The rule of 5 is the secret of Shojin Ryori, the diet of Buddhist monks

“A person who eats meat kills the seed of compassion.” This principle, attributed to the great enlightened Master Buddhais the basis ofdiet followed by Buddhist monks: a regime mainly veganin which Food of animal origin is not allowedas one of the precepts of Buddhism requires avoiding taking a lifetherefore also to feed on someone killed by third parties.

It is inspired by this concept Shojin Ryoritranslated by us as «Japanese Buddhist cuisine” or again “monk's kitchen” or again “devotional cuisine”, “but in all these meanings there is a bit of approximation in the meaning.” The chef is the one to comment Takeshi Iwai, at the helm of the culinary proposal of Aaltoone Michelin star restaurant, part of Iyo Experience, which belongs to the entrepreneur Claudio Liu.

Originally from Japan, more precisely from Ibaraki prefecture, north-east of Tokyo, he arrived in Italy with a one-way ticket in 2007, after falling in love with Italian cuisine. And it's when you fall in love with someone or something that you want to experience it in its entirety. This is how he began his journey into the most diverse cuisines: from trattorias to starred restaurants, crossing the entire Peninsula, from north to south. Until in 2015 he became chef of Cascina Guzzafame, located in Gaggiano, on the outskirts of Milan: «this is where my cuisine is inspired by seasonality of raw materials and the zero km philosophyhaving vegetables, aromatic herbs, fruit and vegetable ingredients of all kinds available from the farmhouse garden – says Iwai – This pushed me to get involved, creating a particular vegetarian/vegan cuisine, also anticipating the forecasts, which say that in the future our diet will be predominantly plant-based.”

This is how, arriving at Aalto in 2020 and experimenting in the kitchen without boundaries of any kind – neither mental nor geographical -, he coined the concept of Free Cooking: «My cuisine is often compared to fusion, but it is not: I welcome suggestions from the cuisines that belong to me and that I love – Japanese and Italian – and I combine them without following predefined patterns, creating magic of flavors and textures».

Shojin Ryori cuisine

Among Iwai's proposals from Aalto is the Shojin Ryoritranslated here as «the monk's menu”which is inspired by the values ​​that guide that type of cuisine, in which well-being also comes from harmony with nature, constantly sought after by Buddhist monks. In fact, Iwai's stylistic and creative signature is expressed here applied only to the plant world. «Let's start by translating the terminology correctly: Sho (精) means «to concentrate, to improve», While Jin (進) means “to move forward” or “to advance along the road” – explains Iwai – So Shōjin (精進) it could be translated as la desire to improve, to progress, to rise, the typical attitude of a monk, who practices asceticism. Ryori (料理), instead, it simply means “Kitchen”».

And therefore the word «Kaiseki”, usually understood by us Italians as «typical tasting” of Japanese cuisine, what does it mean? «Actually, it means “stone in the chest”: it is said that Buddhist monks positioned boiling stones over the stomach, to appease the stimulus of hunger and so continue ascetic fasting».

No extreme practice is required by Aalto to try Shojin Ryori, but rather one sequence of courses that range between various consistencies, combining different flavours, trying to respect the rule of 5, which is sacred in this type of cuisine: «There are five courses on the menu, just as I try to travel between colors and tastes – comments Iwai – The raw materials are impeccable and seasonal and all vegetable, to respect the Buddhist precept of “ahimsa”, in Sanskrit “of non-violence”. After that I also try to challenge myself, always offering dishes that inspire not only the desire to eat them, but also wonder.”

Puntarelle, white grapes and almond yogurt, one of the dishes offered in the “Shojin Ryori” menu

The rule of 5

«Handle even a single vegetable leaf in such a way that it manifests the body of the Buddha. This in turn allows the Buddha to manifest in you through the leaf.” The monk Dogen Zenji, to whom the birth of this type of monastic cuisine is attributed, he reported the rules to follow for cooking, purifying the body and mind at the same time, in his manual Tenzo Kyokunor the instructions that concerned not only the «how» to cook the ingredients, but also the state of mind to observe Why the dishes were harmonious and bringers of well-being.

These rules require the cook to treat with the utmost respect for every raw material, avoiding any waste, and being grateful for the possibility of having it available. Of each ingredient, therefore, should use every part, even what is usually considered a waste, such as the peels.

And then, the «5″ systema number that occurs in Shojin Ryori, to recall the 5 precepts of Buddhism, which if observed lead to Nirvana. These precepts are: avoid taking life (human and animal); refrain from taking what is not given; abstain from sexual misconduct; abstain from slander and abstain from intoxicating substances (alcohol and drugs).

Always keeping in mind the 5 precepts of Buddhism, here is the «5″ system requires that the following be included in the prepared dishes:

• The 5 colours: white, green, yellow, dark (black) and red
• The 5 flavors: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (Japanese term for our “savory”)
• The 5 preparation methods: raw, fried, boiled, roasted and steamed
• The 5 elements: earth, water, fire, wind and air, different energies which, according to the theory of the Five Elements, are contained in different forms in plant products.