Shojin-ryori: Zen Cuisine as Training Within the Teachings

Overview

In the 1200's, the monk Dogen brought shojin-ryori, a vegetarian cuisine, from China along with Zen Buddhism, which forbids the killing of animals and the eating of meat. He once said, "Meals and their preparation are part of aesthetic training". Kaiseki-ryori and other Japanese cuisine have their base in and developed from shojin-ryori, which wastes nothing of the seasonal vegetables and cereals used. Chefs, including a chef at a Michelin-rated restaurant, work to spread shojin-ryori worldwide.