"When it came time to season, the bottle of extra-virgin olive oil I had directly been sent from Italy slipped out of my hand...".
The olive oil mentioned in more than one page of the novel ‘The Restaurant of Rediscovered Love’ by the acclaimed Japanese writer Ogawa Ito came from Italy.
Not a fortuitous passage but a recurring figure that permeates Ogawa’s work. The constant mention of ‘high-quality olive oil’ is one of the elements that convey the depths of the bond between men and nature and that expresses the pleasure of food and ‘the act of eating which becomes the way in which two elements come into profound contact (from "Food as a literary vehicle for knowledge of Japanese culture", by Karoline Villacidro).
"I seasoned it with a drizzle of olive oil and salt. Once the carpaccio was served on the table, I finally put the finishing touches on the soup." And again: "The second main course consisted of sautéed daikon that I had first blanched and then browned along with semi-hydrated shiitake mushrooms, seasoning everything with salt, olive oil and soy sauce."
In Ogawa’s work there is a constant and passionate reference to European, and particularly Italian, olive oil: the European extract becomes a figure of speech symbolizing the union between Japanese cuisine and the Mediterranean diet. Not only natural and healthy ingredients, but a true lifestyle, characterized by the sharing of food with family and friends and enlivened by the joy of being together.
Other Japanese novelists, such as Yoshimoto Banana, have celebrated the union between the two culinary traditions.
From ‘Chie-chan and I’ to 'Kitchen" and the pages of ‘A journey called life’, there are many instances where the journey into Japanese culinary culture intertwines with that of the Mediterranean. A constant dialogue based on shared funding principles.
In Ogawa and Yoshimoto’s novels, food is pleasure, a cure, a memory and desire.
Their works have brought the elegance and rituality of Japanese gastronomy to the West and have shared the flavors and aromas of European food in the East.
Cooking for loved ones means spending time thinking about them, their tastes, their growth and their well-being. Eating well means living well. Eating together strengthens social ties and brings up the mood. Using natural products in the kitchen isn’t just a matter of good taste but also a whole sensory experience worthy of literary celebration.
Sources:
"Food as a Literary Vehicle for Knowledge of Japanese Culture," by Karoline Villacidro.
"The Restaurant of Found Love," by Ogawa Ito.
Various works by Yoshimoto Banana
07 April 2022
