Food cultures · OrienX Journal
Taoist simplicity at the table
From the Daodejing to a plant-based meal, simplicity finds a place in a shallow bowl.
The cauliflower edges turn golden in the oven while white beans warm in a small pan. Add a little lemon and parsley, then taste before adjusting the seasoning. These ordinary ingredients already have distinct flavours. For OrienX, this meal brings to mind an idea from the Daodejing: returning to simplicity.
Returning to simplicity with the Daodejing
In chapter 19 of the Daodejing, a foundational text of Chinese Taoist thought, the expression jiàn sù bào pǔ invites a return to simplicity, followed by a call to moderate desires. In its reflection on artifice and desire, the text turns towards a more restrained way of being. OrienX draws from it a proposal for the table: look first at the food, then decide how to prepare it, attending to what deserves care in this meal.
A cauliflower washed, cut and cooked attentively offers a tender centre and lightly browned edges. White beans reveal their flavour and soft texture. Care can be given to these details: the size of the pieces, the cooking time, tasting again after seasoning. Ordinary ingredients receive thoughtful preparation and deserve equally careful presentation.
This simplicity can take the form of a meal full of flavour: notice what you have, prepare it well, then sit down to enjoy it. OrienX gives the idea a contemporary plant-based expression using ingredients familiar in a French kitchen.
A meal of cauliflower and white beans
In a French kitchen, this practice can begin with cauliflower, white beans, lemon, parsley and olive oil. Familiar ingredients and an accessible preparation. Roasted vegetables and warm beans meet a touch of acidity and fresh herbs, offering variety in texture and flavour.
For one person, allow around 180–220 g of cauliflower, 120 g of cooked, drained white beans, two teaspoons of olive oil, a quarter of a lemon and a small handful of parsley. Cut the cauliflower into small florets, mix with one teaspoon of oil, then roast in an oven preheated to 200 °C for around 20–25 minutes, until tender with browned edges. Adjust the time to your oven and the size of the pieces. Warm the cooked beans in a saucepan with a little water for 3–5 minutes, then drain off any excess. Rinsed and drained canned beans work too.
Bring the cauliflower and beans together. Add the remaining oil, lemon juice to taste and chopped parsley. Taste before adjusting with a little salt or pepper. For a more substantial meal, add a slice of wholegrain bread or another grain according to your habits. Adapt the ingredients and quantities to your appetite and needs.
Nutritionally, white beans and other pulses provide plant protein and fibre. French guidance encourages adults to eat pulses at least twice a week and choose at least one wholegrain starchy food each day. Giving them a regular place alongside vegetables is a habit that can be built gradually. The foods eaten and overall dietary habits are what nourish the body.
The bowl makes room for the food
In chapter 11, the Daodejing also uses an earthen vessel to reflect on what makes it useful. Clay forms its walls; the space they enclose allows it to be used. This image invites us to look at an empty bowl and notice the room it prepares for what it will hold.
For this plant-based dish, we choose Sprout · Shallow Bowl. Its 20.6 cm opening lets cauliflower and beans sit side by side, their shapes still visible. Its 4.7 cm height and curved interior accommodate a little lemon and olive oil. A fork can pick up a cauliflower floret, then bring together a few beans and some dressing in one mouthful.
Against the matt surface without painted decoration, the cauliflower’s golden edges, pale beans and green parsley remain visible. The bowl makes room for food and gives this intention of simplicity a tangible presence. This Taoist reading can return to mind whenever you serve a meal.
After the meal, the bowl is empty again. Next time it may hold roasted squash or different pulses. Enjoying its shape and recognising something of yourself in the simplicity explored here gives a personal reason to make a place for it at your table.
Discover Sprout · Shallow Bowl
Cultural references: Daodejing, chapter 19 and chapter 11. The explanations, plant-based proposal and connection with the bowl are OrienX's contemporary interpretation. Contemporary dietary guidance: Ameli: grains and pulses and Manger Bouger: wholegrain starchy foods. Adapt cooking, quantities and accompaniments to your own habits.
