Shokado Bento 松花堂弁当 / Box Lunch

Create Your Own Shokado Bento Experience Filled with Colorful Japanese Flavors

Why not try making a bento filled with the aesthetics and hospitality of Japan? Experience the joy and creativity of packing delicious Japanese dishes using fresh seasonal ingredients while considering nutritional balance. You will also learn tips to recreate Kyoto's traditional flavors at home.

Easy Japanese Taste: We will share tricks to easily prepare delicious meals at home. Of course, you can enjoy the bento you create right on the spot.

Color and Nutritional Balance: The beautiful presentation focuses on appearance and uses healthy ingredients, making it perfect for health-conscious individuals.

Introduction to Shokado Bento

The origin and cultural significance of Shokado Bento: A brief introduction to the history of Shokado Bento and its meaning in Japanese culture, as well as the concept of expressing beauty and seasonal elements in cuisine.
The meaning and content of each compartment: Explanation of how to use the four compartments (shikiri) of the Shokado Bento and the importance of the arrangement of dishes, learning about the types of dishes and the significance of balance.

Ingredients and Preparation

Selecting ingredients and seasonal flavors: Incorporating seasonal ingredients and choosing dishes suitable for Shokado Bento. We will use Japanese ingredients that might be enjoyable for foreigners, providing insights and new discoveries during the cooking process.
Basic cooking preparation: Experience basic cooking preparations, such as vegetable preparation and dashi (soup stock) making, which are essential for creating Shokado Bento.

Cooking

Cooking four dishes: We will prepare each dish to be placed in the compartments one by one. For example:
Grilled Dish: Simple grilled fish or meat.
Simmered Dish: Gentle-flavored simmered dishes using seasonal vegetables.
Mixed Dish: Colorful mixed dishes, such as sesame dressed or ohitashi (blanched greens).
Rice and Pickles: Experience Japanese flavors with rice and small pickles.
Learning about visual beauty: Understand how dishes how to make dishes shine shine in their compartments, learning about color combinations and arrangements.

Presentation

Presentation tips: Learn how to carefully arrange each dish in the Shokado Bento box to make it visually appealing.
Japanese food culture and the aesthetic of presentation: Experience the beauty and delicacy of Japanese food, deepening your cultural understanding.

Tasting

Tasting: Participants will taste the completed Shokado Bento together and enjoy the flavors and visual beauty of the dishes.
Sharing impressions and learning: We will create a time for participants to share their thoughts and questions, deepening their understanding of Japanese culture through cuisine.

Commemorative Photo

Commemorative Photo: Take pictures with the finished bento to commemorate the experience.
Souvenirs and Reference Recipes: We will distribute booklets or printouts containing the recipes and key points from the experience, allowing participants to recreate the dishes at home.