“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” – James Beard, American chef

Japan – Part 5

Kyoto Continues

Home Cooking Experience

In all our travels, we try to include a cooking lesson, since it’s an easy, fun way to discover and learn more about local culture, cuisine and especially, meet community members. Typically, it involves visiting a residential home or cooking school, maybe a market or shop, and understand how to prepare traditional dishes using regional ingredients and cooking methods. Since landing in Japan, we’ve had very rewarding, immersive experiences, but the home cooking class was my favorite of all …

… and all because of Kyoko, our adorable and joyful host. A grandmotherly type of small stature, but big-hearted and overflowing with a contagious, effervescent personality. Kyoko opened her home and kitchen to us with her bright, welcoming nonstop smile, topped by her fun, Mona Lisa headscarf.

As with love and food, language barriers disappear, but it was very handy having our tour guide, Koi, helping us translate as we proceeded to prepare a fabulous feast for lunch.

Kyoko taught us new techniques and products that can easily translate back to Mexico into my own cooking style. As per her clear instructions, we chopped, diced, and prepared a colorful and tasty multi-course Japanese meal: miso soup, cucumber salad, fried tofu, rolled Japanese omelet, and teriyaki chicken (from now on, I’ll never use bottled sauce again ~ what a difference in the flavor of homemade!). Of course, there was rice, which I was told should be rinsed 5 times; all my life I’ve only rinsed thrice. Live and learn.

A sweet ending … a very simple and delicious dessert of sweet potatoes and apple compote. It was a recipe so simple and easy. I must add it to my Operation Feed cooking class back home for the appreciative Señoras de San Juan Cosalá; once I figure out the correct portions of each.

It was hard to say our goodbyes and Domo Arigato, Kyoko (thank you very much). The past few hours were precious, surrounded by warmth and hospitality. A perfect day in my book, all wrapped in an aura of love and good food. And, best of all, we got to take home a recipe booklet as a keepsake memento to remember and recreate this yummy meal.

Kyoko walked us out, through the parking lot and down the driveway – and I thought for a moment to kidnap her and take her home with us, small and compact as she is. As we were getting on the metro, David turned around and asked if I was going to replicate this menu at home. “I’ll try to,” I replied.

Homemade Teryikaki Sauce = 2 tablespoons, equal parts of the following ingredients: sugar, sake, mirin, soy sauce and water or dashi, if available.

Further down the road, we’d buy the rectangular fry pan and bamboo rollups to make the omelet. This will be in David’s domain.

The Japanese Tea Ceremony

Throughout our trip, it was important for us to experience more of the Japanese people vs. seeing endless temples and shrines. Kyoto gave us many opportunities to immerse ourselves in local crafts and customs, meeting dedicated artisans and interact with some really nice Japanese folks.

The Tea Ceremony, aka as the Way of Tea or Chado, is a centuries-old art form deeply rooted in Japanese history and cultural customs. We signed up for it, enabling us to dive right into this fascinating ancient and traditional Japanese ceremony. It’s a practice that involves the preparation and serving of matcha, a finely ground (slightly bitter) green tea.

It was held in a dedicated tearoom, designed to create a serene and meditative atmosphere. Here we were invited to sit on tatami mats and watched intently as our gracious host slowly, carefully, and meticulously prepared the tea, using precise movements and rituals that have been refined over centuries.

She went through a series of symbolic and respectful gestures and exchanges, including the presentation of sweets, the admiring of tea utensils, and the drinking of tea. We were then asked to perform the ritual with her expert guidance.

It felt as if we were not only drinking some tea but were sharing in and experiencing this long-held ritual, encouraging us to feel a sense of presence and focus. And just appreciating the beauty and simplicity of being in the moment. Zen Tea.

After leaving the tea house, we walked part of the Philosopher’s Path, a picturesque path that’s named after the famous Japanese philosopher, Nishida Kitaro, who used to walk this same path daily on his way to Kyoto University, where he taught philosophy.

The path is approximately a mile long and follows a small canal lined with hundreds of cherry trees. It’s lined with shops, cafés and temples; making it a great place to experience the local culture of Kyoto.

Shunzan-gama Kenzan Pottery

Japanese pottery would be another wonderful craft stop along our cultural path, and to the third-generation master workshop of Shunzan-gama, located in the lower eastside of Kyoto (one of 50 potters in the vicinity). They produce a famous type of Kyoto ceramic pottery, Kenzan Pottery, a type of Japanese ceramic developed by Ogata Kenzan (1663-1743). He was a famous potter and artist who lived in Kyoto during the Edo period.

Kenzan pottery is characterized by its unique decorative style, which often features intricate designs of flowers, plants, animals, and landscapes. It’s typically made using a technique called “nerikomi,” involving layering and compressing different colored clays to create a marbled or mottled effect. The resulting patterns are then carved or incised into the clay to create the final design.

Today, Kenzan pottery is highly prized by collectors and art enthusiasts around the world. While the old ceramic pieces are rare and valuable, there are many contemporary potters continuing to create works in the Kenzan style, using modern techniques and materials.

After observing the young studio craftspeople, we got to choose two different vessels and have some fun slathering on paint to create a pattern. They were then placed into the hot kiln (1,800 degrees!). After removing, we immediately threw some wood shavings on them in order to set their colors – an amazing process. We happily left with our mini pottery pieces – another treasured keepsake. A tiny cactus is now growing in each planter.

Japanese Uchiwa Fans

Who doesn’t love a little fanfare? We do and a tour was arranged at the Shiomi Uchiwa Company, a small studio workshop, and creators of exquisite Kyo Uchiwa fans for over 65 years. Kyo Uchiwa is a distinct type of bamboo fan made specifically in Kyoto. This is a traditional, Japanese fixed style (one that doesn’t fold away), characterized by its unique shape, which is wider and more rounded than other Japanese fans. They’re well-known for their vibrant, colorful designs.

There’s a long fan history beginning with its introduction from China via Korea. The nobility originally used them, but during the Warring States Period of the 15^th and 16^th centuries, fans were used as a part of the military commander’s uniform. Then merchants and travelers began using them to keep cool in the hot summer months, or to fan flames during cooking. How many times have you sat in a warm theater and wished you had one handy?!

Besides cooling, they were also used to protect against wind, light and dust; and to hide the face (think Geisha and her folding fan), but over time they became popular as decorative items as well.

We were surprised to see the elaborate steps it takes to create this style of fan; enthralled while watching over several skilled artisans using traditional techniques and materials. Each artisan is assigned a specialized task utilizing their particular skill.

First, the fan’s thin “bamboo bones” are painstakingly bent, shaped, and arranged radially one by one, into a distinctive shape. The bamboo is then covered with a thin layer of Japanese premium washi paper or silk, which is then decorated with intricate designs using techniques such as woodblock printing, hand painting, or stenciling. Popular designs include: landscapes, calligraphy and florals. They also make a lot of custom fans for corporate clients. The wood handle is made separately and attached at the end of the crafting process.

Tour’s end meant it was time to shop and select a beautiful souvenir. However, the wonderful craftsmanship and design choices created a quandary – which one? Well, we narrowed it down to not one, not two, but three beautiful, striking fans. David was immediately enamored with the Forest Fan. Available in four colors: one per season, he chose the Summer Green/Dark Blue coloration (they’re double-sided) for its vibrancy and unique tree design.

Also speaking to us were two different Sumo Wrestler fans; since becoming big fans of this exciting sporting event, it was a no-brainer. Fantastic!

Aoba Tunnel

After traveling  from central Kyoto to its farthest south reaches, we headed back to our hotel; traveling through the Aoba Tunnel, notable for its length and the engineering feat required to construct it. The tunnel is over 5 miles long and was built through solid rock, taking seven years to complete. Besides all the advanced safety features, it’s most notable for its beautiful lighting design.

The tunnel is illuminated with a variety of colorful LED lights that change depending on the time of day and weather conditions, creating a stunning visual experience for drivers and passengers.

While we touched upon just a tip of the iceberg in exploring Kyoto, we left feeling happy to have enjoyed a taste of “The Eternal City.” It’s sad to say goodbye to Koi, and her radiant smile and encyclopedic mind, chockfull of information that she shared and we gratefully enjoyed and cherished.

Food! We’ve been passing by this tiny little restaurant close to our hotel for the last two nights, and the place always has a line outside (think it seats 16). Time to find out why … got in line and David struck up a conversation with a guy waiting. He told us that the place is not only one of the best noodles and gyozas places in Kyoto, but also very reasonably priced; thus explaining the crowds.

The staff of the restaurant consisted of two: the chef, who you can see wildly busy cooking orders, and a charming young woman scurrying back and forth from the kitchen carrying hot bowls of steaming ramen, and crispy, delicious gyozas. Our ramen order arrived; we also added some fried chicken pieces to our order that were wrapped in the crunchiest, lightest coating of bread crumbs … a taste of the South in the Southwest of Japan. 

Tomorrow’s another day, another Shinkansen … and on to Hiroshima, for a bit more of a sobering experience, as you can imagine, but with sensational eats!

As seen on the street…..