Shojin Ryori — Buddhist Vegetarian Temple Cuisine

**How temple meals work:** Dinner and breakfast are served either in your room or a communal hall, depending on the temple. Shoes off at the threshold, sit seiza (kneeling) or cross-legged on cushions. Before eating, there's often a short grace (you don't have to say it, just stay quiet). Use chopsticks, finish everything on your plate (wasting food is disrespectful to the ingredients and the labor), and keep conversation low. Meals take 30-45 minutes. You can photograph the food if you ask first, but don't be loud or casual—it's part of the temple's practice, not a restaurant experience. **Goma dofu is the star:** Sesame paste and kudzu starch simmered until it sets, then chilled. The result is creamy, custard-textured, nutty, and rich. They serve it with wasabi and soy sauce or sweet miso. You can't really find this outside Koyasan—it's the mountain's signature dish. Fresh-made goma dofu (some temples make it daily) is noticeably better than pre-made; the texture is silkier, the flavor cleaner. Ask if it was made in-house. **Vegan? Mostly yes:** Shojin ryori is vegan by design—no meat, dairy, eggs. But some temples use bonito flakes in the dashi (fish-based stock). If you're strict vegan, ask when booking; most Koyasan temples use kombu-only dashi. Gluten-free is harder because soy sauce and wheat show up everywhere. Mention serious allergies when you book. Also, the portions are small by Western standards—monks eat to sustain, not to be full. You might be hungry by bedtime. That's intentional; it's part of the discipline.