2023 Volume 74 Issue 7 Pages 394-404
We examined the composition and characteristics of dinner menus published in the magazine Eiyo to Ryori (Nutrition and Cookery) for the period 1955–1959. During this period, nisai and ichiju-nisai menus were frequently used (22.8%, 29.6%), while ichiju-sansai menus were less frequent (6.0%). Soup was included in 45.1% of these menus, while 56.4% of the menus included white rice as the staple. The staple foods of the ichiju-sansai menus were usually white rice and a Japanese-style soup. Major components of the first dish (the main dish) included fish (46.4%), meats (17.5%), and vegetables/potatoes/beans (36.1%). Side dishes were more frequently Japanese style, with a lower frequency of Western- and Chinese-style side dishes during the 1955–1959 period compared to the 1975–1979 period. However, between these two periods, for menus with white rice as a staple, there was no significant change in the frequency of Western-style side dishes. For the ichiju-sansai menus, the cooking style did not significantly change between the two periods. These results suggest that the ichiju-sansai menu with white rice was not widely used during the 1955–1960 period. It also suggests Western-style side dishes are less likely to be adopted for ichiju-sansai menus compared to the more readily adopted Japanese-style side dishes.
