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Saying itadakimasu before a meal has been described as both a secular [2] [3] [4] and a religious practice. [2] [5] [6] When saying itadakimasu, both hands are put together in front of the chest or on the lap. The Japanese attach as much importance to the aesthetic arrangement of the food as its actual taste.
The term Itadakimasu can be traced back to ancient Japan's Asuka period when Buddhism was the dominant religion in the region. [1] In contrast to western religions, which have a hierarchy (God > people > animals > etc.), eastern religion, specifically Buddhism, views all on an equal level, and as a result, uses Itadakimasu as a symbolistic phrase to share their respect and honor.
Saying itadakimasu before a meal has been described as both a secular [7] [8] [9] and a religious practice. [7] [10] [11] Upon finishing a meal, the Japanese use the polite phrase gochisōsama-deshita (ごちそうさまでした, lit. ' that was (the condition of) a(n honorable) feast ').
Grace before the Meal, by Fritz von Uhde, 1885. A grace is a short prayer or thankful phrase said before or after eating. [1] The term most commonly refers to Christian traditions. Some traditions hold that grace and thanksgiving imparts a blessing which sanctifies the meal. In English, reciting such a prayer is sometimes referred to as "saying ...
Japanese commonly use proverbs, often citing just the first part of common phrases for brevity. For example, one might say i no naka no kawazu (井の中の蛙, 'a frog in a well') to refer to the proverb i no naka no kawazu, taikai o shirazu (井の中の蛙、大海を知らず, 'a frog in a well cannot conceive of the ocean').
The practise of a Confucian teaching that cautioned about eating too much, so as not to over burden the spleen, stomach or heart [11] evolved into a Japanese proverb as: "Hara hachi bun ni yamai nashi, hara juuni bun ni isha tarazu" (腹八分に病なし、腹十二分に医者足らず) or literally "stomach 80% in, no illness, stomach 120% ...
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The Japanese antonym for omakase is okonomi (from 好み konomi, "preference, what one likes"), which means choosing what to order. [5] In American English , the expression is used by patrons at sushi restaurants to leave the selection to the chef , as opposed to ordering à la carte . [ 6 ]