Sawachi Ryori (皿鉢料理)

Picture a porcelain platter nearly 40 centimeters wide, packed edge to edge with sashimi, sushi, simmered vegetables, fried fish, fruit and even sweet bean jelly. This is sawachi ryori (皿鉢料理), the traditional banquet style of Kochi Prefecture. Rather than waiting for courses, diners move what they want onto a small plate and keep eating as the conversation flows. Sawachi is inseparable from okyaku, the local custom of gathering relatives, neighbors and friends for food and drink. Below, you will find the four platter types, the dishes worth recognizing and what to confirm before you order one in Kochi. TOCWhat Is Sawachi Ryori? Sawachi ryori is Kochi Prefecture’s banquet style of arranging sashimi, sushi, simmered and fried dishes, sweets and fruit on large shared platters. Japan’s farm ministry (MAFF) stresses that it is not one dish. Instead, it describes a way of serving, using platters about 36 to 39 centimeters wide. Guests then take what they like onto small plates. 皿鉢Sawachi Ryori at a Glance Japanese name皿鉢料理 (sawachi ryōri or sahachi ryōri) HomeKochi Prefecture, on the Pacific coast of Shikoku, one of Japan’s four main islands What it isA banquet serving style, not a singl...