A Vegetable Preservation Method Developed by the Japanese “Mottainai Spirit”

However, unlike the vegetables grown in the field, those mountain ingredients cannot be eaten raw. The preparation method and seasonings used in the Shojin cuisine are quite simple so that the flavors, aroma and texture of the mountain vegetables can be enjoyed. But the ability to deliciously prepare them is the result of the wisdom of the predecessors who developed methods of removing scums, and storing them long-term. To eat wild vegetables, it takes quite time and effort for preparation.

Mr. Shinkichi Ito, the head chef of Mt. Hagurosan Sanrojo Saikan, talks about the regional wisdom of eating mountain vegetables as follows.

“The Shojin cuisine of Dewa Sanzan started as a means for mountain priests to survive. At first, they had no choice but to find mountain vegetations that can be eaten raw, regardless of whether they were tasty or not. That’s why at one point, they were referred to as ‘Mokujiki Shonin’ (a famous Buddha sculptor). But I think gradually, they began to have the motivation to eat it as delicious as possible, and not waste any part of it, which gave rise to the scum-removing technology. They probably increased their repertoire of dishes by trial and error, such as by processing barely-edible vegetables via salting, scum-removing, sun drying, etc.”

“This mountain abundantly grows mountain vegetables, where you can get as much as you want, more than the amount you need for that day. Mountain vegetables start producing scum and turning black on the side you picked it, which prevents you from storing it long-term in a raw state. Many may think that it can simply be resolved by picking only the amount they need for the day, but it’s actually not good for the soil if you don’t regularly pick suitable volume, which might prevent the mountain vegetables from growing the following year. It’s also a shame to have to waste all the mountain vegetables that spring up so abundantly. I believe this spirit of conservation led the development of their wisdom to turn it into a preserved food that can be eaten year-round. And without the strong patience and motivation to eat it as delicious as possible, I’m sure their scum-removing and storage technologies wouldn’t’t have developed this far. There was an old myth that a mountain vegetable called hosta montana cannot be eaten due to being poisonous. But through the courageous act of someone who ate it in the past, we are not able to provide it as a side dish to our customers. The power of human curiosity for food is quite impressive.”

They seem to have the habit of thanking the blessings from the mountain, and maximizing its usage without wasting any part of it. Their spirit of “conservation” in valuing “what is” may be related to how the predecessors left the five-storied pagoda intact, during the separation of Buddhism and Shintoism, by replacing the Buddha statue with goshintai (object believed to contain the spirit of a deity), and how a temple was transformed into Saikan.

 “Most mountain vegetables cannot be eaten as-is right after being picked, and all require tedious preparation. For example, all surfaces of mushrooms must be cleaned, and bamboo shoots must be soaked in boiled soup, and then cooled. Japanese knot weeds are too bitter and acidic without being salted, and fiddle head ferns must be first sun dried and then soaked in water to be prepare-able. But the important principle to adopt when receiving the mountain blessings is the spirit of “not cutting corners without expecting results.” This involves throwing away any expectation that the food will turn out delicious since so much time and effort are spent on it, and simply focusing on creating something delicious. This is what it means to not expect the result. This is the daily spiritual practice that we’re able to do through our Shojin cuisine.”