Beautiful Asian Food

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Beautiful Asian Food
Though prepared differently with a combination of assorted ingredients and spices, rice consumption and use can be considered as the thread that ties most Asian countries to each other. The use of rice as a staple food, especially during famines, contributed to its being considered as a sacred food and thus used both for consumption and as an offering to their deities to ensure good luck and harvest. Rice is incorporated in most dishes in many Asian households and its method of preparation changes based on the occasion. This essay analyses the use of Sekihan (red rice) among the Japanese, its cultural effects, and the events it is associated with and how it reflects Zen’s seven principles of Japanese aesthetics.
Sekihan is a meal prepared with red rice and azuki red beans in Japan that are used in ceremonies such as weddings, birthdays, new year celebrations among others. The color red in Japanese culture was considered to have magical powers which warded off evil and foreshadowed good fortune. In modern days, sekihan is associated with good luck. Traditionally, bowls of sekihan were set in homes as offerings during festivities, before small shrines which were dedicated to family ancestors (Tsuji 280). The ingredients used for the preparation of Sekihan red rice are short grain mochi rice (glutinous), medium grain white rice, azuki beans, water, sugar (optional), salt, vinegar (optional), and Gomashio which is a mixture of toasted black sesame seeds with salt (Itoh n.

p).
Zen’s seven Japanese aesthetic principles were meant to govern the art of creating Japanese gardens alongside other forms of art. Most Asian countries present their foods in artistic styles to please those who will be consuming the food and also to make their offerings presentable to their deities. The seven principles of Japanese aesthetic are simplicity or elimination of clutter, asymmetry or irregularity, naturalness, subtlety, a break from routine, stillness or tranquility, and austerity. The preparation and presentation of Sekihan reflect the seven principles of Japanese aesthetics. In the preparation of Sekihan, few ingredients are used. The setup and presentation of the meal are simple as the food is only garnished Gomashio (Tsuji 282). In most cases, Sekihan is served without Gomashio allowing those who will be eating the food the chance to spice it themselves with Gomashio while at the table. This creates an asymmetry feel as it allows other to incorporate their own creativity to the meal. The use of sesame seeds also creates a natural ambiance to the meal with its natural flavor (7 Japanese Aesthetic Principles to Change your Thinking n.p).
The Sekihan method of preparation is in line with the principle Datsuzoku, which implies that one should break from normal routine as it is prepared on special ceremonial occasions. Like the Japanese garden that portrays stillness and tranquillity, the delicate combination of flavors in the preparation of Sekihan also commands a similar stillness. It does not contain a varied range of colored garnishes that would command attention but rather just a touch of Gomashio which brings out its elegance and simplicity. This is in comparison to Zen’s principle of austerity and lesson of adding only the ingredients that are necessary to the food rather than over garnishing it (7 Japanese Aesthetic Principles to Change your Thinking n.p).
The creativity that is put in the preparation of Asian foods makes it stand out among other culinary cultures in the world. This essay has analyzed the use of Sekihan (red rice) among the Japanese, its cultural effects, and the events it is associated with and how it reflects Zen’s seven principles of Japanese aesthetic thereby revealing the beauty of Asian foods.

Works Cited
“7 Japanese Aesthetic Principles to Change your Thinking.” Design Principles FTW. 6 July 2014 http://www.designprinciplesftw.com/collections/7-japanese-aesthetic-principles-to-change-your-thinking Accessed 27 December 2016.
Itoh, Makiko. “Sekihan: a recipe for magic beans and good luck.” The Japan Times. 25 September 2015 http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2015/09/25/food/recipe-magic-beans-good-luck/#.WGIRhtJ97IV. Accessed 27 December 2016.
Tsuji, Shizuo. “Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art.” Kodansha International, 2007.