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I was building a bento box trying to follow the Japanese rules:

1. at least one of each taste: sweet, bitter, sour, salty, hot (or umami)


2. at least one of each color: white, black, red, blue, yellow


3. at least one of each method: raw, simmer, grill/roast, fry, steam

If I had been building a formal kaiseki meal, I'd be looking for the following courses:

1. Sakizuke: an appetizer similar to the French amuse-bouche.


2. Hassun: the second course, which sets the seasonal theme. Typically one kind of sushi and several smaller side dishes.


3. Mukōzuke: a sliced dish of seasonal sashimi.


4. Takiawase: vegetables served with meat, fish or tofu; the ingredients are simmered separately.


5. Futamono: a "lidded dish"; typically a soup.


6. Yakimono: (1) flame-grilled food (esp. fish); (2) earthenware, pottery, china.


7. Su-zakana: a small dish used to clean the palate, such as vegetables in vinegar; vinegared appetizer.


8. Hiyashi-bachi: served only in summer; chilled, lightly cooked vegetables.


9. Naka-choko: another palate-cleanser; may be a light, acidic soup.


10. Shiizakana: a substantial dish, such as a hot pot.


11. Gohan: a rice dish made with seasonal ingredients.


12. Kō no mono: seasonal pickled vegetables.


13. Tome-wan: a miso-based or vegetable soup served with rice.


14. Mizumono: a seasonal dessert

I know it is too labor intensive to be practical, but oh would it be nice to be able to search on the attributes of a dish as described in the traditional cuisines, in this example Japanese.

You can create your own Bookmarks for these attributes and add them to the recipes in your cookbooks.