Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions

The celebration of Japan’s vegan and vegetarian traditions begins with kansha—appreciation—an expression of gratitude for nature’s gifts and the efforts and ingenuity of those who transform nature’s bounty into marvelous food. The spirit of kansha, deeply rooted in Buddhist philosophy and practice, encourages all cooks to prepare nutritionally sound and aesthetically satisfying meals that avoid waste, conserve energy, and preserve our natural resources.

 

In these pages, with kansha as credo, Japan culinary authority Elizabeth Andoh offers more than 100 carefully crafted vegan recipes. She has culled classics from shōjin ryōri, or Buddhist temple cuisine (Creamy Sesame Pudding, Glazed Eel Look-Alike); gathered essentials of macrobiotic cooking (Toasted Hand-Pressed Brown Rice with Hijiki, Robust Miso); selected dishes rooted in history (Skillet-Scrambled Tofu with Leafy Greens, Pungent Pickles); and included inventive modern fare (Eggplant Sushi, Tōfu-Tōfu Burgers).

 

Andoh invites you to practice kansha in your own cooking, and she delights in demonstrating how “nothing goes to waste in the kansha kitchen.” In one especially satisfying example, she transforms each part of a single daikon—from the tapered tip to the tuft of greens, including the peels that most cooks would simply compost—into an array of wholesome, flavorful dishes.

 

Decades of living immersed in Japanese culture and years of culinary training have given Andoh a unique platform from which to teach. She shares her deep knowledge of the cuisine in the two-part A Guide to the Kansha Kitchen. In the first section, she explains basic cutting techniques, cooking methods, and equipment that will help you enhance flavor, eliminate waste, and speed meal preparation. In the second, Andoh demystifies ingredients that are staples in Japanese pantries, but may be new to you; they will boost your kitchen repertoire—vegan or omnivore—to new heights.

 

Stunning images by award-winning photographer Leigh Beisch complete Kansha, a pioneering volume sure to inspire as it instructs.

This first book to introduce Japanese vegetarian and vegan cooking to Western cooks is written by an authority on Japanese cuisine. With its range of elegant and satisfying recipes, "Kansha" will appeal to anyone with an interest in the food of Japan.

ELIZABETH ANDOH was born in New York, but has made Japan her home since 1967. A graduate of the Yanagihara School of Classical Japanese Cuisine, Andoh is the author of four books on Japanese cooking, including two IACP award-winners, An Ocean of Flavor and Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen. She was Gourmet’s Japan correspondent for more than three decades and was a regular contributor to the New York Times travel section for many years. Andoh lectures internationally on Japanese food and culture and directs A Taste of Culture, a culinary program based in Tokyo and Osaka.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS  VI

INTRODUCTION  1

 

Rice  8

Noodles  50

Stocks and Soups  72

Fresh from the Market  90

The Well-Stocked Pantry  128

Mostly Soy  154

Tsukemono  190

Desserts  222

 

A GUIDE TO THE KANSHA KITCHEN  241

A CATALOG OF TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES  241

A CATALOG OF INGREDIENTS  253

INDEX  286