割烹料理というと高級な日本料理が想像されますが、元々は江戸料理に対して上方料理を指す言葉でした。上方料理とは主に京都と大阪の料理のことですが、京都は海から離れていたため「京料理」といえば古来乾物の煮料理が中心でした。一方、瀬戸内海に面した大阪は江戸時代より「天下の台所」として物流の中心地であり、米などの穀物や野菜、様々な鮮魚に加え、北前船により北海道から昆布が届けられました。今でも昆布の王様である真昆布の90%は大阪で消費されています。これは関東の硬水に比べ、大阪の軟水が昆布の旨味が最大限に引き出すためです。昆布ダシは大阪の食文化に大きく貢献し、戦国時代に千利休らによって考案された懐石料理から割烹料理へと発展していきました。
When we say Kappo cooking (Japanese cooking), we image an expensive Japanese dishes but it was originally a name for Kamigata cooking in Kyoto-Osaka region. Kyoto is far from the ocean, so Kyoto's famous dishes were mostly stewed dry foods. On the other hand, Osaka facing the Seto Inland Sea was the center of distribution known as the Tenka-no-Daidokoro (the kitchen of the Nation). There were lots of rice, grains, vegetables and fresh fishes. On top of that, kelp which was used for delicious broth was shipped from Hokkaido (Northern Island of Japan). Kitamae-bune (cargo ships used during Edo period). Even now, 90% of the kelps called the King of Kelp are consumed in Osaka. This is because Osaka's soft water was able to get out savory taste of kelps compared to Kanto's hard water. Kelp broth (dashi) has greatly contributed to food culture in Osaka. It is said that Kaiseki cooking (tea ceremony dishes) developed into Kappo cooking which is known today.
高級な：expensive、乾物：dry foods、煮る：stew、天下の台所：The kitchen of the Nation、物流：distribution、鮮魚：fresh fish、北前船：Kitamae-bune (cargo ships during the Edo period)、昆布：kelp、軟水：soft water、旨味：taste、食文化：food culture