AICHI - Seven chefs tasked with developing athlete menus for the Asian Games opening in September visited a long-established Hatcho miso maker in Okazaki on June 22, as organizers look to promote Aichi’s food culture through fermented seasonings such as miso and soy sauce.
The chefs, from countries including the United States, France and Australia, are professionals who have provided meals for athletes and officials at major international sports events, including the Olympics and the soccer World Cup.
At Kakukyu Hatcho Miso, Kenji Nomura explained the traditional production process. "Hatcho miso has little moisture and is a hard miso. It is packed by hand," Nomura said.
The inspection tour was designed to show the chefs the sites behind Aichi’s fermented food culture, including Hatcho miso, soy sauce and sake, which are produced widely in the prefecture. It was organized by the airport company that operates Centrair, seen as the gateway for hospitality in the region, in hopes that the ingredients will be reflected in Asian Games menu development.
The Asian Games will bring together top athletes from 45 countries and regions. Restaurants will be set up on cruise ships used as accommodation bases, while a dining hall will be newly installed in container houses at Nagoya Port’s Garden Pier. The menus served there are expected to include Nagoya cuisine, and the chefs toured the miso storehouses where Hatcho miso, a key flavoring in many local dishes, is aged.
Nomura said the region uses a distinctive method in which koji is made from soybeans rather than rice or wheat.
The chefs showed strong interest in the storehouses and asked a series of questions. When they asked how thick the miso was, they were told it was about 3 centimeters. Asked how the stones are stacked on top of the miso barrels, Nomura said the work is extremely difficult and takes about 10 years to master.
The chefs also sampled dishes including Hatcho miso soup and miso dengaku, and tasted soft-serve ice cream sprinkled with Hatcho miso powder.
Thomas, a chef from Hungary, said the miso soup was delicious and carried the aroma of bonito broth.
Nomura said he was pleased to hear praise for Hatcho miso. "There are traditional ways to use Hatcho miso in Japan, but I would also be happy if the chefs develop new uses for it during the Asian Games and give feedback that shows just how versatile Hatcho miso can be," he said.
For lunch, the chefs visited a Japanese restaurant in Hekinan, where they enjoyed a carefully prepared menu using local fermented seasonings, including mozuku seaweed vinegar and sashimi served with tamari soy sauce.
Jason, a chef from the United States, said the meal was delicious because it incorporated a range of flavors, including shiro tamari and white soy sauce.
The question now is how Aichi’s fermented seasonings can be used in meals for athletes. Akbar, a chef from Uzbekistan who was also involved in culinary management at the Tokyo Olympics, said athletes prefer simple dishes with plenty of protein. "We will add Nagoya cuisine and blend it in," he said.
Source: CBC
