From Western mind to Western cuisine (Seiyō Ryōri): how Japanese housewives learn western cookery

I have been "excessively" downloading 19th and 20th centuries Japanese materials last week. I was thrilled. Not just because I found very important sources, but also some very interesting ones. Here is bit of it.

Western gunboat came with Western cuisine. Commodore Perry forced Japan to turn away from sakoku to kaikoku for good. Two American ladies, Mrs G. Binford and Miss Sarah Ellis, in the late 19th century, came to Japan to teach authentic western cookery to Japanese housewives.

Mrs. Binford had extensive experience in giving personal instruction to large cooking classes for Japanese women whereas Ellis was formerly a teacher of Domestic Science in America. Dedicated to "the housewives of Japan", The Tokiwa Cook Book 常磐西洋料理 Tokiwa seiyō ryōri (Yokohama: Tokiwasha, 1904) was written by these two competent teachers.

With its aim to provide the eager learners with a guide to foreign cookery which is "simple, practical and hygienic," the bible is divided into two parts: 1) Practical instructions and recipes for home cooking by Mrs. Binford; and 2) Invalid cookery by Ellis.

Starting from illustrating oven and spoons (such as teaspoon and tablespoon), it introduces different kinds of simple recipes with very detailed procedures, from baking bread to preparing cereals, making poached eggs to meat omelet. Mrs. Binford also brought in various kinds of sandwiches all of which are very common nowadays and need no explanation, e.g. meat sandwiches (quite remarkable, because Japanese people started to enjoy meat quite recently), ham sandwiches, chicken salad sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, jelly and nut sandwiches. Soups are simply several common ones like clam broth and cream of chicken soup.

Meats are one of the most popular recipes (only after vegetables). Wagyu 和牛 today is among the most expensive beef in the world and is being enjoyed and highly praised by many peoples outside Japan. It is almost unimaginable that meat eating was prohibited for more than one thousand years prior to 1868. Buddhist influences were one of the major factors. Others are cultural ones like protecting draught animals in times of famine. Western mind, however, opened the gate for meat.

Like modern day cooking, Mrs. Binford taught the students 1) to season the beef steak with salt, oil and whole meal flour first. 2) fry beef fat and squeeze for oil. 3) fry the seasoned beef steak. 4) turn it over when the bottom side turns brown. 5) serve with warmed plate. Not unlike modern cooking recipes. Besides, she gave elaborate instructions to prepare gravy to serve with potato and meat.

Have to stop here for beef steak myself.