【Reading】ごほう

【English Name】Gohou - Five Cooking Methods

Goho refers to the collective concept of the five fundamental cooking techniques systematized by Japanese cuisine. It consists of five types: raw (nama), simmering (niru), grilling (yaku), steaming (musu), and deep-frying (ageru).

The three pillars known to support the aesthetics of washoku are "five tastes, five colors, and five methods" (gomi, goshiki, goho), of which goho governs the domain of cooking technique. The five tastes symbolize the flavor elements of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami; the five colors symbolize the color elements of white, black, red, yellow, and blue (green); and it has long been thought that consciously incorporating all three brings harmony to an entire menu.

As for the connection to sushi, "raw" holds a prominent position as the technique forming the very foundation of sashimi and nigiri-zushi, and the idea of bringing out the inherent flavor of ingredients without spoiling it has been especially valued among the five methods. "Simmering" and "grilling" are applied to simmered conger eel (nieanago) and grilled conger eel (yakianago), "steaming" to mushi-zushi, and "deep-frying" to tempura sushi and fried rolls—thus all of the five methods are firmly rooted in practice within the world of sushi as well.

In kaiseki cuisine, weaving the five methods in good balance into a single menu is regarded as the ideal form, and it also serves as a measure of a chef's skill.