The order of a Japanese meal

[JayBassin]

I live near Washington, DC, and the best Japanese restaurant in the area is Makoto. The chef serves omakase--typically 9 or 11 courses for dinner. The first time I went, there was no gohan at all (only a couple of pieces of sushi). The server said "no rice." I got the impression that it wasn't served as part of the meal. THere is a review of the restaurant here by the Washington Post.

[sanrensho]

This custom (sake first, rice later) is practiced throughout Japan, not only at izakaya, kaiseki, and ryokan (Japanese inn) but also at almost every home.

The rule is simple:  If sake is to be served as part of a dinner, sake is served first, then rice is served.  If no sake is to be served, we eat rice and okazu (side dishes) together.

By sake, I mean any alcoholic beverage, not just 'rice wine'.

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Hiroyuki, are you saying that if one person is drinking, no one gets rice with their okazu? Not even the kids?

In my experience, those that drink sake/shochu with their meal have their rice later, eveybody else has their rice with the meal. Typically, the one drinking is dad.

[Anna N]

This custom (sake first, rice later) is practiced throughout Japan, not only at izakaya, kaiseki, and ryokan (Japanese inn) but also at almost every home.

The rule is simple:  If sake is to be served as part of a dinner, sake is served first, then rice is served.  If no sake is to be served, we eat rice and okazu (side dishes) together.

By sake, I mean any alcoholic beverage, not just 'rice wine'.

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But why? I am fascinated with this thread but would really like to understand why sake and rice don't go together.

[dornachu]

I wasn't even having any wine, had I known that there would be plain rice (actually rice with barley) and miso soup, I really would prefer to have it with my meal...it will be so good with that beef/potato dish!!

[smallworld]

This custom (sake first, rice later) is practiced throughout Japan, not only at izakaya, kaiseki, and ryokan (Japanese inn) but also at almost every home.

The rule is simple:  If sake is to be served as part of a dinner, sake is served first, then rice is served.  If no sake is to be served, we eat rice and okazu (side dishes) together.

By sake, I mean any alcoholic beverage, not just 'rice wine'.

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But why? I am fascinated with this thread but would really like to understand why sake and rice don't go together.

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Hmm, there was a discussion about just this subject recently, but I can't seem to find it.

Anyway, there are three things to consider here. One, sake (which was once the only alcohol consumed in Japan) is made of rice. Two, each meal should have one, and only one, carbohydrate. That carboydrate could be rice, or udon noodles, or sake, but never more than one at the same time.

So basically sake is considered to be a form of rice, and it just wouldn't make sense to mix starches like that. Now beer, whisky and wine are popular in Japan, but they're considered to be just variations of sake and the rule still holds. In fact, the word "sake" can be used to mean alcohol in any form.

The third cosideration is that certain foods, especially fish and strongly flavoured foods, are thought to go well with sake. Bland foods like rice are a poor match for alcoholic drinks.

Hope this hasn't confused things even more! It is worth noting that plenty of people completely ignore the rules, and there have always been exceptions. For example, soba noodles and sushi have always been considered excellent matches for sake.

[Anna N]

...Anyway, there are three things to consider here. One, sake (which was once the only alcohol consumed in Japan) is made of rice. Two, each meal should have one, and only one, carbohydrate. That carboydrate could be rice, or udon noodles, or sake, but never more than one at the same time....

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Thank you.

[Hiroyuki]

sanrensho and Anna N:

Sorry for not responding sooner, but I have been quite busy for the past several days going mushroom gathering and preparing for the move.

Hiroyuki, are you saying that if one person is drinking, no one gets rice with their okazu? Not even the kids?

In this situation, where Ms. I invited four of us (my wife, my two children, and me) for dinner at a Japanese restaurant, she first ordered beer for me (and for Miss S and herself), oolong tea for my wife, and juice for my children. If I remember correctly, she later suggested that my children each have an onigiri (rice ball) and they agreed. Finally, Ms. I suggested that we all have an una juu (rice topped with grilled eel), except the kid, and ordered it.

In this situation, where Ms. I invited us for dinner at her house, she offered me canned beer first and sake (daiginjo!) later, canned tea for my wife, and milk for my children. She later suggested that the kids have some rice, and they agreed. Finally, she suggested that we have some rice, but we were so full that we refused.

In my experience, those that drink sake/shochu with their meal have their rice later, eveybody else has their rice with the meal. Typically, the one drinking is dad.

In this situation (ordinary dinner at a home, with no guests), things are just as you described - a drinker or drinkers first drink sake (beer, shochu, rice wine, etc.), usually with some 'sake no sakana', while non-drinking members eat rice with okazu.

But why? I am fascinated with this thread but would really like to understand why sake and rice don't go together.

I can't give you any definitive answer, but the general feeling is that sake and rice just don't go together well.

Let me add the following:

1. Rice is not just another food to the Japanese people. It is the staple food of Japan. Gohan (cooked rice) is synonymous with shokuji (diet, meal, etc.). We feel no meal is complete without rice.

2. There is a distinction between okazu (dish designed to be eaten with rice) and sake no sakana (dish designed to be eaten with sake). A good okazu may not be a good sake no sakana, and vice versa.

[Hiroyuki]

I found this questionnaire survey.

http://www.digistyle-kyoto.com/sake/sake05-01.htm

(Japanese only)

You can see three pie charts.

Chart 1 (left): Do you drink alcohol at home before dinner?

Alcohol and tsumami (snack): 50%

Alcohol only: 12%

No alcohol: 38%

Chart 2 (middle): Do you drink alcohol at home during dinner?

Alcohol, rice, and okazu (side dishes): 25%

Alcohol and okazu first and rice last: 36%

Rice and okazu only, no alcohol: 26%

Chart 3 (right): Do you drink alcohol at home after dinner?

Alcohol and snack: 18%

Alcohol only: 23%

No alcohol: 59%

[AzianBrewer]

Gohan and Miso at the end??? It is the happy ending of every Japanese meal.