Buddhist cuisine - Shojinryori

Japanese: 精進料理 - しょうじんりょうり

Cuisine made from plant-based ingredients. The name shojin ryori comes from the Sanskrit word viryana, which means diligent effort. When training one's mind, avoiding fine foods such as meat and being content with simple foods (plant-based foods) was considered a part of training, and plant-based foods came to be called shojin ryori. However, in ancient times, non-plant-based foods were also included as long as they were considered suitable for the purpose of training. When Shakyamuni (Shaka) spent his time in the mountains on extremely simple food in order to attain enlightenment, he was extremely exhausted when he came down from the mountain and collapsed from malnutrition. A village girl offered him something as a memorial service, which she considered to be a great pleasure. This is said to refer to the dairy product ghee, which is the most important taste among the five tastes of Buddhism. Emperor Shomu of the Nara period had a great interest in Buddhism, and bestowed the "Sake no Sho" in Echizen (Fukui Prefecture) to the monks of Todaiji Temple to devote themselves to their studies. Thus, although the purpose was vegetarianism, the food used was not necessarily vegetarian. Zen Buddhism became popular during the Kamakura period, and a unique style of vegetarian cuisine was created in the midst of this simple lifestyle. Zen Master Dogen, the founder of Echizen Eiheiji Temple, is also the founder of the Japanese Soto sect, and the food he ate in his strict daily life can be said to be the prototype of the so-called Japanese vegetarian cuisine. Furthermore, the cooking method of this cuisine was further improved, and it grew into a unique cuisine. And vegetarian cuisine produced people with the specialized skills to prepare it. The Buddhist monks who were experts in cooking were called Tenzo, and there were quite a few Tenzo who possessed exceptional skills.

[Tomomi Kono and Tetsunosuke Tada]

cooking

Because the ingredients of shojin ryori are light, it has been said that bonito flakes can be used in the dashi to improve the flavor, but as a rule, only vegetable ingredients are used, so shiitake mushrooms and kelp are used as the main seasoning sources. Sesame oil and eggs are also allowed, and sake is also considered an important seasoning. This is probably because they want to take advantage of the umami and succinic acid flavor of sake. Mirin is thought to have been created in the late Edo period, but it is also used. "Ryori Monogatari" (The Tale of Cooking), published in 1643 (Kan'ei 20), is a cookbook from the early Edo period, and it explains the dashi used in shojin ryori as follows: "To make dashi sake, add a little salt to bonito and mix with new sake, then strain it," and "For shojin dashi, a combination of kanpyo (dried gourd), kelp (can be added even if it is roasted), dried kelp, glutinous rice (put in a bag), dried turnip, and dried daikon radish are good." Another seasoning from the olden days was irizake (a type of sake made with sake leaves). This is made by boiling dried bonito flakes, pickled plums, aged sake with a little tamari and water, and reducing the volume by about one-third. The book also states that a variation of this is irizake (a type of sake made with sake leaves) made by cutting tofu into pieces the size of dengaku (a type of dried tofu), holding it over a fire, and adding pickled plums or dried turnips, or simply adding a little soy sauce to the sake.

Since the Middle Ages, some of the shojin ryori (traditional Japanese cuisine) that has been studied and created in temples has been heavily influenced by recipes, ingredients, and processed foods from China. Kyoto was the capital of the Heian period, so the best food was desired, but since it is far from the sea, it was not possible to focus on seafood as a source of protein, so it was natural to rely on plant-based ingredients, and many of these processed products are made from soybeans. The manufacturing technology for tofu, frozen tofu, natto, yuba, and wheat gluten (fu), which is made mainly from wheat flour, has advanced. These are important sources of plant-based protein and are also preserved foods. They are also the main ingredients of shojin ryori (traditional Japanese cuisine), and in addition to other foods, they play a major role in creating new flavors, and are used in salads and other dishes. For example, dishes made with natto and shira-ae (seaweed and tofu) have been made since ancient times. Tofu can be further processed into fried tofu, raw tofu, and hiryuzu (called ganmodoki in the Kanto region), which also contain plant-based fats and are highly nutritious. The method of making natto was originally introduced from China, but Japanese soybeans are suitable for making natto and it has an excellent taste. This developed significantly during the Kamakura period, and there are now many varieties, such as the dry type Daifukuji natto (hama natto), thread-like natto (Edo natto), and Daitokuji natto, which has slightly different ingredients and preparation methods.

On the other hand, Chinese-style shojin ryori (vegetarian cuisine) was introduced to Japan in the Edo period by Zen Master Ingen, the founder of Manpukuji Temple on Mount Obaku. The head priest of this mountain (temple) has been a naturalized Chinese monk for generations, and the cuisine was also introduced from China, and is still known as Obaku fucha ryori (vegetarian cuisine). Originally, Chinese shojin ryori (vegetarian cuisine) was characterized by the use of plant-based ingredients to create dishes that appear to resemble the shape and, in some cases, the taste of animals. Examples include dishes that resemble grilled or boiled chicken, and deep-fried whole carp. This technique was also adopted in Japanese fucha ryori (vegetarian cuisine), and imitation dishes such as chicken dumplings, grilled eel, and tuna sashimi can be seen. In Japan, shojin ryori (vegetarian cuisine) also uses the names of animal-based ingredients, such as eggplant shigiyaki (fried eggplant) and konjac boiled in soft-shelled turtle.

[Tomomi Kono and Tetsunosuke Tada]

"The Buddhist Cuisine Study Group, ed., Encyclopedia of Vegetarian Cuisine, vols. 1-5 (1983, Yuzankaku)" ▽ "Vegetarian Cuisine Dictionary, by Fujii Sotetsu (1985, Tokyodo Publishing)" ▽ "An Introduction to Vegetarian Cuisine - The Wisdom of the Buddha to Heal the Mind and Body, edited by Abe Jien (1998, Daihorinkaku)" ▽ "Manpukuji's Fucha Cuisine, supervised by Obakusan Manpukuji and cooked by Taniya Masahiro (2004, Gakken)" ▽ "The Spirit of Eiheiji and Vegetarian Cuisine, supervised by head temple Eiheiji and cooked and written by Takanashi Naoyuki (2004, Gakken)" ▽ "Koyasan's Vegetarian Cuisine, supervised by Kongobu-ji, head temple of the Koyasan Shingon sect (2005, Gakken)" ▽ "Kenchoji Temple and Kamakura's Vegetarian Cuisine" (2005, Gakken), supervised by the head temple Kenchoji Temple ; "Zenkoji Temple and Temple Lodgings' Vegetarian Cuisine" (2005, Gakken), supervised by the temple Zenkoji Temple

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

植物性の材料でつくる料理。精進料理の名称はサンスクリットのビルヤーナviryanaから出ている。このことばは精勤(しょうごん)の意である。精神修養をするときには、肉食などの美食を避けて粗食（植物性食品）に甘んじるのも修行の一つと考え、植物性の食物を精進料理というようになった。しかし、古くは植物性でない食物も、修養の目的に適合すると考えられるものは含まれている。釈迦(しゃか)が成道(じょうどう)のために山中で著しい粗食で過ごしたために、下山したときには極度に疲労し、栄養失調で倒れてしまったが、村娘が供養のためと考えて捧(ささ)げたのは醍醐味(だいごみ)であった。これは乳製品のギーのことといわれ、仏道五味のなかでは味のトップになっている。奈良朝の聖武(しょうむ)天皇は仏教に多大の関心をもち、東大寺の僧侶(そうりょ)の学問精進のために越前(えちぜん)（福井県）の「鮭(さけ)の庄(しょう)」を下賜した。このように目的は精進であるが、用いる食物はかならずしも精進物でないこともある。鎌倉時代には禅道が盛んになり、その簡素な生活のなかで独自の型の精進料理をつくりだしたのである。越前永平寺(えいへいじ)の開祖道元(どうげん)禅師は日本の曹洞宗(そうとうしゅう)の創祖でもあるが、その厳しい日常生活のなかの食事は、いわゆる日本の精進料理の原型であるともいえる。さらにこの料理は作り方に一段の進歩を加え、独特の料理として成長した。そして精進料理は、これをつくる専門技術をもつ者を輩出した。仏僧の料理作りの専門家を典坐(てんぞ)というが、なかには著しく技術の優秀な者が少なからずいた。

［河野友美・多田鉄之助］

調理

精進料理は材料が淡泊であるから、その味を向上させるためには、だしにかつお節を用いてもよいとしたこともあるが、原則としては植物性のものだけとなっているために、主たる調味源としてはシイタケ、昆布を用いている。ごま油、卵は用いてよいものとされ、酒も重要な調味料とされている。酒のもつうま味、コハク酸の味を利用しようと考えるためであろう。みりんができたのは江戸後期とみられているが、これも利用されている。1643年（寛永20）刊の『料理物語』は江戸初期の料理書であるが、そのなかに「だし酒は、かつおに塩ちと入れ、新酒にて一あわ二あわせんじ、こしさましてよし」「精進のだしはかんぴょう、昆布（焼きても入れる）、干したで、糯米(もちごめ)（袋に入れる）、干しかぶら、干しだいこん右の中取合せてよし」と精進料理のだしについての解説がある。また古い時代の調味料としては、煎酒(いりざけ)があった。これはかつお節、梅干し、古酒に溜(たまり)と水を少々加えて沸かし、3分の1くらいに煮つめたものを用いるが、その応用としての精進の煎酒は、豆腐を田楽(でんがく)くらいの大きさに切り、火にかざし、梅干し、干しかぶらなどを加えてもよいし、酒にしょうゆ少々を加えただけでよいと記してある。

　中世以降、寺院において研究してつくられている精進料理の一部は、中国渡来の調理法や材料、加工品などが大きく影響している。京都は平安朝の首都であるから、料理も最高のものを望んだのだが、海から遠く離れているのでタンパク質源を魚貝類から重点的にとることができず、植物性の材料に依存するのが当然で、それにはダイズを主材にした加工品が多く用いられている。豆腐、凍り豆腐、納豆、湯葉、また小麦粉を主材にした麩(ふ)などの製造技術が進んだ。これらは植物性タンパク質源として重要なものであり、かつ保存食品でもある。また精進料理の主材であり、ほかの食品に加えて新しい味の創造にも大きな役目をもっており、和(あ)え物などにも用いられる。たとえば、納豆和え、豆腐を用いての白和えなど古くからつくられている。豆腐はさらに加工して油揚げ、生(なま)揚げ、飛竜頭(ひりゅうず)（関東ではがんもどき）などにすると、植物性の脂肪も含んでいるので栄養価も高い。元来納豆の作り方は中国渡来のものであるが、日本のダイズは納豆作りに好適で味も優れている。これが著しく進展したのは鎌倉時代で、その種類も、乾いている系統の大福寺納豆（浜納豆）、糸引納豆（江戸納豆）、また材料と作り方の多少異なる大徳寺納豆もある。

　一方、日本に入ってきた中国風精進料理は、黄檗山(おうばくさん)万福寺(まんぷくじ)の開祖である隠元(いんげん)禅師が江戸時代に伝えたものである。この山（寺）の山主は代々中国の帰化僧で、料理も中国のものが伝えられ、その料理はいまでも、黄檗の普茶(ふちゃ)料理として知られている。本来、中国の精進料理は植物性材料を用いても一見動物の形態、ものによっては味までそれに似たものをつくりだすのが特色である。鶏の焼いたり煮たりした形、コイの丸揚げらしくつくったものなどがある。日本の普茶料理にもこの技法は取り入れられ、とり団子、ウナギの蒲焼(かばや)き、マグロの刺身などの擬製料理もみられる。日本では、ナスのしぎ焼き、こんにゃくのすっぽん煮のように動物性の名称を用いた精進料理もある。

［河野友美・多田鉄之助］

『仏教料理研究会編『精進料理大事典』1～5（1983・雄山閣）』▽『藤井宗哲著『精進料理辞典』（1985・東京堂出版）』▽『阿部慈園編『精進料理入門――心と体を癒すほとけの智慧』（1998・大法輪閣）』▽『黄檗山万福寺監修・田谷昌弘調理『万福寺の普茶料理』（2004・学習研究社）』▽『大本山永平寺監修、高梨尚之調理・執筆『永平寺の心と精進料理』（2004・学習研究社）』▽『高野山真言宗総本山金剛峯寺監修『高野山の精進料理』（2005・学習研究社）』▽『大本山建長寺監修『建長寺と鎌倉の精進料理』（2005・学習研究社）』▽『定額山善光寺監修『善光寺と宿坊の精進料理』（2005・学習研究社）』