From Japan to European tables: How Sake, Wagyu and Seaweed seduced Michelin-starred chefs

euronews (in English)

Japan's culinary heritage, known as Washoku, is a treasure that has captivated enthusiasts and top European chefs alike. In this episode of Here We Grow, we delve into the story behind Japanese culinary gems such as sake, Hida beef, and wakame.

Transcript

00:00It's one of the many treasures of Japan, the washoku, beef, algae, sake,

00:11plunged into the fantastic universe of Japanese gastronomy,

00:15which has seduced as many amateurs as the greatest European chefs and sommeliers.

00:21The washoku is on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.

00:26Japanese gastronomy is the perfect illustration of these traditional customs

00:31that have transcended generations and of this unique spirit of respect for nature

00:36in a country where the water is omnipresent and of an exceptional quality and purity.

00:48The prefecture of Mie here, the breweries perpetuate the Shintoist tradition

00:53which considers sake as a sacred offering to the gods.

00:59In this family brewery, rice alcohol is produced by fermentation

01:03and the degree of alcohol is similar to that of wine for six generations.

01:18The secrets of a good sake, a very carefully selected rice,

01:22is that the fermentation is not too voluminous to perfectly control the process

01:26and that it is, above all, a quality water.

01:53The sake of Shimizu has received awards from all over the world.

01:57Today, it exports 15% of its production.

02:01Xavier Tuiza is the sommelier chef of the famous hotel in Crayon in Paris.

02:06He is also the best worker and sommelier in France.

02:10He has been a member of the French Association of Sake and Wine for more than 20 years.

02:15He has been a member of the Association of Sake and Wine for more than 20 years.

02:20He has been a member of the Association of Sake and Wine for more than 20 years.

02:25He has been a member of the French Association of Sake and Wine for more than 20 years.

02:31He has been a member of the French Association of Sake and Wine for more than 20 years.

02:37He is a wine from the terroir which reflects the place,

02:41the soul of the place and the soul of the one who makes it, like wine.

02:46So, sake is on the table of the restaurant in Crayon.

02:51The iodine, the seafood, the shells, the oysters,

02:55the beautiful combination, the vegetables, the bitterness,

02:58the green asparagus, especially in the spring.

03:01You can also imagine the white meat, the veal, the beef.

03:04It's great.

03:05So how do the customers react, those who discover the Japanese sake?

03:10It's always an incredible emotion.

03:12Even here in this shop, people come back to say,

03:14I tasted your sake, it was great, it was very exotic,

03:17white fish, dried rose, it's a bouquet that's fabulous.

03:20And I want to make my friends taste it.

03:25In 2017, Xavier Tuisa launched Kura Master,

03:28a competition of Japanese sake,

03:30judged by the best French sommeliers.

03:34Europe opened up to our sake, thanks to Kura Master,

03:37because it's 30% more sake imports in France since its creation.

03:42Because the consumer is reassured to see sommeliers

03:46who taste sake.

03:51JAPAN

03:55Back to Japan, this time in Gifu province,

03:58where they raise the beef of Hida,

04:00one of the most prestigious of the famous Wagyu.

04:03The animals come from a Japanese cattle breed in Black Rome,

04:06whose breeding in labelled farms lasts at least 14 months.

04:13The origin of these animals, which date back nearly a century,

04:16but also their strict breeding conditions

04:19and their rich and controlled diet,

04:21nothing is left to chance.

04:23Branded beef is something that Japanese people eat on special days,

04:28to reward themselves.

04:31Thank you very much.

04:33Thank you very much.

04:35Unfortunately, Hida beef only produces 6,000 to 100,000 tons a year.

04:41I think it's a lot less than the average production area.

04:44So I don't think many Europeans have the opportunity to get it.

04:48If you ever see Hida beef, I hope you can taste it.

04:57It's a very fine cut.

04:59It's a very fine cut.

05:02It looks pink when it melts.

05:05That's the characteristic of Hida beef.

05:07You enjoy it before you grill it.

05:10You enjoy it after you grill it.

05:12You put it in your mouth,

05:14and you enjoy the sweetness that spreads in your mouth.

05:19Hida beef has gained international notoriety.

05:22It can be found, for example, here in Jean-Yves Schillinger's restaurant,

05:25double Michelin star, in Colmar, France.

05:34The chef discovered this meat about ten years ago,

05:37and since then, it has never left his menu.

05:40I was with my father once in Japan,

05:41and it's true that this powerful taste of beef in the mouth,

05:44and especially this tenderness in the mouth, it impressed me.

05:49We see that the Japanese really gave their love and their heart to make this meat.

05:53For them, it's their national pride.

05:55They are very serious people,

05:57who have a culture that defends ours,

05:59and who respect the product.

06:03The clientele is delighted.

06:05Many are those who come here specifically for Hida beef,

06:08and the unique experience it provides.

06:11It tastes like French beef.

06:13You can taste the beef, of course,

06:15but especially the fat behind it.

06:17And it's the fat that gives this tenderness to the meat.

06:23It's wonderful, it's like butter.

06:25A taste in the mouth that never ends.

06:33Last step of our culinary adventure in Japan,

06:36this time in the province of Miyagi,

06:38on the Pacific coast of the northeast of the country.

06:41The city of Kisenuma is famous for its production of oysters,

06:45and wakame seaweed.

07:09The secret is freshness,

07:11but the role of water is also fundamental.

07:15And not just seawater.

07:34Japanese people have always been crazy about oysters.

07:37They eat up to 9 kilos a year, and by person.

07:45This is the food fiber and minerals

07:48that are in the body,

07:50so please, European people, eat them too!

08:04He is considered the ambassador of oysters in Europe.

08:07The Belgian chef Donald Deschartes

08:09runs a restaurant near Ostend,

08:11but he also organizes conferences,

08:13workshops and training courses

08:15with the aim of democratizing the quality of the oysters.

08:19There are certain nutrients in our seaweed,

08:21such as antioxidants, iodine,

08:23omega-3 fatty acids,

08:25and for me, protein is very important,

08:27that is, protein.

08:29So Donald, 15 years ago you didn't know anything about oysters,

08:32and today you say it's the food of the future.

08:34We are already too much on earth.

08:3675% of the world is water,

08:38but it is necessary that we grow and use seaweed

08:42in the future,

08:44because there are always more people on earth

08:46and less food.

08:55Hello Donald, how are you?

08:57I'm fine, great!

08:59I have a little surprise for you.

09:01I brought you some very nice oysters from Japan.

09:08The texture is delicious,

09:10especially the sugar,

09:12I really like it.

09:14The algae is a varied and complex product,

09:16qualities that the chef particularly appreciates.

09:20Seaweed can be fried to a bacon taste,

09:22that is, seaweed to truffles, olives.

09:24Seaweed can also taste like nuts.

09:26The drying process also changes the taste.

09:30So for me it's nice,

09:32as a seaweed chef,

09:34that there is a different taste.

09:36There is even seaweed in it that starts to smell like chocolate.

09:39I think it's very interesting for a seaweed chef.

09:47Sometimes simple and healthy,

09:49sometimes rich and sophisticated,

09:51Japanese gastronomy never stops surprising

09:53and seducing us.

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