The Japanese table of the Heian period is organized not as starter/main/dessert, but around steamed rice (gohan), the heart of the meal. It is surrounded by 'one soup and three side dishes' (ichijū-sansai): a broth (shiru), a main dish often grilled or dried, and pickled or preserved vegetables. Among peasants like the couple who raised Kaguya-hime, they made do with one soup and one side dish (ichijū-issai). Sweetness was not a dessert but a precious rarity, reserved for offerings and festivals. Everything is placed at the same time on a low tray (oshiki), each serving themselves at their own pace.

Before the smooth miso we know today, Heian Japanese seasoned everything with hishio: a fermented paste of soybeans, grains, and salt, inherited from China. It provides the umami and salty base for almost every dish. For the rare sweet taste, there was no sugar but amazura, a syrup made from boiled sap of a wild vine.