Other Names: Christópsaro (Greek); dülger baligi (Turkish); gallo, pez de San Pedro (Spanish); galo negro, peixe galo (Portuguese); kuznets (Russian); matôdai (Japanese); poule-de-mer, Saint Pierre (French); Saint Peter’s fish; Sanktpetersfisk (Danish). Oreo dory: Ôme-matodai-zoku (Japanese); samonete (Spanish); tiefsee Petersfisch (German). Zeidae.

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One of the major influences was the introduction of rice from Korea around 400 B.C. and within a hundred years it had become the staple food of Japan. Korea’s rice growing techniques were passed on to the Japanese during the Yayoi period, as migrating tribes settled in Japan.

Rice later came to be used not only for eating, but also to make paper, wine, fuel, building materials and so on. Soy beans and wheat were introduced from China soon after rice and these two ingredients are now an integral part of Japanese cooking. During Japan’s development tea, chopsticks and a number of other important food related items were also introduced from China.

Religion has also played a major part in Japan’s culinary development. During the 6th century, Buddhism became the official religion of the country and the eating of meat and fish were prohibited. The first recorded decree prohibiting the eating of cattle, horses, dogs, monkeys, and chickens was issued by Emperor Temmu in A.D. 675. Similar decrees, based on the Buddhist prohibition of killing, were issued repeatedly by emperors during the eighth and ninth centuries. The number of regulated meats increased to the point that all mammals were included except whales, which were categorized as fish.

The taboo against the consumption of meat developed further when the Japanese indigenous religion, Shinto, also adopted a philosophy similar to that of the Buddhists. This did not mean, however, that meat eating was totally banned in Japan. Professional hunters in mountain regions ate game (especially deer and wild boar), and it was not uncommon for hunted bird meat to be consumed. However, a lack of animal breeding for meat kept its consumption very low. Indeed, it was only during the fifteenth century and its aftermath that the tradition of eating both the meat and eggs of domestic fowl was revived. Fowls, until then, had been regarded in Shinto as God’s sacred messengers and were reared to announce the dawn rather than as a mere food resource.

Milk and other dairy products have failed to enjoy the same popularity in Europe as they do in Japan. The only Japanese dairy product known to history was produced between the eighth and fourteenth centuries. Cattle were often raised only for drawing carts or plowing fields. To utilize them for meat or even for milk was, until relatively recently, a long-forgotten practice.

The lack of meat products also minimized spice utilization. Pepper and cloves were known from the eighth century and were imported either via China or directly from Southeast Asia, and garlic was also grown on a small scale. But these spices were used mainly to make medicines and cosmetics.

In the absence of meat, fish was a significant substitute and as an island nation, this source of food was abundant and has influenced many of todays most famous dishes. However, before the introduction of modern delivery systems, the difficulty of preserving and transporting fresh marine fish minimized consumption in inland areas where freshwater fish were commonly eaten instead.

Preserving fish also became popular and sushi originated as a means of preserving fish by fermenting it in boiled rice. Fish that are salted and placed in rice are preserved by lactic acid fermentation, which prevents proliferation of the bacteria that bring about putrefaction. This older type of sushi is still produced in the areas surrounding Lake Biwa in western Japan, and similar types are also known in Korea, southwestern China, and Southeast Asia. In fact, the technique first originated in a preservation process developed for freshwater fish caught in the Mekong River and is thought to have diffused to Japan along with the rice cultivation.

A unique fifteenth-century development shortened the fermentation period of sushi to one or two weeks and made both the fish and the rice edible. As a result, sushi became a popular snack food, combining fish with the traditional staple food, rice. Sushi without fermentation appeared during the Edo period (1600-1867), and sushi was finally united with sashimi at the end of the eighteenth century, when the hand-rolled type, nigiri-sushi, was devised.

In the sixteenth century the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch, began to introduce foods that were adopted by the Japanese and later became cultural symbols. Fried foods such as tempura might seem to be very un-Japanese as a lack of meat and dairy products in the Japanese diet meant that oil was not commonly used for cooking. However, tempura was enjoyed by many people and has evolved into what it is today. Tobacco, sugar and corn were also brought by the traders.

In 1854 trade was renewed with West and soon a new Japanese ruling order took power. The new Emperor Meiji even went as far as staging a New Year’s feast in 1872 designed to embrace the Western world. It had a European emphasis and for the first time in over a thousand years, the people publicly ate meat. The general population started to eat meat again after the Meiji Restoration which occurred in 1867.

Current Day Cuisine

Today, Japanese cuisine is still heavily influenced by the four seasons and geography. Seafood and vegetables are most commonly eaten. Whilst to some westerners, the food may seem almost bland, freshness, presentation and balance of flavours is of paramount importance.

i like this article….

source from

http://www.cup.org/books/kiple/japan.htm
http://asiarecipe.com/japeathistory.html
http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japanesehistory/

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Here, I want to share you one amazing Japanese cooking ebook – “ A Touch Of YouLin’s Japanese Kitchen” from my friend, YouLin. It is 136 page premium Japanese cookbook featured over 108 healthy recipes which YouLin has compiled over a period of 10 years in his experience and research as Japanese chef.

The recipes that have been described in the ebook included from sashimi, sushi, chicken, fish, seafood, tofu, salad, vegetables and more.

These recipes are not easy to locate anywhere else and designed to allow you to cook premium restaurant style Japanese food from your own home!

Although, I have been working as a Chef in Japanese restaurant for 15 years, I was totally attracted by the recipes and tips that YouLin shared in the ebook. I really appreciate and I think I can make use of most recipes in my daily Japanese cooking now.

The recipes in the ebook come along with complete details of the ingredients that would be used, the measurements that should be taken and the steps that should be followed.

I am sure that you will be able to cook a delicious and healthy Japanese dish by following each and every step very carefully. So, impress a date and enjoy great experience with your friends and family with the mouth watering Japanese dishes now!

# For Muslim, you may use chicken as substitution of pork, change mirin (sweet sake) to sugar syrup.

# You can find most of the ingredients at Japanese specialty stores or at the Asian aisle of most big supermarkets or even buy online. Of course, you may purchase from me as well J

Get One Copy Now ClickHere

Thank You.

Chef Man

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Chef Man

A Must Read If You are Thinking of Going To Culinary School .
Chef is among those professions that people dream about, imagining leading a crack platoon of sous chefs in a glamorous, stainless steel kitchen and presenting fabulous meals to hundreds of people.

Parts of this description are true, and those who become chefs have very high levels of satisfaction with their professions. One chef said his career “is only for the very crazy. It is hard work, it is grueling work, it is important work, and still, I would do nothing else.”

Many mentioned the long hours, the painstaking attention to detail, and being constantly surrounded by food as parts of a job they love. The profession rewards the talented and the daring who can see opportunity and grab it.

The best thing in urban centers, chefs were quick to mention, was the support of the community of chefs. “You start out knowing absolutely nothing and these experienced, exciting chefs you’ve idolized all your life will show you how to run your kitchen.

It’s like having a living library at your disposal.” Rural chefs said the sense of isolation can be discouraging.

Chefs work long and unusual hours, making it difficult for them to socialize outside of working hours. One mentioned that “only doctors and truck drivers work the 4:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. shift.” This leaves limited opportunity for meeting others, particularly if they are in a part of the country with few chefs. The first few years are an education. Few chefs survive cooking school who don’t understand the physical requirements of the profession: Lifting heavy pots, being on your feet for eight hours, stirring vats of sauces, rolling pounds of dough.

Ajo

Many chefs specialize in a certain type of cuisine. It is difficult for new chefs to have their skills recognized without an established history of success in a variety of workplaces. Those who leave the profession do so with heavy hearts; they genuinely enjoy the companionship of fellow chefs, the creativity involved in working with food, and the aesthetic beauty of sound presentation. But they leave anyway due to the lack of opportunity, the daily pressures (which can be considerable), and the low wages for those who do not advance immediately to positions of authority.Paying Your Dues

While the profession used to offer a direct progression for new entrants–begin as a preparation chef, move on to assistant chef, then get a chance at becoming your own chef–it is becoming more difficult to become a head chef unless you demonstrate exceptional talent and an extremely creative mind and can inspire financing.

There are over 550 cooking schools in the country, and employers are beginning to impose higher culinary academic standards on their prospective employees. Some are even turning to organizations such as the American Culinary Federation, which has certified a mere 70 of these 550 schools, for recommendations.

Lim Kim How

Most training programs are practical; cooking, preparation, working as part of a team, instrument maintenance, and personal hygiene (yes, that is a course) are all taught by example and as part of basic cooking principles.

Programs last up to four years. Specialization is important in this industry for those looking to work at swankier restaurants, those interested in entree preparation (the most sought-after work), aspiring pastry chefs, and those specializing in a geographically distinctive type of cuisine.
Associated Careers

While most chefs view their profession as a job for life, many become restaurateurs or enter some related food-industry position. A few chefs move into catering.

credit to :http://www.princetonreview.com

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Chef Man and Chef Aye

Gambar tahun 2007 masa Chef AYe kerja sama satu restaurant..Now dia dah berhenti kerja …sekarang buat bisnes sendiri da…

See a video Chef AYe dok RAP!!!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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sushi shop 1930

Sushi Shop 1930….

Sushi History
Sushi originally began as a way of food preservation in the inland of China, in 4th century BC. The fermentation of the rice prevented the fish from spoiling—

The original type of sushi was the so called nare-sushi. Fish was salted and wrapped in fermented rice, a traditional lacto-fermented rice dish. Nare-sushi was made of this gutted fish stored in fermented rice for preservation. Nare-sushi was stored for fermentation for a few months then removed. The fermented rice was discarded and the fish was the only part consumed. This early sushi became a great source of protein.

The consumption of Nare-sushi began to expand throughout China, and sometime around the 8th century AD it reached Japan. The Japanese preferred to eat the fish with the rice, called seisei-sushi. During the Muromachi period seisei-sushi was the most popular type of sushi. Seisei-sushi was partly raw fish wrapped in rice, consumed fresh, before it lost its flavor. This new way of consuming fish was no longer a form of preservation but rather a new dish in Japanese cuisine.

During the Edo era (the early modern period, 1603 to 1868 in Japan), a third type of sushi was introduced, haya-sushi. Haya-sushi was assembled so that both rice and fish could be consumed at the same time, and the dish became unique to the Japanese culture. It was the first time that rice was not being used for fermentation. Rice was now mixed with vinegar. Fish, vegetables and dried preserved foods would be added. This type of sushi is still very popular today. Each region utilizes local flavors to produce a variety of sushi that has been passed down for many generations.

When Tokyo was still being called Edo, at the beginning of the 19th century, mobile food stalls became the dominant food service. During this period nigiri-sushi was introduced. Nigiri-sushi is the most common type of sushi in the modern sushi restaurants. It is an oblong mound of rice with a slice of fish draped over it. After the Great Kanto earthquake in 1923, nigiri-sushi chefs lost their jobs and spread throughout Japan and popularised the dish throughout the country.

Today the sushi dish is internationally known as “sushi” (nigirizushi; Kant? variety) is a fast food invented by Hanaya Yohei (?????; 1799 – 1858) at the end of Edo period in today’s Tokyo (Edo). People in Tokyo were living in haste even a hundred years ago. The nigirizushi invented by Hanaya was not fermented and could be eaten using the fingers or chopsticks. It was an early form of fast food that could be eaten at a road side or in the theater.

Sushi in Japan

The earliest reference to sushi in Japan appeared in 718 in the set of laws called Yororitsuryo (????). As an example of tax paid by actual items, it is written down as “???? (about 64 liters of zakonosushi or zatsunosushi?)”. However, there is no way to know what this “sushi” was or even how it was pronounced. By the 9th and 10th century “?” and “?” are read as “sushi”. This “sushi” was similar to today’s Narezushi.

For almost the next 800 years, until the early 19th century, sushi slowly changed and the Japanese cuisine changed as well. The Japanese started eating three meals a day, rice was boiled instead of steamed, and most important of all, rice vinegar was invented. While sushi continued to be produced by fermentation of fish with rice, the time of fermentation was gradually decreased and the rice used began to be eaten along with the fish. In the Muromachi Period (1336 to 1573), the process of producing Oshizushi was gradually developed where in the fermentation process was abandoned and vinegar was used. In the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573 – 1603), namanare was invented. A 1603 Japanese-Portuguese dictionary has an entry for namanrina sushi, literally half-made sushi. The namanare was fermented for a shorter period than the narezushi and possibly marinated with rice vinegar. It still had the distinctive smell of narezushi.

The smell of narezushi was likely one of the reasons for shortening and eventually skipping the fermentation process. It is commonly described as “a cross between blue cheese, fish, and rice vinegar”. A story from Konjaku Monogatarish? written in early 12th century makes it clear that it was not an attractive smell, even if it tasted good: In the early 18th century, oshizushi was perfected in Osaka and it came to Edo by the middle of 18th century. These sushi were sold to customers, but because they still required a little fermentation time, stores hung a notice and posters to customers on when to come for a sushi. Sushi was also sold near a park during a hanami period and a theater as a type of Bento. Inarizushi was sold along oshizushi. Makizushi and Chirashizushi also became popular in Edo period.

There were three famous sushi restaurants in Edo, Matsunozushi (???), Yoheizushi (????), and Kenukizushi (?????) but there were thousands more sushi restaurants. They were established in a span of barely twenty years at the start of the 19th century. Nigirizushi was an instant hit and it spread through Edo like wildfire. In the book Morisadamanko (????) published in 1852, the author writes that for a cho (100 meters by 100 meters or 10,000 square meters) section of Edo there were one or two sushi restaurants, but that only one soba restaurant could be found in 1 or 2 cho. This means that there were nearly 2 sushi restaurants for every soba restaurant.

These early nigirizushi were not identical to today’s varieties. Fish meat was marinated in soy sauce or vinegar or heavily salted so there was no need to dip into soy sauce. Some fish was cooked before it was put onto a sushi. This was partly out of necessity as there were no refrigerators. Each piece was also larger, almost the size of two pieces of today’s sushi.

The advent of modern refrigeration allowed sushi made of raw fish to reach more consumers than ever before. The late 20th century saw sushi gaining in popularity all over the world.

Source -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_sushi

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