the evening meal was a time to lay aside the days toil, come together as family and community, and enjoy a hearty repose. Villagers would gather together in a central home, or village house around the cooking fire.
Each person would bring whatever they happened to have fresh that day to contribute to the evening meal. Someone would bring some vegetables from their garden, a family would bring the fish catch of the day, another family a batch of miso, another would contribute potatoes perhaps and so forth.
All of these ingredients were placed in a large pot and allowed to cook slowly for several hours resulting in a hearty and delicious stew served over a bed of rice and enjoyed by the entire village. It was a time to come together, visit, exchange news of the day, and share in family and community.
