Japanese Eating Manner
Japanese food is always beautifully presented and even after living here
for many years I didn`t know what I should eat first, when served with a
traditional meal.
It just so happened that one of my Heart to Heart students has recently
come back from a zen temple and has re-learned and taught me how to
eat in the correct manner.
First you start with tasting one of the side dishes, then you may sample
the rice; last but not least, you may then drink the miso soup.
When all that is in front of you is consumed it is then customary to pour
green tea into the empty side dishes , the rice bowl and finally the miso
soup bowl and finally after a long hard earned thirst, you may drink the tea!
This is done so that all dishes have been cleaned properly and nothing
has gone to waste.
One learns something new every day; although after interviewing several
of my Japanese colleagues and friends they didn`t seem to have any idea
what they should start with first either; when eating in the true traditional
manner!
