Ainu Cuisine

[Ce'nedra]

Again, my curiosity of food intermingled with history always gets to me in time.

I've always wondered about Ainu cuisine

- whether it's still commonly eaten amongst the Ainu community in Japan

- whether there has been a growing interest in it

- what are some common/popular dishes

- are there any Japanese dishes of Ainu origin

- is there such thing as Japanese-Ainu fusion cuisine today

- is it vastly different from mainstream Japanese cuisine

- are there any books about it

- and...if anyone has had experience with Ainu food, please share!

edit: typo again argh!

Edited May 6, 2008 by Ce'nedra (log)

[MoGa]

I can't respond fully to your question, but I'm also interested in Ainu culture (although I can't help but be wary of what gets presented as Ainu culture).

On my list of places to visit is an izakaya in Nakano (a few stops West of Shinjuku, Tokyo)

http://www.bento.com/rev/0561.html

There's quite an old article here: http://www.iht.com/articles/1994/08/05/fainu.php

I get pessimistic about learning much (it's still a volatile subject). I've just read an autobiographic account of the life of a famous Tsugaru Shamisen player called Takahashi Chikuzan who was based in Aomori (Northernmost Honshu) but who spent years of his life wandering Hokkaido, early in the 20th Century. He refers frequently to the food he ate (and even to candy and 'medicines' he sold). What strikes me is that there is no mention of anything about Ainu life.

Kikkoman publish a series of articles online about Japanese food which make worthwhile reading. You might be interested in this one which covers food from this region.

http://www.kikkoman.com/foodforum/thejapanesetable/10.shtml

I personally find it fascinating that the instrument used to play a Tsugaru shamisen looks exactly like the knives used by Inuit people to slice seal and whale meat, but I'd prefer not to draw any conclusions from such a meager observation.

Edited May 6, 2008 by MoGa (log)

[prasantrin]

The only thing I know about Ainu and food is that bear is important in their culture. I watched a pretty horrifying video of a bear sacrifice (they do drink the blood, eat the meat, and use the skins).

(Note: I only recently learned about the cultural significance of the bear sacrifice, but when I was forced to watch the video, I could understand none of dialogue before, during, or after, so at the time I could only see what seemed to be the abuse of an animal.)

Edited May 6, 2008 by prasantrin (log)

[Ce'nedra]

Thanks for the info MoGa and prasantrin.

That's strange...I've read that eating bear meat can be poisonous for humans...and yet I just read that Ainu people not only eat the flesh, but also thin slices of the liver and other innards RAW!

Are they super-humans or did I get my facts all mixed up?

[Ce'nedra]

I get pessimistic about learning much (it's still a volatile subject).  I've just read an autobiographic account of the life of a famous Tsugaru Shamisen player called Takahashi Chikuzan who was based in Aomori (Northernmost Honshu) but who spent years of his life wandering Hokkaido, early in the 20th Century.  He refers frequently to the food he ate (and even to candy and 'medicines' he sold).  What strikes me is that there is no mention of anything about Ainu life.

Kikkoman publish a series of articles online about Japanese food which make worthwhile reading.  You might be interested in this one which covers food from this region.

http://www.kikkoman.com/foodforum/thejapanesetable/10.shtml

That is indeed weird. I would have thought Hokkaido has some influences from the Ainu...isn't that their original homeland and where they still abound (comparatively to other areas that is)?

[prasantrin]

I'm not sure, but I think only parts of a bear or certain bears are poisonous. Or maybe all the sake they forced the bear to drink helped counteract any of the poison a bear might have.

Every year the school for which I work has human rights lectures, and two years ago, the theme was the Ainu. I wish I had better comprehension, because they covered a lot of information, including food. One of my co-workers is originally from Hokkaido, and he was one of the speakers, so I'll ask for more info about the food.

edited--Ainu was two years ago! Last year was Okinawa!

Edited May 7, 2008 by prasantrin (log)

[MoGa]

I have another book that was originally written in 1905 by Basil Hall Cahmberlain. It's called "Things Japanese - Being Notes on Various Subjects Connected with Japan".

He has remarkably little to say on the Ainu (who he calls The Ainos) - approximately 3 pages (there are around 550 in total).

He mentions that there are hundreds of place names all over Japan of Ainu origin (including Noto - from nottu, meaning promontory and the river Tone - from tanne, maning long).

He describes the Ainu in a way I would not feel comfortable repeating.

I'll include a couple of quotes (it was written over 50 years ago so this should be OK for copyright)

"The Ainos were till recently accustomed to live on the produce of the chase and the sea fisheries; but both these sources of subsistence have diminished since the settling of the island (presumably Hokkaido) by the Japanese. Consequently they no longer hold up their heads as in former days, and notwithstanding the well-intentioned efforts of a paternal government they seem doomed to disappear, though it is true that during the last twenty years their numbers have remained stationary at about 17,000. Their religion is a simple nature-worship. The sun, wind, ocean, bear, etc., are deified under the title of Kamui, "god", and whittled sticks are set up in their honour. The bear, though worshipped, is also sacrificed and eaten with solemnities that form the most original and picturesque feature of Aino life. Grace is said before meat."

A rather florid translation of a prayer said before eating follows.

Folktales are mentioned, some complimentary words on the language and a description of the complicated counting system. Basil Hall Chamberlain also states that "the younger generation seems to be discarding the native language altogether in favour of Japanese" - so it seems unlikely that the Ainu counting system will still be in use today.

He finally says "Hitherto the Aino have known nothing of the use of letters" and that they rely on an oral tradition for their literature.

----

I can't help but suspect that his slim entry on the Ainu merely reflects the interest of his peers at that time. Chamberlain himself appeared very interested as he co-wrote books on Ainu culture and visited Ainu villages together with Rev. Batchelor.

More information from this era can be found in the work of Reverend John Batchelor (British) and in a 20 volume work entitled "Ezo Fuzoku Isan" published by the Kaitakushi in 1882.

There's a fascinating potted account of Rev. Batchelor's life here: http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~matu-emk/bachel.html - it mentions that he couldn't eat Ainu food apart from "dumplings of millet and barn yard grass" and also says "The meals of vegetable and millet were unbearable to him, because he had eaten much meat before"

---

just seen the other posts (it took me a while to write this)

The link to the account of John Batchelor's life says a little more:

"The meals of vegetable and millet were unbearable to him, because he had eaten much meat before. As a result his body got weaker and weaker and he came to feel some difficulty in walking.

In such an ill-fed condition his two friends came to see Batchelor from Tokyo, but he could not serve any thing to eat to them. On the contrary they brought a can of beef to him. He could enjoy meat after a long time."

Although it doesn't mention anything about the Ainu eating raw meat at this time, I guess this would be possible, it's consistent with the account (I can't tell if he wasn't eating meat because there was none available or because it was eaten raw or in a way he couldn't tolerate)

Edited May 7, 2008 by MoGa (log)

[Ce'nedra]

I'm not sure, but I think only parts of a bear or certain bears are poisonous.  Or maybe all the sake they forced the bear to drink helped counteract any of the poison a bear might have. 

Every year the school for which I work has human rights lectures, and two years ago, the theme was the Ainu.  I wish I had better comprehension, because they covered a lot of information, including food.  One of my co-workers is originally from Hokkaido, and he was one of the speakers, so I'll ask for more info about the food.

edited--Ainu was two years ago!  Last year was Okinawa!

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Ahahaha sake! Must be

Yes yes, please do ask your co-worker when you get a chance. I hold alot of interest in the cuisine of lesser-known/diminishing cultures.

Speaking of which (thanks for the mention), I'd love to hear about Okinawan cuisine too, and how different it is from mainstream Japanese cuisine.

I read that one of the most distinct differences is the Okinawans eat alot of pork -apparently, their eating habits also have quite a few similarities to the Chinese (not surprising since its ancient relationship with China).

[MoGa]

Speaking of which (thanks for the mention), I'd love to hear about Okinawan cuisine too, and how different it is from mainstream Japanese cuisine.

I read that one of the most distinct differences is the Okinawans eat alot of pork -apparently, their eating habits also have quite a few similarities to the Chinese (not surprising since its ancient relationship with China).

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May I direct you to a thread for Okinawan cuisine?

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=18573&hl=

[helenjp]

My husband grew up in eastern Hokkaido, in a mining town which has simply disappeared off the map, and out of the landscape as well - just vanished. The few Ainu families who lived near the town were not well integrated, and integration was not considered a priority - most of the Ainu kids were not made welcome in school, for example, and teachers didn't bother to fetch them back when other children drove them out. Under those circumstances, except for people in very isolated settings, Ainu families had to think more about putting food on the table than about sticking to traditional cuisine.

Ainu food has always included a good amount of wild food, but they also grew grains and vegetables.

Guide (in Japanese and English ) to Ainu foods published by the Hokkaido Ainu Culture Research Center.

>>- whether it's still commonly eaten amongst the Ainu community in Japan<<

There is an Ainu diaspora, and many Ainu who are interested in their culture now have rediscovered it rather than grown up with it. There are Ainu restaurants (not a great many of them), and Ainu people preserve some of their eating habits, but in most of Japan, it wouldn't be economically feasible to eat only traditional Ainu foods.

- whether there has been a growing interest in it

There was a big boom in folk studies in the '70s or so, and since then minority traditions have received more attention, but I wouldn't say that it has continued to grow, or that it is as popular as, say Okinawan cooking.

- what are some common/popular dishes

Although bear is famous in ceremonial dishes, salmon and deer are more characteristic of daily food.

"Ohau" is a salmon and vegetable soup - a similar dish is made with deer.

Cereals are mostly eaten as a kind of ojiya called rataskep, cooked with beans and vegetables.

"Tonoto" is a kind of unfiltered sake originally made from hie (barnyard grass).

Fish is not salted and dried the way it is in the rest of Japan - salt is used when it is eaten, and the fish (or meat) is dried, or frozen, or smoked, or a combination of the three processes. It may be dried raw or cooked.

- are there any Japanese dishes of Ainu origin

I think that quite a few Hokkaido family dishes are Ainu in origin, but flavored to suit Japanese tastes.

- is there such thing as Japanese-Ainu fusion cuisine today

Maybe there is no other kind..

- is it vastly different from mainstream Japanese cuisine

Main things would be absence of miso and soy sauce, and use of animal fat or fish oil as a flavoring.

- are there any books about it

Yes, but I don't know any in English.

This book is mainly anecdotal (I have it). I don't know anything about this collection of oral lore on cooking and food.

- and...if anyone has had experience with Ainu food, please share!

From the link at the top, here are two recipes (which don't appear in English in the text, I think).

Rataskep

Soak dried corn and beans (kidney beans, small white beans) in a potful of water.

Add pork bones (horse bones traditionally)

Add azuki beans if you prefer them to other beans.

Cook till tender, flavor with salt and animal fat/fish oil as desired.

Japanese people in the area where my husband grew up had trouble obtaining rice (cold-hardy varieties are modern), and also cooked a variety of grains and beans together with potatoes, squash etc., but a meat or fish broth would have been for special occasions only.

Ohau

Salmon, cut in pieces (includes head)

Daikon (with some leaves), carrot, potato, onion, Japanese dividing onion (negi)

Cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces, simmer in water until nearly parboiled, add salmon and continue cooking until tender.

[MoGa]

Guide (in Japanese and English ) to Ainu foods published by the Hokkaido Ainu Culture Research Center.

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Unfortunately I couldn't get this link to open up fully on my mac (only 3 pages)

Here's an HTML version in case anyone has similar difficulties

http://66.102.9.104/u/HokkaidoGov?q=cache:...UTF-8&inlang=ja

(I'd never have found this information for myself, thanks!)