[Part 1] The Date Family's "Food" Strategy! Masamune's Inherited Spirit of Hospitality | The Splendor of Date's New Year's Cuisine

Introduction

The term "date" refers to something flashy, stylish, and fashionable , and idioms such as "date man," "not just for show," and "date glasses" are still commonly heard and seen today.

It is well known that the origin of the phrase is said to be based on the lifestyle of Date Masamune , a highly popular warlord of the Sengoku period, and the behavior of his retainers

While the Date clan is often associated with clothing and accessories, their spirit, which began with Masamune, extended to all aspects of culture

One of them is"cooking.

One might expect a lavish array of delicacies from the mountains and sea, befitting the name of a stylish and dapper man, to be displayed everywhere... but that's not necessarily the case, and that's where the depth of the Sendai domain lies

Of course, elaborate meals were prepared for ceremonies and banquets, but Date Masamune's teachings were not simply about the pursuit of fine food

It embodies the spirit of hospitality that we still cherish today, as well as meticulous care for all the people and things involved in food

In this article, let's take a peek into the fascinating world of cuisine of the Sendai Date family!

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New Year's menu of the Sendai Date family

It could be said that the most grandly celebrated event throughout Japanese history is the New Year's celebration

It has been celebrated as a very auspicious ceremony of the year, not only among samurai and court nobles, but also from the imperial court to the general public

While "Osechi Ryori" (traditional New Year's dishes) are still cherished as a celebratory meal , the Sendai Date family also prepared a special meal for the occasion.

Let's take a look at some of these aspects through ancient documents and the results of recent restoration projects

Masamune's New Year's dishes as seen in "Kimura Uemon's Memorandum"

First, let's look at the lineup of New Year's dishes served by the Date family, based on documents left by a man named Kimura Uemon , who served Date Masamune as a page

Aside from offerings to the New Year's deity, such as fresh water and kagami mochi (rice cakes), this is just an overview of the dishes, without specifying the exact menu, but it's still quite a substantial amount

However, according to the customs of the time, meals served at ceremonies and events had a strong ceremonial element, and people did not necessarily eat everything that was offered

The details of the "Okuda Mochi" mentioned earlier are unknown, other than that it consisted of two types of diamond-shaped rice cakes . However, the fact that similar shaped rice cakes are still offered during the Peach Festival today suggests that it has an ancient origin.

Another characteristic is the preparation of vegetarian meals that do not include animal protein such as meat or seafood, or certain strong-smelling spices and vegetables, as a way of honoring ancestors

"Kumizuke"to what is now called"kumizuke,"and can be considered the prototype of what is known as Osechi ryori (New Year's feast).

It means "to serve a combination of several dishes."

Zoniis a quintessential New Year's dish, and the most famous Sendai-style zoni today uses dried grilled goby for both the broth and the ingredients. This recipe is said to date back to the late Edo period.

Records indicate that the ingredients used in zoni (rice cake soup) during Masamune's time included skewered abalone , skewered sea cucumber , herring , burdock root , tofu , daikon radish , black beans , and the stems of vegetables

While seafood remains an expensive ingredient even today, abalone, considered a symbol of good fortune, along with sea cucumbers and herring, are typical northern marine products

"Honzen"refers to the most formal style of meal served in samurai ceremonies, and it consists of rice, soup, and side dishes, with various soups and side dishes being served in succession in the second, third, and so on courses.

It is said that the New Year's feast at the Sendai Date family's residence included three courses and was a magnificent menu encompassing three soups and sixteen dishes

However, in formal banquets, which have a strong ceremonial element, some dishes were intended to be "wrapped up and taken home" rather than being eaten completely

Furthermore,it was common for multiple Noh plays to be performed while the many dishes were being served, making it a long and elaborate form of hospitality.

"Seven kinds of appetizers"literally refers to snacks to accompany alcohol, and the aspect of it being a drinking occasion is indispensable. Even in the formal kaiseki cuisine passed down in modern tea ceremony, there is a proper time for drinking, where the host and guest exchange drinks and deepen their friendship.

"Ocha-uke" and "Okashi"are common in the tea ceremony and are served with thin tea. The former can be broadly classified as sweets in modern terms, and the latter as fruit.

The character "ka" in "kashi" (confectionery)"konomi" (favorite)or"kudamono" (fruit), and in those days, natural sweeteners such as chestnuts and persimmons were used.

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Reconstruction of the Date family's New Year's cuisine based on the "Record of the Date Family's Annual Events"

Next, let's take a look at the specific dishes that were served during the New Year's feast at the Date family's home

Detailed records can be found in the so-called "Record of Annual Events of the Date Family," left behind in the mid-19th century by a man named Owara Shindayu , who served Date Yoshikuni, the thirteenth head of the Date family

While covering all of these would result in an enormous number of dishes, in 1992, under the supervision of Sachiko Matsushita, then a renowned professor at Chiba University, the Kabuki-za's culinary department attempted to recreate it as a three-course meal consisting of two soups and five side dishes

This article will introduce the menu

Honzen

The "honzen"refers to the main tray containing the staple food, rice, and the pickles that are always served with it are generally not counted as a separate dish.

The swan, an ingredient in the soup, is a rare ingredient today, but it was eaten back then. However, it seems that chicken was used as a substitute in the reconstructed dish.

"Kosho"is a simmered dish made with a thick, lightly salted miso paste, and the ark clams used as an ingredient are still well known to be produced in Miyagi Prefecture.

"Oroshina" is a type of pickled vegetable dish made with grated daikon radish, and it uses plenty of seafood typical of the Tohoku region, such as "hyōzu" (cartilage from salmon heads ) , "buriko" ( roe from sandfish), "hoya" (sea squirt) , and "funori" (seaweed)

Also,"sliced ​​oranges"can be seen, in the Edo period, the northern limit for orange cultivation was on the Pacific side, around Mount Tsukuba in present-day Ibaraki Prefecture, and on the Sea of ​​Japan side, around Itoigawa in Niigata Prefecture.

Therefore, it is possible that the mandarins used in the New Year's feast at the Sendai Date family's residence were not locally produced but rather imported

side dish

The second coursefeatures a second soup, this timewith cod, a dish. The addition of yuzu suggests it was a fragrant and elegant bowl. This practice of serving soup multiple times is a distinctive feature of formal multi-course meals.

"Mizuae" is a type of namasu (vinegared salad ) made by rehydrating dried squid , dried cod, or dried anchovies in water, and then seasoning them with vegetables and other ingredients using seasoned sake or seasoned sake vinegar.

"Senzake"is a condiment that was commonly used before soy sauce became widespread. It is made by simmering sake with bonito flakes and pickled plums (using an old recipe with a high salt content).

"Funa nikogori"literally means boiled crucian carp, and when it cools, the collagen solidifies into a jelly-like consistency, which is called nikogori. Therefore, you can see that this is a delicacy that is served cold.

Third course

The third course consists of a single grilled dish, but it's an unusual dish called "sakekogomori" (salmon roe basket)

Thisa salted salmon product with salmon roe stuffed into its belly, and it was one of the local specialties that was also used as a gift.

It is said that it was common practice to pack up the grilled dishes as souvenirs, as they were the third course of the meal, and it is conceivable that this dish may have been taken home by someone who attended the Date family's New Year's celebration

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