“India might be the next destination for a foodie on the globe,” said Gary Mehigan of Master Chef Australia fame during a chat with this journalist recently. One completely agrees with Gary as in the last few weeks a lot of expat chefs have flown in to promote their cuisines in India as they see a lot of potential in the Indian taste buds.
Feeling the same Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) in association with Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced “Japanese Food Season – Oishii Japan in India” a new project to promote and showcase Japanese food in India by making the cuisine easily accessible to more food lovers than ever before.
For announcement veteran sushi expert, Chef Junichi Asano was invited from Tokyo. Having an experience of almost three decades, Chef Asano has travelled across the globe working and teaching Japanese cuisine. Very soft and polite in nature, Chef Asano loves to teach. For last one year Chef Asano is enjoying teaching the art of sushi making at Tokyo Sushi Academy. When one asked him what you prefer, teaching or cooking, he gently replied, “If I make good sushi for a customer I feed one person but if I teach hundreds of students the art of good sushi making I feed the whole mankind and pass on the legacy, which gives me more satisfaction.”
MAFF will be sponsoring several events in Delhi and Mumbai from October 2013 to February 2014 which will include cooking workshops, restaurant promotions, food retail promotions, recipe contests and food festivals, giving patrons an opportunity to learn about and develop a taste for Japanese cuisine.
Japanese Food Season started where culinary students of the famous Institute of Hotel Management, Pusa experienced the art of making sushi during a special workshop by Chef Asano. But the good part was Chef Asano was surprised by the ideas and Sushi recipes which students came up. “I am really shocked to see young students making exceptional sushi which I was not at all aware off. As it’s my first visit to India I never expected that sushi was so popular in the country.”
Impressed by the students, Chef Asano said, “I would love to visit again and teach at food academies.” Ending the conversation with a tip to make good sushi Chef Asano said the critical part of sushi making is adding the rice vinegar at the right time to the sushi rice.
