Differences among Dishes Offered at principal Shinto Shrines in the Kinki Area

Abstract

We compared the dishes offered at Shinto shrines in the Nara and Kyoto area on the ocation of festivals. The research in this study into the current offerings of food according to Shinto rites proved helpful in understanding the meals of ancient times.
The use of fish, shellfish and seaweed varied region ally. At the time of the Kasuga festival, most are served uncooked, whereas at the Iwashimizu festival and Kamo festival, dried seafood are relatively common, and flying fish were offered at the Kamo festival.
The Kamo festival and Iwashimizu festival origin ally took place when could obtain abundant seafoods and farm products, so people these days use various other materials for preparing the offerings.
In respect of the cooking method, fish are sliced and stacked in parallel crosses at the Kasuga festival, whereas black soybeans, soybeans and red beans are offered instead of fish at the On festival. The use of vegetables also varies on the Kasuga festival, On festival and Kakitsu festival occasions. Chinese sweets are also offered at Shrines. Hyakumi-no-Onj iki is an offering in which all the materials are round-shaped, its other distinctive feature being the use of vegetables harvested locally.