serve tempura.

''Yōshoku'' varies in how Japanized it is: while ''yōshoku'' may be eaten with a spoon (as in , ''karē'', curry), paired with bread or a plate of rice (called , ''raisu'') and written in katakana to reflect that they are foreign words, some have become sufficiently Japanized that they are often treated as normal Japanese food (''washoku''), served alongside rice and miso soup, and eaten with chopsticks. An example of the latter is katsu, which is eaten with chopsticks and a bowl of white rice , and may even be served with traditional Japanese sauces such as ponzu or grated daikon, rather than katsu sauce. Reflecting this, katsu is often written in hiragana as , as a native Japanese word, rather than as (from , ''katsuretsu'', 'cutlet').

Another more contemporary term for Western food is ''mukokuseki'' ("no-nationality" cuisine).

Overview

Jihei Ishii, author of the 1898 '' The Japanese Complete Cookbook'' , states that: "Yōshoku is Japanese food."

Created in the Meiji era, it may not have as long a history as '' washoku'' (Japanese traditional dishes), yet there are ''yōshoku'' dishes which have themselves become traditional Japanese fare. ''Yōshoku'' is considered a field of Japanese cuisine, including such typical adapted meals as '' katsu'', beefsteak, '' korokke'', '' naporitan'', Hayashi rice and curry rice (Japanese curry). Many of these meals are even assumed to be ''washoku''.

Yōshoku began by altering Western recipes for lack of information about foreign countries' cuisine, or adaptions to suit local tastes, but over time, ''yōshoku'' also evolved dishes that were not at all based on European foods, such as chicken rice and '' omurice'' (omelette rice). Elaborate sauces were largely eliminated, replaced with tomato ketchup, demi-glace sauce and Worcestershire sauce.

During Japan's modernization, yōshoku was often too expensive for the common man. But after World War II, ingredients for ''yōshoku'' became more widely available and its popularity grew.

A is a restaurant where ''yōshoku'' dishes are served. During Japan's rapid economic growth people began eating ''yōshoku'' in department store restaurants, but now family restaurants such as Denny's and Saizeriya are considered essential ''yōshoku'' establishments. In addition, there are also a number of upscale ''yōshoku'' restaurants in Japan, such as Shiseido Parlor in Ginza and Taimeiken in Nihonbashi (two areas of Tokyo).

Typical ''yōshoku'' dishes

* Castella
*Curry
*Stew
** Hayashi rice
** Cream stew
**'' Nikujaga'' 肉じゃが
*'' Korokke''
*: fried chicken seasoned with vinegar and tartar sauce
*'' Piroshiki''
*Breaded dishes ('' furai'')
**: fried oysters
**: fried shrimp
**: fried Japanese horse mackerel
*: Steak with Japanese-style sauce
* Meuniere
*Spaghetti
** Naporitan: Ketchup spaghetti with sausage and vegetables
**: Japanese tarako (cod roe) spaghetti
**: Japanese style soy sauce and mushroom spaghetti
**: this dish is mainly eaten in Nagoya. Spaghetti with a spicy sticky sauce.
**
**
**
**: mizore had come from the name of the Japanese wet snow
*Cutlet
**''Tonkatsu''
**Fried chicken (chicken katsu)
**Beef cutlet (beef katsu)
**Ham katsu
** Menchi katsu
**Turkish rice (torukorice): Pilaf flavored with curry, naporitan spaghetti and tonkatsu with demi-glace sauce
* Omurice
*Steak
**Hamburg
* Mikkusu sando (ミックスサンド) – assorted sandwiches, especially egg salad, ham, and cutlet
*Gratin
* Doria: Roasted pilaf with béchamel sauce and cheese
*Pilaf

See also

* List of common yōshoku dishes
* Hong Kong-style Western cuisine, a similar phenomenon in Hong Kong
* Haipai cuisine, a similar phenomenon in Shanghai

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yoshoku

Japanese fusion cuisine
Eastern cuisine
Western cuisine