How mottainai shaped iconic Japanese dishes

Just as cooking failures led to new discoveries, some Japanese dishes were born out of a “mottainai” awareness that reduces food loss. I’ll introduce some Japanese cuisines that are popular among the locals, yet their origins aren’t well known.

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake or frittata made from wheat flour, cabbage, egg, and anything you like such as meat and seafood. Not many people know that Okonomiyaki was born out of a sense of “mottainai” during the postwar days. Despite its humble beginnings, it has become one of the most popular foods among the Japanese because it is easy and cheap to prepare yet very tasty.

According to the General Incorporated Foundation Okonomiyaki Academy, although the Japanese have had snacks made from flour and water since around 1920, it was only during the postwar period of food shortages that wheat flour-made foods became a main source of carbohydrates. Okonomiyaki was created to satisfy people’s hunger, using metal plates procured from the military, flour supplied by American food aid, and other ingredients and leftovers on hand.

Kenchin-jiru, also known as Kenchin soup

Kenchin-jiru is a Japanese vegetable soup made with root vegetables, tofu and dashi stock. Although there are many stories about its origin, it is said to have originated in Kenchōji Temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. During the Kamakura period (around A.D1200), the first chief priest at Kenchōji Temple used to make a soup called “Kenchō soup” made from vegetable scraps without wasting any and to serve to visitors, and later its name eventually turned into “Kenchin-jiru”. Although few people know its origin, there is no doubt that Kenchin-jiru is a staple in many Japanese households, often prepared at home.

Tsukemono (Japanese Pickles)

Among many regions where people have eaten pickled foods for a long time, Japan is considered to be one of the countries where people eat pickles the most. If there was a ranking of “which countries eat pickles the most”, Japan would not only be ranked as the country that “eats the most,” but also as the country that “eats the most variety.”

Although the most popular and common vegetables used for pickles are daikon radish, cucumber and eggplant, any kind of food leftovers can be pickled such as fruit peels, cores and stems of vegetables that are normally thrown away. Here is an interesting episode of tsukemono: Kinse, once the wholesaler of vegetables and miso and now one of the oldest and most popular Tsukemono shops in Japan, began selling pickles because the owner thought it would be a “mottainai” to throw away unsold vegetables.

Washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine) was registered as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2013 for four main reasons including “Respect for Nature”. In other words, the Japanese people’s sustainable use of natural resources was also highly valued. Washoku may change its style as times change, but I believe the spirit of Washoku will be passed on to the next generations.