Vol. 32 No. 1 April 2018

Kikkoman’s quarterly intercultural forum for the exchange of ideas on food

THE JAPANESE TABLE 4 SPECIAL REPORT: Japanese Cuisine Around the World Japanese Noodles Tsuneyasu Kondo — Somen 6 MORE ABOUT JAPANESE COOKING: by Ayao Okumura Somen with Eggplant Yakibitashi Noodles are one of Japan’s most popular foods, and Japanese Soba Sushi Rolls cuisine is renowned for its diverse types of noodles, each with — its own complex heritage and unique traditions. In this new 8 series, Food Forum takes a closer look at the delicious world of KIKKOMAN TODAY: Japanese noodles, beginning with somen. Kikkoman Soy Sauce Product Certified as Japanese Space Food Japanese Noodles Somen

From left: Sakubei with walnut and vinegar sauce, an ancient dish as reproduced by Dr. Okumura who demonstrates how to roll and stretch sakubei using two bamboo sticks.

Sakubei accompanied by a sauce made drying out, allowing them to be Wheat was introduced from of either miso and vinegar, or slowly and gradually stretched China to Japan via the Korean of vinegar and jiang. Jiang, a even longer, to diameters of peninsula some 2,000 years ago, precursor to today’s soy sauce, is less than 1.7 millimeters, or yet it was not cultivated on a the liquid drained from fermented 0.07 inches—a process which substantial scale here until about soybeans. The other way was to took two days. This method of 1,300 years ago. In contrast to enjoy sakubei as a kind of dessert, making somen was introduced the hard wheat strains from where the boiled noodles were to Japan sometime in the early which Italian pastas are derived, eaten with boiled adzuki beans thirteenth century. We know so-called soft wheat arrived in sweetened with mizuame glucose that by the early sixteenth Japan in the Nara period (710- syrup made from fermented century, this exacting technique 794). At that time, the method glutinous rice. was being demonstrated to for making wheat-fl our noodles During the star festival of customers in Kyoto. was introduced in Nara, then Tanabata, celebrated on the The manner in which Japan’s capital of Japan. These noodles, seventh day of the seventh early somen was eaten differed called sakubei, were made by month of the lunar calendar, from that of the earlier sakubei kneading wheat fl our with salted typical offerings included uri noodles. During the summer water into a dough, which was melon, eggplant and sakubei. By months, the boiled noodles then broken up into small pieces. presenting offerings of sakubei were rinsed in cold water, and These were rolled out between noodles, with their long, thread- each mouthful was dipped the palms of the hands and like shape, women prayed for in a cold clear sauce called covered with starch to facilitate sewing skills, along with a taremiso, made by mixing miso stretching into very long, fi ne bountiful summer harvest. with water, boiling it down strands using a pair of bamboo Dining on the long noodles was a and then straining it through sticks. After stretching them way of praying for long life. One a cloth. Chopped green onion in this fashion, they were hung reason behind this custom may and ground mustard paste outside to dry. be that during summer, rice— were additional condiments. Sold at markets, sakubei was already a staple in the diet—was This way of eating somen was available to ordinary people, and likely in short supply. distinctive to Japan. In winter, was also among goods distributed somen was often eaten warm, to workers engaged in the state- Thinner and Longer simmered in miso soup; another supported task of copying Buddhist Somen emerged as an advanced way was to add the noodles to a sutras from China. There were form of sakubei in Song bowl of hot water, and dip them two ways to eat sakubei. One dynasty China (960-1279). in cool taremiso before eating. was to rinse the boiled noodles Instead of starch, vegetable In the eighteenth century, in cold water and garnish them oil was used to prevent the somen was produced throughout with crushed walnuts and ginger, surface of the noodles from Japan in more than thirty

2 From left: Traditional production process of drying somen in the sun; taimen sea bream somen.

noodle-producing areas; at this Inland Sea, and its preparation Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture, time, the noodles began to be cut was gradually modified to somen is cooked in the broth into lengths of 18 centimeters, involve simmering the sea of simmered kuro-mebaru or about 7 inches—convenient bream in water with soy sauce; rockfish. In landlocked villages for eating—and were sold in somen was boiled, then rinsed of northern Shiga Prefecture, a bundles of what is now about and cooled, and seasoned with festive summer dish involves 100 grams (3.5 oz.). Somen that this sea bream broth before somen served in broth flavored had been stored and matured for being served with the sea with grilled mackerel, eaten two or three years was prized bream on a large platter. This with the mackerel. In the as being silky and smooth, and special dish is still presented Amami Oshima Islands in thus more pleasurable to eat. at weddings, as it evokes the Kagoshima Prefecture, south This is because of changes in homophone taimen, which of Kyushu, somen is cooked in the proteins, which eliminated means “meeting,” referencing a soup made from salted pigs’ stickiness and made the noodles the meeting of the two families feet. In subtropical Okinawa easier to swallow—the only of the bride and groom. Prefecture, the noodles are problem was that oxidation of the boiled, drained and then vegetable oil left a rancid smell. Somen Today pan-fried with canned tuna or In the latter half of the Almost all somen today is corned beef. eighteenth century, tasty manufactured by machine. It * Made of glutinous rice, rice koji and shochu distilled dipping sauces made with soy is a favorite summer dish often liquor. Originally a beverage, mirin began to be used as a seasoning at this time. sauce, mirin* and katsuobushi eaten simply dipped in a soy (dried bonito flakes) dashi sauce and dashi-based sauce, became available, which greatly together with condiments such enhanced the pleasures of eating as chopped green onion and somen. Eventually, the custom grated ginger (see cover photo). cover Chilled somen with soy sauce and dashi-based of exchanging Ochugen summer However, ways of eating somen dipping sauce gifts of somen developed. In differ by region. In northern those days, a Chinese-style Aomori Prefecture, for example, Author’s profile Ayao Okumura, Ph.D. was born in 1937 in dish called taimen (sea bream it is served in cooled broth made Wakayama Prefecture. A former professor at Kobe somen) was enjoyed in Nagasaki from simmered sazae horned Yamate University, Dr. Okumura is a specialist in Prefecture. A sea bream would turban shell, topped with slices traditional Japanese cuisine. He is currently part-time professor at Osaka City University be cut in half, deep-fried, and of sazae and uni raw sea urchin. Graduate School, lecturing on the establishment then simmered in katsuobushi In Aichi Prefecture, in a town and structure of Japanese food culture; as owner dashi and soy sauce, to which at the tip of a peninsula south of cooking studio Douraku-tei, he is known for his cooked somen was added. This of Nagoya, somen is served authentic reproductions of historic Japanese dishes and menus. His various publications include Nippon dish became popular among with hishigani elbow crab. men shokubunka no 1,300 nen (“1,300 years of villages along the shores of the Along the coast of the Inland Japanese noodle food culture,” 2009; revised 2014).

FOOD FORUM April 2018 3 SPECIAL REPORT from Austria Japanese Cuisine Vienna Around the World

Each year, Food Forum presents a Special Report that takes a look at people who are introducing Japanese cuisine around the world. In this issue, we feature Japanese food pioneer Tsuneyasu Kondo, founder of a Japanese food import business in Vienna, Austria.

To Europe Adapting to Local Tastes I was born in 1931 in the Korean city of Thus it was that we three brothers Keijo, now known as Seoul. My elder established a Japanese restaurant twin brothers were also born there. called Restaurant Tokyo in West Soon after my birth, my father was sent Berlin in 1965. Inside the glass-fronted on a research trip to Europe. He spent restaurant, which was in one of the Tsuneyasu Kondo about a year there, and returned home city’s best locations (Europa-Center), Born in 1931, Mr. Kondo moved to West with a mountain of souvenirs. After we had a showcase to introduce Berlin in 1960 where, with his brothers, he he suddenly passed away, our family Japanese products. We advertised on established a Japanese food import business. In 1965, they opened Restaurant returned to Tokyo, but living among opening day in rather fl ashy style with Tokyo there, followed by outlets in Vienna my father’s souvenirs, my brothers and a parade of our staff dressed in kimono, and London. In 1974, he founded Nippon- I talked constantly about how we’d go riding in a convertible from the airport Ya, where he is currently management overseas to work when we grew up. After into the city. This strategy worked, and advisor; in 2006, with his daughter, he the long and arduous war ended, we the 100-seat restaurant was packed full. opened Cha No Ma. Mr. Kondo received the Minister’s Award for Overseas once again dreamed of going to Europe. There were few Japanese in West Promotion of Japanese Food from the My brothers went there fi rst and I joined Berlin in the mid-1960s, so most of Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry them in West Berlin in 1960, where our patrons were German. Only a few and Fisheries (2015), and is the recipient of we established a company to import could use chopsticks, so we set the the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Japanese goods. However, the following tables Western-style and Kikkoman Rays (2016). year, the Cold War worsened and the made chopsticks for us, which became Nippon-Ya Berlin Wall began to go up, throwing our great customer souvenirs. There were Faulmanngasse 5, 1040 Wien, Austria company into crisis. Meanwhile, the a few moments of excitement, like Tel: +43 (1) 586 1084 West German government launched a when someone poured dipping sauce www.nipponya.at plan to establish a large international right over the noodles on the zaru center in the heart of West Berlin in bamboo noodle mat, or ate the raw Cha No Ma order to invigorate the economy. We meat while the table-top sukiyaki pot Faulmanngasse 7, were asked to open a Japanese restaurant was still warming up—but overall, 1040 Wien, Austria there, and it was this unexpected we got off to a good start. The most Tel: +43 (1) 587 9406 opportunity that plunged us into the diffi cult task for us was adapting the www.chanomavienna.at world of Japanese food culture. serving of dishes to customers who

Opening of Restaurant Tokyo, London (1970)

4 Nippon-Ya

had never eaten Japanese food in its Eastern Europe, who had diffi culties Recognizing Japanese Food original setting. For example, if we obtaining Japanese food products and Importing food products from Japan served the same modest amount of household items. That experience ran into serious problems following tempura as we would in Japan, we has continued recently in our work the Great East Japan Earthquake in faced complaints that the quantity was to supply Japanese food ingredients 2011, but my daughter, who has been too small. But if we accommodated to Middle Eastern countries and in charge of managing the business, German expectations, our Japanese the Balkan region. One of Nippon- made several appearances on Austrian customers would remark that the Ya’s major objectives is to introduce television to present the case for the amount of food was way too much. Japanese food to locals, so it has been safety of Japanese food. Our shops We were very fortunate to fi nd a head actively engaged in public relations quickly collected about 1.5 million chef endowed not only with excellent activities, such as holding a “Japan yen in donations for the recovery Japanese culinary skills, but with Week” in local department stores or effort in East Japan, with which we a fl exible mind-set for managing setting up large booths at major fairs purchased fi ve electronic pianos, the restaurant to suit the local and exhibitions. as representing Vienna, the “city of clientele. In 1970, we established In the 1980s, both of my brothers music.” These pianos were donated a chain of Japanese restaurants by passed away, so I decided to withdraw to elementary and junior high schools the same name in London, and in from the restaurant business. I do, in the affected areas. We believe that Vienna in 1972. For the 1972 Munich however, remain involved with the these gestures of generosity were Olympics, we provided Japanese supply of Japanese ingredients for the made because of our customers’ meals for the Japanese team and for many Japanese restaurants now in familiarity with Japanese food. Japanese visitors who came to see Vienna and in neighboring countries. When we fi rst opened our Japanese the Olympics. About 80 percent of the Nippon-Ya restaurants in Europe, Japanese food clientele is local. In 2006, at the and food products were little known, Japanese Food Culture suggestion of my daughter, we but today there are likely very few In 1974, we opened a Japanese food opened a “Japanese tea room” called people who do not know what sushi is, import business called Nippon-Ya Cha No Ma adjacent to the Vienna and many can use chopsticks quite in Vienna. The Cold War was still Nippon-Ya. The tea room clientele is skillfully. There are now over 300 on and this business allowed us to almost 100 percent local; it is a small restaurants in Vienna which include support those Japanese residing not establishment, but popular with some kind of Japanese food— only in Vienna, but in other parts of young people. particularly sushi—on their menus, which is impressive in a city of just under two million. This transformation is something that fi lls a pioneer like me with tremendous joy and satisfaction. Another thing we have always tried to do is to be conscientious, to always consider the standpoint of our customers and to adapt our business to the realities of the marketplace. I am greatly encouraged to see that this principle is shared by Inside Nippon-Ya (2014) Introducing Japanese food at the Wiener Messe (1983) all of our employees.

FOOD FORUM April 2018 5 Sautéed eggplant enhances the marinade-dipping sauce of dashi, soy sauce and mirin, making it more umami-rich SOMEN WITH EGGPLANT than usual somen dipping sauce. Both the marinade-dipping YAKIBITASHI sauce and somen are simple to prepare, making this an easy appetizer. For a more traditional Japanese taste, substitute chopped green onion for dill garnish.

Bring marinade ingredients to a brief boil in a small saucepan. Turn off heat and allow 1 to cool. Peel the eggplant. Cut into 4 equal pieces lengthwise, then cut these into 1.2 cm / ½ in. 2thick pieces. If eggplant is large, cut into 1.2 cm / ½ in. cubes. Sprinkle eggplant with Ginger salt and set aside for at least 15 minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture.**

4 appetizer servings Heat oil over low-medium heat in a non-stick frying pan and add eggplant. Cook until 227 kcal Protein 4.3 g Fat 3.3 g 3lightly browned, then remove and place on a paper towel to soak up excess oil. Add the (per person) cooked eggplant to the marinade and allow to steep for up to 60 minutes. Yakibitashi* marinade • 240 ml / 1 C dashi stock Just before serving, boil somen noodles following package instructions. Drain, rinse • 2 T+ 1 t Kikkoman Soy Sauce with cold water and drain again. • 2 T+ 1 t Kikkoman Manjo Mirin 4

• 5-6 small Japanese eggplants, or Divide somen among four small bowls. Spoon the marinated eggplant onto the noodles 1 large American eggplant, 5and pour 3 T marinade over each serving. Garnish with grated ginger, dill and bell pepper. total 360 g / 13 oz. • 1/4 t salt, about 0.5% weight of * Yakibitashi is a dish of grilled vegetables or fish, typically marinated in dashi, soy sauce and mirin. eggplants ** Sprinkling with salt rids eggplant of moisture and bitterness. Removing excess moisture creates a firmer • 1 ½ T pure olive oil or vegetable oil texture and prevents over-absorption of oil.

• 2 bundles somen, each 50 g / 1.8 oz. Recipe by Michiko Yamamoto • 1 knob grated ginger for garnish • Dill for garnish • Red bell pepper, thinly sliced for garnish

1 C (U.S. cup) = approx. 240 ml; 1 T = 15 ml; 1 t = 5 ml

6 Futo-maki sushi rolls are typically made with sushi rice, but this delicious variation features soba. Other ingredient options SOBA SUSHI ROLLS include smoked salmon or ham in place of imitation crabmeat. Colorful red, green and yellow ingredients work well to make this sushi roll visually appealing as well as tasty.

Soak the dried shiitake in 240 ml / 1 C water for several hours. Drain and reserve this 1soaking water. Squeeze out excess water, remove stems. Simmer the shiitake with seasoning ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat until the liquid has nearly evaporated. Cut into slices.

Divide soba into two equal bundles. Tie one end of each bundle Dried shiitake 2with cooking twine** (see photo). Into a saucepan of boiling water, fi rst submerge about 2 cm / 0.8 in. of the tied end of one soba bundle Serves 4, makes 2 rolls for 1 minute, then submerge and cook the entire bundle as per package 248 kcal Protein 12.5 g Fat 6 g instructions. Keeping the twine tied, drain, rinse well with running water and then drain (per person) again; blot excess water with a paper towel. Repeat for the other soba bundle. Cut off about 3 cm / 1 ½ in. of the tied end and discard. Sprinkle sushi vinegar evenly over aligned soba. • 2-3 dried shiitake mushrooms • 240 ml / 1 C water Cut cucumber lengthwise, the same length as the nori seaweed, then cut in half again lengthwise. Parboil the watercress and drain. Seasoning for shiitake 3 • 80 ml / 1/3 C shiitake soaking water • 1/2 T Kikkoman Soy Sauce To make the omelet, beat eggs then mix in sugar and salt. Heat oil over medium heat in • 1/2 T granulated sugar 4a non-stick 18 cm / 7 in. frying pan. Pour in the egg mixture all at once, stir slightly and • 1/2 T Kikkoman Manjo Mirin cook until set. Place omelet on parchment paper and press gently into a fl attened rectangular shape. When cool, cut lengthwise into three pieces. Cut one lengthwise piece in half. • 200 g / 7 oz. dried soba noodles • 50 ml / 3 1/3 T sushi vinegar* Sushi rolls: place one sheet of nori on a bamboo mat. Evenly spread out one portion of • 1/2 Japanese cucumber 5soba on the nori from end to end, leaving the top 3 cm / 1 ½ in. and bottom 2cm / 0.8 in. • 6 sprigs watercress of the nori uncovered. Lay out half the shiitake, cucumber strips, watercress, 1+ ½ strip of Tamago-yaki Japanese omelet omelet and 3 crabmeat sticks from end to end, all centered atop the soba. Roll up the nori • 2 eggs sheet tightly using the bamboo mat, pressing the fi llings in place. Repeat with the other • 2 t granulated sugar sheet of nori and allow both rolls to set for at least 30 minutes. • Pinch of salt • Vegetable oil Cut each roll into 2 cm / 1 in. pieces. Use a dry cutting board to prevent nori from 6 sticking; wipe knife with damp kitchen towel before cutting each piece. • 2 sheets roasted nori seaweed, about 21 cm×19 cm / 8 in.×7.5 in. Serve with soy sauce or soba dipping sauce. • 6 sticks imitation crabmeat 7 * If sushi vinegar is unavailable, mix 3 T rice vinegar, 2 t granulated sugar and 1/2 t salt. ** This prevents noodles from scattering during boiling and keeps them aligned, which makes it easier to lay them out on the nori. Recipe by Kikkoman Corporation FOOD FORUM April 2018 7 Kikkoman Soy Sauce Product Certified as Japanese Space Food

From left: Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui (second from left) at a JAXA event in autumn 2017; Certifi ed Japanese Space Food Kikkoman Soy Sauce product with and without its JAXA aluminum retort pouch packaging.

In September 2017, the Japan taste of Japanese food during account, Kikkoman submitted Aerospace Exploration Agency long stays on the International a soy sauce product containing (JAXA) certified Kikkoman Space Station (ISS)—a pleasure 25 percent less salt than its Shiboritate Nama Less Sodium that helps not only to alleviate regular soy sauce. At an event Soy Sauce, a product which is mental stress, but maintain held by JAXA last autumn, sold in Japan, as Japanese Space and enhance work performance Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui Food. It is the first seasoning while on board. Companies commented, “Standard space product manufactured using wishing to provide astronauts food manufactured in the U.S. traditional Japanese brewing with their products submit them and Russia tends to be lightly techniques to be certified. to JAXA, where they undergo seasoned because the amount In 2006, JAXA announced a strict safety and quality tests. of sodium is strictly controlled. new system to certify products Upon passing these inspections, Soy sauce can be used to add that meet specific criteria as the product is added to the JAXA extra taste, so I think not only Japanese Space Food. The system list of Japanese Space Foods and Japanese astronauts, but also was developed so that Japanese supplied to astronauts on the ISS. astronauts from other countries, astronauts might enjoy the As the health benefits of Japanese will enjoy it.” food are globally recognized, Working and living in space these products are expected to is demanding, but Kikkoman be used by astronauts from other believes its soy sauce will make international partner countries mealtimes a bit more special by as well. enriching the taste of space food In outer space, bone density for ISS astronauts. Kikkoman loss is of great concern; moreover, also hopes to enrich food for sodium intake promotes the people all over the world and metabolism of calcium, resulting become a company whose

Kikkoman Shiboritate Nama in further density reduction. existence is meaningful to the Less Sodium Soy Sauce Taking these circumstances into global society.

FOOD FORUM is a quarterly newsletter published by Kikkoman Corporation, International Operations Division, 2-1-1 Nishi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8428, Japan / Production: Cosmo Public Relations Corporation / Editor: Marybeth Stock / Proofreader: Eda Sterner Kaneko / Special Advisors: Isao Kumakura, Michiko Yamamoto / Contributor: Ayao Okumura / Art Director: Eiko Nishida / Photo Credits: PIXTA (p. 1, p. 3 left) / Ayao Okumura (p. 2) / amanaimages (p. 3 right) / Tsuneyasu Kondo (pp.4-5) / Yoshitaka Matsumoto (pp. 6-7) / Special thanks to Tsuneyasu Kondo / Printing: Otowa Printing ©2018 by Kikkoman Corporation. All rights reserved. Requests to reprint articles or excerpts should be sent to the publisher. www.kikkoman.com

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