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June 05, 2008

Goshiki-five colours

I find Japanese food very inspiring. I visited Japan on school exchange when I was 15 and spent more money than I'd ever spent on one meal on a bento box, a totally enchanting lunch. I came home from Japan with a number of bento boxes in which to pack my own lunch and was inspired to take my own lunch for school again. I'd recently become to cool to want to eat brown bread sandwiches in public!

One of the Japanese principles is goshiki, five colours, though there seems to be some discussion over exactly what those five colours are. Some combination of:
  • black
  • white
  • brown
  • red/orange
  • blue/purple
  • green
  • yellow
I know that's seven colours, and I could go on, but I won't because I don't really think that's the point. What I love is bringing an awareness to our food. Eating more colours tends to mean eating more vegies, and by pleasing the eye the food is more satisfying on every level.

So if your ever stuck on what to take for lunch, start with something and work through the colours till you have a whole rainbow in your lunch box!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice post! BTW, we went to this great Japanese restaurant at Camberwell last Saturday, and my boys had bento box for their meal :) .

Julia said...

I'm always very impressed by children who like Japanese food, good kids you've got. What's the restaurant called?