Young international chefs learn 'Washoku' in Japan
Kyoto, Japan: Washoku, a traditional dietary culture in Japanese, is registered as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. A number of seasonal dishes are prepared using Japanese ingredients, which is a tradition among artisan chefs.
A training programme is being conducted at a Washoku restaurant in Kyoto with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan to develop foreign human resources.
This year, 12 chefs trained for 10 days.
Kensuke Saito from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan said, "Japanese government has supported this programme because it is so important to our future because the number of Japanese restaurants is increasing all over the world. But the number of chefs is not actually increasing. So we need to fill this gap."
"And Japanese cuisine has a long history of tradition. You've got to maintain this tradition. So you've got to make this history. Traditional Japanese cuisine with the help of youth. Only the Japanese can do it. As a result, we must all work together to preserve the Japanese culture," Saito added.
The project director, Yoshihiko Murata, also made an upbeat address.
Murata, an Official of the Japanese Cuisine and Food Culture Human Resource Development Committee, said, "You studied Japanese cuisine in Japan. Please go back to your country and cook Japanese food. I think you have learned the charm and deliciousness of Japanese ingredients. Please import a lot of Japanese ingredients from Japan and use them for cooking."
At the training report presentation, each chef announced what they experienced during the training.
Meanwhile, Chef from Poland said, "Local products are very important in Japanese cuisine. And what I discovered is that a large number of these products are of very high quality."
Chef from the US, "There's a lot more to learn about Japanese cuisine. I don't know everything, but I will try hard every day."
Saito also stated that Japanese food is now available to eat everywhere, so Japanese food exports to the world are increasing. If this trend continues to be accelerated, he would appreciate it.
These young chefs know the complexity and flavours of Japanese ingredients, and these training programmes will help promote Washoku all over the world.
