Japanese gastronomy is celebrated justifiably for its harmony with nature and seasonality. Neglected in this celebration are the ideological values and the environmental impact of the gastronomy. Lack of sustainability, degradation of the soil, and industrial practices in agriculture are fundamental to creating Japanese cuisine. In addition, the idea of Japanese food as superior to other nations' cultural practices is rooted in political and historical approaches. How does the culture psychologically balance the idea of harmony with the harmfulness of degradation and ideology?

Japanese gastronomy relies upon seasonality and centuries-old Zen Buddhist principles in methods of cooking, types of ingredients, and colors of food on the plate. But its practitioners and proponents have also mythologized its high-end cuisine. At the same time as Japan was undergoing the most rapid industrialization in history, fantasies about nature, and its role in cooking, developed. These fantasies exist within Japan as well as when its gastronomy is discussed with outsiders to the culture. Long ago, the fantasies served Japan's expansionist goals, and nowadays they contribute to the creation of a global brand—the idea that Japanese food has a native superiority. In addition, the fantasies distract consumers from environmental insult; the talk of Japanese love and respect of nature is at odds with the reality of its industrialization and urban sprawl. When Japanese chefs discuss the ideas behind the food they cook, they can resort to fables, and the psychology of what the food is said to be about has little to do with the pragmatic demands of what goes on in the kitchen. In fact, Japanese gastronomy, as is true of any other national cuisine, has examples of food that represent the nation, but are not rooted in myth. Such food has more to do with cooking than myth.

In the global marketplace where real products are sold alongside knockoffs, how do the genuine producers and the consumer guarantee integrity? Scientists have entered the fray through microbiology. By utilizing the same, specific bacteria to create regional cheeses, scientists are collaborating with producers and government regulators to ensure that the cheese sold under its name is, in fact, the genuine product. Further, they are introducing tracer bacteria, which have no expressed characteristics in the cheese and are accessible only in the labs and to the farmers. By doing so, the scientists are ensuring that fake producers can be caught as they do not have the tracer bacteria. Despite this uniform microbiology of regional cheeses, diversity of flavor, texture, appearance, and aroma exists from each producer. Using Rolf Beeler (who is widely regarded among cheese experts as Switzerland's best Maitre Fromager ) as an example, we find evidence that while bacteria is the essential base for integrity, the craft or art of making the cheese very much depends on the artisan.