This time I was happy that I am getting an opportunity to experience a tea ceremony..I booked a slot for it..finally day came..I visited the place where tea ceremony was going to happen,around 20 members were already there to attend that ceremony.. I was super excited..but when I entered I got to know that its a part of tea ceremony which we were getting to experience..still my excitement was very high..
In Japan, the tea ceremony has 2 parts. 1st to have food (懐石) and 2nd making of tea and drink it. This time I was going to experience 1st part.
3 hours of ceremony...my god.. who takes 3 hours just to eat food..but yes here are people who have food for around 4-5 hours if they are following this traditional ceremony.. Here it starts now..
It starts with greetings and then the host asks us to seat on traditional Japanese tables. Then he brings rice bowl, miso soup bowl, and mukozuke (side dish) in oshiki tray. It is special type of wooden japanese traditional tray to serve food. The placement of bowls and chopsticks and even food is in very specific style. For e.g. rice bowl has to be on left when seen from host side etc.. in that too rice is served in one thin line..oh god.. at first dish only its too many etiquettes for me. but it was just the beginning. Along with rice and miso soup usually they provide sashimi (raw fish).Once everyone has tray in front it is time to start..
wait.. just dont hurry and start eating.. that also has its own sophisticated style..first pick up the miso soup bowl from bottom place chopsticks on first and last fingers of the same hand then drink miso soup..not entire soup.. only 2 sips..uffff...what was that.. but yes I had to follow..then have slowly rice..dont even touch or see sashimi for now.. it has its turn coming soon..
Once you finish miso soup host will serve japanese sake in small dish.. taking that sake also needs patience.. haha..while reading also you need patience..then sake should be poured on sashimi and then have sashimi slowly..once you finish sashimi japanese paper (kaishi) is given to you to clean sashimi dish..
again host will bring a pot with rice..it will be served 3 times in entire meal. You need to take sufficient rice for self but also make sure that pot rice will be sufficient for all members of the table.
Now how to keep chopsticks which are used for eating..just 3 cms of the stick should be out of the tray. outside part is the one using which we eat food.
Next comes assorted dish . comes in a bowl of clear soup and things inside usually fish ball. Once this dish is finished then host brings sake kettle for serving. Whoever likes it can take as per their wish
Next dish is yakimono This is the kind of main dish of this ceremony. It contains grilled fish piece. very yummy.. Please note you have to finish the earlier dish to get new one.. as they are served in the same dishes/bowl
Then its turn for vegetables to be in. A variety of vegetables boiled are given to us in a dish. all food is served in ceramic pottery which is very traditional and unique to japan. It is also must buy item as souvenir for all visitors.
After vegetables host brings in little salad and pickle. Japanese pickles are really yumm,y especially the dipped ginger. till this time host serves you and you just keep on eating eating..(召し上がり！！召し上がり！！)
Here comes something different..it is called hashiarai (箸洗い) what does this actually mean is clean your chopsticks..so they give you one bowl of water and something inside it..everybody was confused what to do..then host explained even though it named hashiarai it doesnt mean wash chopsticks.. dip your chopsticks inside so it gets cleaned and then drink that water..dip should be for few seconds only..
Next dish comes as yaki, it contains seasonal vegetable from ocean and chicken from mountain. so from mountain to ocean you eat everything that's what they say.
Now already I am full of all gyan as well as food..but still host brings next part which is the remaining water of rice with some small rice inside. They don't even waste the water in which rice is cooked. That is kind of the last dish of the day..Once you finish then you have final feast which is japanese sweet..usually it is made up of rice and red beans
Wohoo.. thats all..finally 3 hours done and I am also done with eating..but still last formalities remaining.. when you finish everything then pick up chopsticks and throw in your own tray making little noise which notifies host that everyone has finished with their food so he will come and pick the trays..giving back trays as well has method. When host comes then you handover the tray to host then move back a little and bow. host also will bow while having tray in his hand and then move a little back..and that completes entire ceremony of eating..
Comments