Kyoto, the former capital of imperial Japan, has a first-rate culinary reputation. The city is steeped in tradition with a diverse local food culture ranging from aristocratic ‘kaiseki ryori’ course dinners to the vegetarian ‘shojin ryori’ of Buddhist monks.
Kyoto, unusually for a Japanese city, is away from the coast. It is home to over 2,000 Buddhist temples and, spared from much of the destruction of World War 2, is one of the best preserved cities in Japan. Michelin’s interest in the city over recent years is justified.
Kyoto is a centre for Japanese culinary excellence with an array of distinctive culinary styles and practice. Kaiseki ryori, for instance, is an elaborate dining style popular among aristocratic circles. Kyoto style is particularly refined, placing an emphasis on subtle flavours and local and seasonal ingredients.
Whereas Kaiseki ryori was developed out of the affluence of the aristocrats, shojin ryori came from the austerity of Buddhist monks. Prohibited from taking the life of other living creatures, monks had to make do without meat or fish in their diet. Shojin ryori was their solution. Consisting of strictly vegetarian dishes, shojin ryori can nonetheless be savoury and filling.
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