The art of Japanese cuisine
MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries), Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh, and JICA organised the Japanese food culture promotion project in Bangladesh to strengthen the cultural exchanges between Bangladesh and Japan.
In his opening remarks, Masaki Shinoda from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (a co-organiser of the event), highlighted the healthiness and tastiness of 'washoku' (Japanese cuisine) which is inscribed on the Representative List of the UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh, Masato Watanabe, emphasised that Japanese cuisine is an art where taste, colour and cooking method must exist in a meal in a harmony.
The charms of Japanese cuisine includes: diverse fresh ingredients and maximisation of the potential of the original taste, well-balanced nutrition and healthy diet, aesthetic expression of natural beauty and change of season and close relation with the seasonal events such as New Year's Day.
Two talented young Japanese chefs Narihiro Seki and Yoshiro Takahashi demonstrated the preparation of 'dashi', an essential soup stock for Japanese cuisine; and sliced and beautifully presented sashimi, displaying culinary technique.
Seki began his training at an young age. He worked at a renowned traditional Japanese restaurant, as a food consultant and he founded three restaurants himself: Uoichiban, Uonari and Sekitei. He is known as a new generation chef who maintains the importance of the soul of Japanese food and food culture.
Meanwhile, Takahashi was influenced by his father, who is the chef of a Japanese restaurant, and acquired the foundation of Japanese cooking in his father's kitchen as a child. He is an expert in Japanese sake. Other than being a chef, he holds seminars, devises recipes for companies and writes in magazines and books, vigorously promoting the 'washoku'.
Thirteen Japanese dishes including sushi, wagyu (Japanese beef) dice steak, grilled salmon with yuuan miso, shrimp tempura, boiled spinach and sakura shrimp, red bean paste with green tea flavoured rice cake balls were served in a reception which followed the demonstration. Many guests commented that it was a very unique event and that they very much enjoyed and appreciated it.
Photo courtesy: Rumi Ariyoshi Embassy of Japan
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