Suimono

Speaking of soup dishes in Japan, “Miso soup” is well known, isn’t it? In this article, we will focus on “Suimono (O-Suimono)”, which is another typical soup dish in Japanese cuisine. “Suimono” is a relatively clear soup dish made by adding seafood or vegetables to a broth seasoned with dashi, soy sauce or salt. It is not the same as “miso soup,” which looks muddy due to the melting of miso throughout. It is also different from so-called “Nimono”, a dish cooked in sweet and spicy sugar soy sauce or miso.

Well, in Japanese cuisine, soup dishes are generally referred to as “Shirumono”. However… in the classification of Japanese cuisine, this “Suimono” is not considered exactly the same as “Shirumono”. “Kaiseki cuisine” is one of the most well-known courses in Japanese cuisine. This “Kaiseki cuisine” is a Japanese course meal in which each dish is prepared in a certain predetermined way and served one by one in order. “Suimono” is one of those dishes. (※In “Kaiseki cuisine”, it is also called “Wanmono” or “Atsumono”.) On the other hand, “Shirumono” is treated to be something like side-dish that is always served with rice. In Japanese soup dishes, a relatively simple dish is called “Shirumono” and a very elaborate dish is called “Suimono”. In other words, we might say that “Shirumono” is a simplified version of “Suimono” that is made to accompany rice. Sorry, this may be a bit confusing to explain…

Many of the cooking methods used in Japanese cuisine are based on techniques or skills introduced from the continent. The same can be said for various ingredients used for Japanese cuisine. Based on all of them, our ancestors spent many years researching and creating the Japanese food culture we know today. And among such Japanese dishes, “Suimono” is often made by combining these various cooking methods in a very delicate way. It is a dish that requires a great deal of skill and taste on the part of the cook. Therefore, it is considered to be one of the most important dishes in “Kaiseki cuisine” or “Shojin cuisine”. Precisely for this reason, we would like to introduce this “Suimono” exactly as possible. And more, for those of you who are interested in Japanese food, we would like you to try delicious “Suimono” at least once. We’re sure you’ll be impressed.