At the imperial table of Heijō-kyō, the meal is not organized as starter-main-dessert but around a central mound of white rice (gohan) surrounded by small bowls: pickled vegetables (tsukemono), dried or grilled fish, seaweed, and a bowl of fermented broth (hishio, the ancestor of miso). This 'one soup, several sides' arrangement would later become ichijū-sansai. Each dish is served in its own ceramic or lacquered wooden bowl, and sake accompanies court banquets.

Before modern miso and shōyu, the Nara court seasoned with hishio, a salty fermented paste imported from the continent via Tang China. It is the great umami signature of this cuisine: it salts, flavors, and preserves all at once.