Abstract
The ingredients in menus offered for Confucian occasional rites (9 times in irregular seasons), mainly written by Shunsui RAI (1746-1816, a Confucian in the later Edo era), were investigated. The rites were classified into three groups: specific rites (an announcement of the construction of a Confucian altar or the expiry of mourning), welcome announcements of Shunsui’s return from Edo city for alternate-year attendance, and delays due to sickness and passing away of family members. The dishes and descriptions of menus written during 1790-1803, the early stage of the introduction of household rites in the Rai family, did not show consistency. They were different from the usual menu combination consisting of one soup and three side-dishes in a principal course, for example, dishes called daibik, godan, and another soup were added. The ingredients used in the occasional rites were no different from the menu that was formulated for seasonal rites usually held in the spring and autumn. This variety in the menus for occasional rites set the pattern for seasonal rites that were regularly held until next generation in Rai family.
