So, why should you learn about Washoku?

Well, if you are interested in humans in general, you might want to learn about Japanese traditional cuisine: Washoku was designed as one of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Masterpieces in 2013. If you are currently residing in Japan or planning a future visit, you might be interested in going beyond what 90% of the tour guides and blog posts about Japan talk about in terms of food and learning about the huge chunk of the Japanese cuisine that goes unnoticed behind the ramen, sushi, and yakitori.

Or if you aren’t currently in Japan and don’t know if or when you will ever visit, you might want to try Japanese food in your own Country or maybe apply some of the concepts of Japanese cuisine to your culinary tradition! For example, let’s take one of the key concepts of Washoku: seasonality. Consuming foodstuffs that are in season is one of the tricks to prepare tastier, healthier, and cheaper dishes: Japan, with its four fully distinct seasons, is yes uniquely blessed in the variety of foodstuffs that are available during the year, but the same concept of seasonality can probably be applied to your local cuisine too!

Whether in the context of a visit to Japan, or to apply useful concepts to your culinary habits, Washoku is indeed a patrimony of all humankind.