A Bowl of Wait

Rice, bonito shavings and soy sauce are perhaps the three most common ingredients in a Japanese kitchen. These staples form the foundation of Japanese cuisine, yet their ubiquity often makes us overlook their significance. As part of my journey to discover harmony, I decided to explore different combinations of ingredients that create exquisite harmony in taste. One such combination is 'bonito rice.'

This abstract is titled a 'A Bowl of Wait' not because preparing bonito rice is time-consuming – on the contrary, it is a quick and simple process. Scoop a handful of steamed short grain rice into a bowl, scatter some bonito shavings over it, add two swirls of soy sauce and mix well. Voilà – the bonito rice is ready to be served.

Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.

 – Aristotle

Bonito rice is a bowl of wait because the ingredients used to prepare it are produced with perseverance, patience, and determination over considerable periods. It takes about a year to plant and harvest rice, six months of repetitive smoking, cleaning, and sun-drying skipjack tuna to produce katsuobushi (bonito shavings), and months of fermentation plus years of aging for a good pot of soy sauce. Quoting Aristotle: "Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet." The result of waiting gives rise to these three ingredients.

An ingredient crafted over time learns humility in its usage. Such ingredients offer endless possibilities. When combined, they complement and harmonise, being respectful and patient with one another. Rather than striving to dominate the taste buds, they form a collective symphony. Bonito rice is not merely a bowl of rice; it is a reminder of perseverance and humility.

Text and images  by ANATOMY OF THINGS