Condiments - Yakumi

Among plants that are mainly grown in Japan, condiments are those that are obtained from the leaves, young shoots, buds, seeds, fruits, and rhizomes of plants that have a strong fragrance, spiciness, or bitter taste, and that enhance the flavor of dishes in small amounts, and are useful for increasing appetite and digestion. The condiments used in Japanese cuisine are so-called Japanese-style spices, and include hemp seeds, Japanese pepper seeds and young shoots, ginger, perilla seeds and leaves, parsley, knotweed, dried tangerine peel, chili peppers, Chinese chives, green onions, butterbur buds, Japanese quince, mitsuba, myoga, yuzu, wasabi, scallions, chives, kabosu, sudachi, daikon, and shichimi togarashi, and many of them go well with seasonings such as soy sauce, miso, vinegar, and mirin. It is said that the word "condiment" was first used during the Song Dynasty in China. The use of daikon as a garnish with soba noodles was mentioned in the essay "Kishin Zasshiki" (Gifts on the Divine Spirits), written at the end of the Song Dynasty and the first essay of the Yuan Dynasty. In Japan, the "Shogei Ko Kagami" (Shogei Ko Kagami), published in 1686 (the third year of the Jōkyō era), states, "Eat daikon to avoid getting poisoned from eating noodles." In other words, daikon acts as a medicine to prevent stomach pain (poisoning) caused by overeating, and it is said that the word "yakumi" (condiment) began to be used around this time. It seems that yakumi was also called yakumi (condiment) to mean a useful taste. In ancient times, herbs used as medicinal herbs were bitter, spicy, or fragrant, and could not be eaten in large quantities as food, and many of them were made from roots, skins, leaves, stems, stems, seeds, flowers, etc. that were not necessary for cooking. There is also a theory that it came to be called yakumi because it was the same ingredient as the Chinese herbal medicine prescriptions stored in the Chinese herbal medicine chests.

[Hiroshi Saito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

主として日本に産する植物のなかで、香り、辛味、ほろ苦味の強い葉、若芽、つぼみ、種子、果実、根茎から得られ、少量で料理の風味を引き立て、食欲増進、消化吸収に役だつものをいう。日本料理に使われている薬味は、いわゆる和風香辛料で、アサの実、サンショウの実や若芽、ショウガ、シソの実や葉、セリ、タデ、陳皮(ちんぴ)、トウガラシ、ニラ、ネギ、フキノトウ、ボウフウ、ミツバ、ミョウガ、ユズ、ワサビ、ワケギ、アサツキ、カボス、スダチ、ダイコン、七味唐辛子などがあり、しょうゆ、みそ、酢、みりんなどの調味料にもよくあうものが多い。「薬味」ということばが最初に使われたのは、中国の宋(そう)代ではないかといわれている。大根をそばに付け合わせて食することが宋末元(げん)初の随筆『癸辛雑識(きしんざっしき)』に書かれており、また日本でも1686年（貞享3）に出た『諸芸小鑑(しょげいこかがみ)』のなかに、「麺(めん)類を食べて中毒にかからぬよう大根を食べよ」とある。すなわち食べすぎによる腹痛（中毒）を防ぐ薬の役目を果たすものが大根であって、このころから薬味ということばが使われ始めたともいわれている。薬味はまた、役にたつ味という意味で役味とよばれたこともあったようである。古来、薬草として使われていたものは、苦味や辛味、香りが強く、それだけを食物として大量に食べることができないものであり、しかも調理には不要な根、皮、葉、茎、へた、種子、花などを用いたものが多い。漢方医の薬味だんすに収められていた漢方処方の成分と同じものであったことから、薬味とよばれるようになったとの説もある。

［齋藤　浩］

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