Vegan Shojin Ryori Buddhist Meal Home Cooking Class in Tokyo
Learn the history and culture of Japanese shojin ryori (Buddhist cuisine) in this home cooking class in Tokyo. You’ll make a ichiju sansai vegan meal with soup, rice, a main dish and two sides.
Highlights
Learn the culinary art of Japanese Buddhist cuisine (shojin ryori) and prepare a scrumptious vegan meal with seasonal ingredients in a real Tokyo kitchen.
Learn about Japanese cuisine etiquette and customs, and discover ichiju sansai, the structure of a shojin ryori meal consisting of a soup, a rice dish, a main dish, and two sides.
Flexible menu: the meal can be customized according to your preferences and is subject to make the most of seasonal ingredients available
The lesson will have a maximum of five participants to ensure personalized instruction.
10 meals
Experience Details
While modern cooking often relies on intense flavors, strong seasonings, and a terribly long list of ingredients and methods, centuries-long Japanese Buddhist cuisine (shojin ryori) is the art of simplified cooking.
Using seasonal ingredients, cutting down on seasoning, and reducing waste are three pillars of shojin ryori cuisine. No animal products are used, so shojin ryori meals are usually vegetarian and vegan. They often feature assorted vegetables, seaweed, rice, and creatively prepared soy-based ingredients, like tofu. The key is simplicity: the flavors need not be overwhelming but subtle and complementary.
In this experience, you'll immerse yourself in the world of shojin ryori in your host's Tokyo kitchen. She will teach you the history, culture, and ingredients of this traditional way of cooking and receiving a meal. Then, you’ll get hands-on preparing your meal, following the ichiju sansai structure: a soup, a rice dish, a main dish, and two sides. After the hard work, sit down to enjoy the meal with your host with a mindful and grateful heart.
The menu is flexible to make the most of the available seasonal ingredients and to accommodate guests’ preferences and requests. Here are the sample main and side dishes for reference (subject to change depending on availability). Rice, soup, pickles and a seasonal dessert are also included in each menu:
Spring
-Main dish: Japanese mountain vegetable tempura
-Side dishes: Sweet and spicy boiled new harvest potatoes or udo with vinegar miso dressing
Summer
-Main dish: Hijiki and corn tofu hamburger
-Side dishes: Simmered summer vegetables or green beans w/ sesame dressing
Autumn
-Main dish: Tofu hamburger with mushroom sauce
-Side dishes: Hijiki-ni (simmered seaweed and vegetables) or marinated komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) and iyokan citrus
Winter
-Main dish: Tofu hamburger with daikon radish ponzu sauce
-Side dishes: Kinpira gobo (braised burdock root) or spinach with sesame dressing
Inclusions
Cooking lesson with an English-speaking instructor
Ingredients and utensils
Recipes to take home
Non-alcoholic drinks (water, tea, etc.)
A dashi stock packet as a souvenir
Exclusions
Transportation to and from the meeting point
Meeting Point and Meeting Time
The host will see you at Luke's Tea Room, from where you'll go to her house together (10min before the starting time). A Google Maps link will be provided upon booking.
Remarks
This class has a maximum of 5 participants.
The menu for this experience is flexible: please provide references and details during the booking process, and the host will try to accommodate your preferences, if any.
If you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions, please specify so at the time of booking.
Please arrive at the meeting point 10 minutes before the experience start time.
Cancellation Policy
Cancel your booking at least 2 days before the experience start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
Experience Location
Over 14 million residents call Tokyo home. Functioning as Japan's economic and cultural center, it's no surprise the metropolis often appears at the top of travelers' bucket lists. Here, you can find everything from traditional tea houses to futuristic skyscrapers.
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10 meals
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