Give us an F... The main dish: buri (yellowtail) teriyaki.
Give us an L… The side dish: renkon (lotus root) kinpira.
Give us an S... Miso-shiru, with wakame and slivers of abura-age tofu.
Give us an R... Gohan (with a sprinkle of toasted black sesame seeds).
What's that spell? Lunch.
What's that spell? A very typical teishoku — as served at one of my places of work.
The teishoku:
Despite prevailing perceptions abroad, sushi is not eaten daily in Japan. Nor are tempura, sukiyaki or marbled wagyu steaks. Instead, for most people, the standard lunch (and often dinner) is the teishoku.
A simple meal on a tray, it comprises a main course -- maybe sashimi, grilled fish or something deep-fried -- always with rice, miso soup, pickles and green tea (and maybe a small dessert) on the side.
The teishoku is basic fare in homes, school lunch counters and company canteens, as well as at countless down-home eateries and restaurants.
There's just one element missing on my tray there: the pickles on offer looked such a lurid shade of green I left them on the counter.
And for all those who weren't around in the 1960s [and those who were and don't remember…], a tip of the hat to Country Joe McDonald.
