A FOOD TRADITION

Shojin Ryori

Shojin ryori is Japan's Buddhist temple cuisine, developed through Zen and other Buddhist institutions rather than belonging to one prefecture. Its cooking is guided by seasonal awareness, restraint, and the careful use of plant ingredients, including tofu, wheat gluten, vegetables, mushrooms, sea vegetables, beans, and grains. Techniques such as simmering, steaming, grilling, frying, fermenting, and preparing tofu or yuba create variety without relying on meat or fish. Representative preparations include yudofu, gently heated tofu served with condiments; goma-dofu, a sesame-based set preparation; and shojin-style goma-ae, vegetables dressed with ground sesame. Practices vary among temples and schools, so the category describes a cultural culinary tradition rather than a single fixed menu.

Catalogue preview Cuisine connections may be unreviewed. Regional comparisons include their food references and do not establish the ingredients of a particular meal.