Abstract

“If you think cooking is difficult, I want you to read this book.”
Rice, miso soup, pickles is a culinary philosophy deeply rooted in Japanese culture but for anyone who cares about what they cook and eat. It is about going back to basics: simple, healthy, seasonal, delicious food.
From the simple ingredients of white rice, miso soup, and pickles Yoshiharu Doi serves readers a philosophy of food, an exploration of Japanese beauty, and a new way to live.

For well-known Japanese food educator, Yoshiharu Doi, “Food is the beginning of everything.”
Rice, miso soup, pickles is the original form of Japanese cuisine: a simple bowl of rice, miso soup containing various ingredients, and pickles. Doi urges readers to adopt this traditional Japanese diet to make life and cooking easier – creating a routine and making home a place of reassurance and comfort.
Rice, miso soup, pickles is also a way to rediscover and preserve the essence of Japanese culture: sensitivity, simplicity, modesty, seasonality, and cleanliness. As Doi writes, it is more than just a recommended menu, it is a philosophy, an aesthetic, and a way of living.
As well as delving deep into Japanese thought, Doi gives highly practical advice on how to apply his cooking system of rice, miso soup, pickles. For example, he explains how to store and cook rice, how to use different kinds of miso, and how to include seasonal ingredients. Rice, miso soup, pickles can also serve as a template for more elaborate Japanese meals, such as the tea ceremony, while its underlying philosophy can even be applied to other world cuisines.
“After reading this book, I felt the barriers to cooking had been lowered and that I had glimpsed the profundity of Japanese cuisine.” – Amazon Japan reader review
“Doi writes that food is the very core of daily life, thus we should cook for ourselves. It’s a kind approach and it’s hard to argue against. And it’s easy to put into practice.” – from the afterword by Takeshi Yoro

Author’s Information

Yoshiharu Doi was born in Osaka in 1957. After graduating from the Faculty of Education Ashiya University, at the age of 20 he traveled to Switzerland to train as a chef at the Lausanne Palace hotel. He then lived in the French city of Lyon for two years, where he trained at La Mère Guy and other restaurants. On returning to Japan, he worked at Ajikicho in Osaka. After teaching at the Doi Yoshiharu Ryori Gakko (Yoshiharu Doi Culinary School,) in 1992 he opened the Oishiimono Kenkyujo (Laboratory of Delicious Things). He has worked as a special guest lecturer at Jumonji University, a visiting professor at Koshien University, and a visiting researcher at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo. His work promoting home cooking has extended over many years, including appearing for 34 years on the TV Asahi program Okazu no kukkingu (cooking dishes,) and also on such programs as NHK’s Kyou no ryori (today’s cooking.) He has also worked striven to promote Japanese cuisine abroad, and in 2019 and 2022 was invited to give lectures in Lyon, France. In 2022, he was selected for a Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the cultural field. His many published works include Ichijuissai de yoi to iu teian (One Dish, One Soup is Enough,) Ichijuissai de yoi to itaru made (Until One Dish, One Soup is Enough,) and Oishii mon ni ha riyu ga aru (There’s a Reason Why Food is Delicious.)