"Ryori" and our experiences with food

Joe and I went to Japanfest in Gwinnett County for a few hours on Saturday, where we saw dozens and dozens of vendors selling beautiful arts and crafts, martial arts presentations, and cooking demonstrations given by various chefs.  One of the presenters happened to be the personal chef for the Consulate General of Japan to Atlanta (serving the entire southeast United States), who we had the pleasure and honor of meeting.

Ryosuke Murakami seemed incredibly passionate and humble as he explained his journey to his current position (which is quite a prestigious one).  When the MC first introduced him and described his incredible accomplishments, I looked over at Mr. Murakami, who was struggling to keep himself composed and had tears of joy in his eyes.  He felt truly honored to be doing this demo.

Mr. Murakami didn't speak much English, so he had a translator by his side.  After briefly describing his background, he started his talk by introducing the Japanese word for "cuisine" or "cooking" -- "ryori" -- which translates to "purpose" or "reason."  He described how when he prepares food, he does so with reason and purpose.  Admittedly, his talk focused less on his cooking demonstration and more on the philosophy of Japanese cuisine, but we actually appreciated this.  Unlike chefs of other cuisines, Murakami's goal in serving food to a customer, friend, or relative, is not to make them full (although this would be ideal, of course), but to given them a truly authentic, original experience as they interact with their food.  This means appealing to multiple taste bud types with both flavors that pop, as well as flavors that are more subtle, throughout the meal.  Japanese cuisine is very unique in this regard.  There is more emphasis in what you taste and feel as the food touches your mouth, as it sits on your tongue and you slowly salivate and chew before swallowing -- in other words, the food experience.  In my opinion, we often forget to enjoy our food in an attempt to save time while multi-tasking -- or even worse, we sometimes don't care what goes in our mouths because we eat to "make it" until the next meal because of a jam-packed day full of work (I'm guilty of doing this all the time, by the way).   

Because I had such a strong background in music growing up, I sometimes hear songs playing in my head when I am savoring something particularly delicious.  I know it sounds silly, but it's true.  Most often, I'll hear "Jupiter: Bringer of Jolity" from The Planets Suite, by Gustav Holst, which is not only my favorite piece from the suite and one of my favorite songs of all time, but just a perfect accompaniment to eating a great meal.  For me, it serves as a reminder that good flavor comes from the marrying of several (or more) ingredients, and of course, a lot of love.  Oh, and that good food just makes me happy.  Really tasting and savoring our food can change our experiences with meals!

Source: http://www.globalatlanta.com/article/27150/japanese-cuisine-to-be-showcased-at-japanfest-sept-20-21/