Shojin-style Cuisine

Shojin Ryori is a vegetarian cuisine of Buddhist temples. Following the precept that forbids killing living beings, this traditional cuisine does not use animal, fish and dairy products. It has been established and developed as a food culture over a long history. Shojin-Style Cuisine is the term we use to describe the cooking adapted for our modern lifestyle based on traditional Shojin Ryori.

Mari Fujii is a specialist and author of many cook books about Shojin Ryori including the one in English, “Enlightened Kitchen : Fresh Vegetable Dishes from the Temples of Japan”. She teaches in Japan and more than 15 countries.
She married Sotetsu Fujii, who was a Buddhist monk and worked as Tenzo in charge of cuisine at the temple for 10 years. He has written several books including a dictionary about the Shojin Ryori of various schools of Buddhism. They have both taught cooking for a long time.

Mari follows the ideas of her husband who often says, "Cooking should be from the heart". In other words, think carefully about the person who will eat the food you prepare.

Shojin-Style Cooking Course

Mari Fujii will give a small group lesson to learn about the basics of Shojin Ryori from its history and characteristics, variations of seasoning, to the practical method of cooking it.

We will learn how to prepare the vegetables in different styles of cooking. The menu consists of the ingredients which are easy to find overseas. We will provide translation and the recipes in English and French.

PROGRAM

10h30-11h:

Reception, Introduction, Basics of Shojin Ryori. Video projection: cuisine at 3 differnts temple

11h-12h30:

Explanation of the menu, ingredients, Cooking together

12h30-13h30: Lunch

13h30-14h: Q&A.

Video (documentary of Shojin cuisine at Mari Fujii's home.)

14h-14h45:

Matcha tea demonstration and practice of using tea whisk.

Tea & sweet.

14h45-15h: