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WASHOKU or "traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese", as defined by the Japanese government, is a social practive based on culinary production and consumption. An essential feature of WASHOKU is "respect for nature" and "the sustainable use of natural resources". In December 2013, UNESCO recognised WASHOKU as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

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Written in Japanese as 和食、WASHOKU literaly means Japanese (和wa) + food (食shoku).  As 和 (wa) also means harmony, WASHOKU is about blending ingredients harmoniously to satisfy all our senses. It is essential in Japanese cookery to use fresh, seasonal ingredients.

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