2022 Volume 18 Pages 27-38
This study reports on the process of recreating the menu for the banquet recorded in Mouri Motonari-kō Yamaguchi go-Gekō no Setsu Kyōō Shidai, and a case study of the recreated banquet menu being put to use. Motonari-kō Yamaguchi go-Gekō no Setsu Kyōō Shidai records six banquet menus for the visit of Motonari Mouri to Yoshitaka Ouchi in 1549, along with the tableware that were used.
The dishes in the six banquet menus are similar, and there was found to be a regularity to the order in which the dishes were served. The recreation of the dishes was based on the cuisine in Mino-Kagami written by Yoshiyasu Tamaki, a vassal of the Mouri clan, and other historical documents of the same period. Miso, salt, vinegar, sake, honey, and starch syrup were used as seasonings, while soy sauce and sugar were not used. Ingredients that are not available now, such as otter and swan, were replaced with similar ingredients.
The recreated banquet menu was commercialized as Samurai Gozen–Mouri Shoku, and there was also a plan to serve it as a school lunch, although this had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is expected to be used in the realms of tourism and education in the future.
