Kevindailystory.com – The Japanese kitchen (also Japanese: Jitsu, romanized: Daidokoro lit., “kitchen”) is usually where food is cooked in a traditional Japanese house. Until the Meiji period, a typical Japanese kitchen used to be called kamado; lit. stove. Kamado wo ichijo (lit. “broke the stove”). When the shuei was introduced during the feudal rule, it became possible for every Japanese household to have a kitchen. For example, in present times, the word “kamado” can be found on a lot of cooking utensils, as well as in certain phrases and words used in performing arts such as acrobatics.
Characteristics of a Simple Japanese Kitchen
The Japanese kitchen differs from the western kitchen mainly in the location of its stove. Although most Japanese kitchens still use the traditional flat top stove called a bain-maru, some use round bottomed stoves, called Mitsubishi. These are different from the western stoves in the sense that they are much smaller and do not have hotplates. Instead, they employ the concept of chimney which allows exhaust and intake of smoke from the cooking process. In addition to the presence of a stove, there is also the presence of a ventilation system, known as a chimney. The word for a chimney in Japanese is “hachi”.
Although it has been said that the first Japanese kitchen was invented during the reign of Meiji, the exact origin of this kitchen can be traced as far back as the Muromachan period (circa eighteenth-century). This is where the concept of using a rice cooker to speed up the cooking process was introduced. This has become very important to the Japanese kitchen, especially since most Japanese homes lack adequate space to accommodate a large stove. A large stove, located at the back of the house, was thought to be the place where the family ate. The concept of an all-in-one cooking appliance was not developed until the nineteenth century.
Contemporary Japanese Kitchen Design Using Stainless Steel and Black Granite
The word “japanese cuisine” actually refers to a number of commonalities among the Japanese meals. The real essence of Japanese cuisine is based on the five tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and the intense hot taste of the spices. Sweet dishes are usually preferred over the others because the ingredients are easier to find. The Japanese know how to cook food and they enjoy preparing delicious meals that are full of flavor and textures. They have their own style of food preparation that is distinct from that of the westerners.
The Japanese kitchen has various equipment that are essential for a well-prepared Japanese meal. A traditional Japanese kitchen consists of the following essential pieces of equipment: the dining table, the chopsticks, the tea pot and of course, the Japanese chef. The basic design of the Japanese kitchen makes use of the natural materials such as granite and wood. Granite, for instance, is widely used in the decoration of the Japanese kitchens. The design of the contemporary Japanese kitchens includes the use of stainless steel and black granite.
Having Large Wooden Drums Most Japanese Kitchens
Most of the Japanese kitchens that I’ve seen are quite spacious with countertops which are either granite or marble. There is a separate kitchen area for meals as well as a bathing area. A lot of the Japanese kitchens I’ve seen have huge wooden rolling drums inside which the hot steam of the broiling fish are emitted. If you look closely, you will notice that there are actually small doors under the rollers that lead to the bathrooms in the Japanese kitchen.
The basic necessity in any Japanese kitchen is the kitchen stove. In most traditional Japanese kitchens, the stove is placed on the top level of the kitchen. There is also a separate wood burning stove. The most commonly used wood for the stove in these traditional kitchens is hardwood. You may notice that in these kitchens, they use the bamboo stoves more than the regular oven stoves.
The other important equipment in the Japanese kitchen is the type of burner, which is called the bain Marie. This type of burner is smaller than the regular stove and it has two burners. In traditional Japanese cuisine, the most commonly used fuel for the stove is rice. The use of vegetable oil is also common in this type of cooking.
