FINE DINING IN A BOX - The World of Kyoto Bento

Bentō (“boxed meals”) are by now a familiar part of the landscape of Japanese dining, enjoyed in one form or another on all kinds of occasions, from everyday lunches to the most formal dinners. The elaborate catered-banquet versions known as “Kyōto bentō” stand out as one of the most elegant, refined representations of this boxed-meal tradition, as beautiful to look at as they are delicious to eat. Fine Dining in a Box considers the history and culture surrounding the development of these exquisite meals, exploring how they represent much of what is essential in Japanese cuisine and Japanese culture in general. The text also offers a wealth of information on many of the ingredients, presentation techniques, and underlying philosophies that make this style of cuisine so distinct. Influenced in part by the refined vegetarian cooking of Zen Buddhism, banquet bentō meals are light on the palate, healthful, and seasonally appropriate, yet at the same time deeply satisfying in their flavors, textures, colors and diversity of ingredients—a unique combination surely of interest to the sophisticated and health-conscious modern diner.