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The Japanese Food Culture Festival in New York was held March 4th through March 10th. Here are four highlights of the Festival.
1. International Restaurant and Food Service Show
The International Food exhibition was held from March 4th to March 6th at the Jacob K. Javitz Convention Center. At the exhibition, 25 Japanese food and product vendors displayed their products, creating “The Japan Pavilion”. Next to the Pavilion, many major Japanese-food related companies set up their own booths to introduce Japanese food and products. There was rice, wagyu (Japanese beef), strawberries (Amaou), kelp, and other high-grade food that the country boasts of. Intricate seasonings, such as “haccho miso”, (a miso that uses only soybean during fermentation) and black vinegar were on hand. Frozen sushi was sent directly from Japan as well as processed foods such as konnyaku chips, a traditional Japanese jelly-like health food made from a konnyaku potato. Japanese knives and lacquer-ware were on display while people discussed business in the background.
Visitors had the opportunity to see demonstrations and sampled wagyu cooking. A home-cooking demonstration was given by Mr. and Mrs. Rocky Aoki, the owners of Benihana restaurant chain, in the Pavilion.
2. Japanese Food Culture Symposium
A symposium was held at Japan Society on the afternoon of March 5th. The symposium, co-sponsored by Nikkei America, Japan Society, and JETRO New York, dealt with Japanese food culture’s acceptance and distribution within the United States. There were approximately 300 people who participated, filling the auditorium to its capacity.
In the first session, keynote speaker, Yuzaburo Mogi, Chairman & CEO of Kikkoman, spoke on topics such as the history of Japanese food, soy sauce, which is essential to Japanese food and the reasons why Japanese food is enjoyed in foreign countries. In the second session, Jeffrey Steingarten, a columnist for Vogue magazine, moderated a panel discussion which included Japanese food expert, journalist, and cookbook author, Elizabeth Andoh, the Chef/Owner of DANIEL, Daniel Boulud, and Chef/Owner of Morimoto, Masaharu Morimoto.
During the panel discussion, many ideas were discussed. It was mentioned that some French cuisine had been inspired by Japanese ingredients, such as shiso, yuzu, and soy beans, and it was pointed out that the popularity of Japanese food culture in America increased not only because obtaining fresh ingredients became possible, but upscale restaurants that are popular among Americans began to adopt the use of raw ingredients. Together with the abundance of the ingredients in Japan, the taste and complexity of the ingredients were introduced, using kelp, a sea vegetable (kombu), as an example. Various kinds of kombu and its power to enhance the original taste of foods were talked about during the symposium. In addition to the charm of Japanese cooking which makes full use of the seasons and geographic area, setting and atmosphere of the place where food is eaten, tableware and the spirit of hospitality were also discussed.
3. Japanese Food Festa
On the evening of March 5th, the Japanese Food Festa was held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel hosted by the Japanese Food Culture Festival Committee. A majority of the evening was dedicated to a demonstration by four kaiseki master chefs from Kyoto, and a demonstration by famed culinary genius, David Bouley, using Japanese ingredients.
Ambassador Motoatsu Sakurai (Consul General) said in his speech that it seemed like right time to have this event which promotes the popularity of Japanese food when the popularity of Japanese cooking is increasing in New York and the world. He also said it was a good opportunity to not only use Japanese ingredients and use the techniques of Japanese cooking, but also to take the philosophy of the art of Japanese cooking into consideration. About 400 people enjoyed sampling all of the food that was on hand.
4. Japanese Restaurant Week
Japanese restaurant week was organized from March 4th to March 10th .Throughout the week participating 39 Japanese restaurants around New York offered specially designed gourmet menus.
This year, many Japan-US cultural exchange events have been planned, including the 100th anniversary celebration of Japan Society and Japan Day @ Central Park. The Japanese Food Culture Festival was a part of these events, and its aim was to bring further development of Japan-US cultural exchange.
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