Experiencing Shojin Ryori

Have you ever tried Shojin Ryori? It was something I'd never heard of until recently. Shojin ryori or devotion cuisine (精進料理) is often served at Buddhist temples, and adheres to the belief that Buddha implied following a vegetarian diet in his teachings. The meal set I got was entirely vegetarian, and included a vegetable based soup, rice, and a fried tofu dish topped with additional veggies. 

I'm not the biggest fan of tofu but this was actually quite nice - it was hearty enough to feel like a decent meal and I actually couldn't finish everything they put on the plate. The fact that it was fried pieces of tofu made the consistency not as off-putting to me.

Whilst it's not something I'd necessarily seek out every day for a meal, it was an interesting experience - and definitely something for me to keep in mind when I have vegetarian visitors come to Japan!