The Zen cuisine does not adhere to any nutritional dogmas or recipes. If you pay close attention to everything in the kitchen and within yourself, a delicious meal will naturally emerge. Being present with things and perceiving them with all your senses is the main ingredient in Zen cuisine. You could say that this is the taste of Zen.
–
Zen master Dogen (1200-1253) wrote the “Tenzo Kyokun,” instructions for the cook, a cookbook for life. It does not contain recipes, but rather practical and spiritual instructions that teach that energetic everyday work is not separate from the spiritual path. This is the essence of Zen. Zen is life and not separate from it.
In the Zen monasteries of ancient Japan, being a cook (tenzo) was very strenuous and challenging work, and therefore highly valued. This task was reserved for only the most experienced Zen monks.
Of course, we need some knowledge and experience in the art of cooking, but it is even more important to explore for ourselves and trust our own perceptions and tastes. It doesn’t matter whether the ingredients are simple or luxurious, fresh or not. When I look and listen, the ingredients themselves tell me the right way to prepare them. What do I combine, how do I cut, how do I season, what goes in the pot and what goes in the oven?
Susanne Shonen Roth was responsible for the kitchen in a Zen monastery for 15 years.
| – |
