Japanese Cuisine Lecture & Demonstration for Professional Chefs on Feb. 3rd; for Media & General Public on Feb. 4th; and for Culinary School Students on Feb. 6th
2020/3/23
Japanese Cuisine Lecture & Demonstration for Professional Chefs (2/3)
Chef Hayashi giving lecture on Shochu & Awamori
Menu and “Umami” tasting cups
On February 3rd, 2020, the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles, and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Los Angeles Office, jointly hosted a Japanese Cuisine Lecture & Demonstration at Japanese restaurant Shibumi. This promotional event for professional chefs aimed to deepen their understanding of “Umami,” of Japanese food ingredients, and of Japanese food culture. At the event, a full course Japanese menu was cooked and served by Michelin One Star Chef, Ryohei Hayashi, with a lecture on “Umami” as well as on Japanese food culture and Japanese food ingredients -- such as Japanese rice, wagyu, dried bonito, wasabi, Shochu and Awamori. Also, the preparation of dashi (broth) was demonstrated.
There were many positive comments from the participants, such as “the food provided was fantastic,” and “I could deepen my understanding of Japanese traditional food culture.” One of the participating chefs said “I have never used wagyu, but I want to include it in my recipes.”
There were many positive comments from the participants, such as “the food provided was fantastic,” and “I could deepen my understanding of Japanese traditional food culture.” One of the participating chefs said “I have never used wagyu, but I want to include it in my recipes.”
Japanese Cuisine Lecture & Demonstration for Media & General Public (2/4)
Lecture by Chef Hayashi
Participants learning about “Umami”
On February 4th 2020, the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Los Angeles Office, and JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles, jointly hosted a Japanese Cuisine Lecture & Demonstration at JAPAN HOUSE, 5F Salon. This promotional event for the general public aimed to deepen understanding of “Umami” by explaining “Umami” and offering tastings of several kinds of dashi. The event also promoted “Umami” in home cooked meals by offering tastings of two dishes demonstrated by chef Hayashi.
The participants commented, “I knew the word “Umami,” but I didn’t know what it is. I could get a better understanding of how important Umami is for cooking through today’s lecture and tasting,” “I thought that kelp and dried bonito were only for Japanese cuisine, but now I learned those can be utilized for every day home cooking. I want to cook using them from today.”
The participants commented, “I knew the word “Umami,” but I didn’t know what it is. I could get a better understanding of how important Umami is for cooking through today’s lecture and tasting,” “I thought that kelp and dried bonito were only for Japanese cuisine, but now I learned those can be utilized for every day home cooking. I want to cook using them from today.”
Japanese Cuisine Lecture & Demonstration for Culinary School Students (2/6)
Lecture & demonstration on how to fillet a fish
Sashimi, served through the lecture
The Japanese cuisine lecture-demonstration was held for culinary school students. At the event, chef Hayashi lectured on how to clean a fish by preparing “sashimi” and “simmered fish” using Japanese red sea bream.
Participating students commented, “It was a very precious opportunity to learn directly from a Japanese top chef;” “I could rediscover the depth of Japanese cooking techniques;” “I could learn not only cooking techniques, but also about the restaurant business. It is very helpful for my work as a chef in this industry.”
Participating students commented, “It was a very precious opportunity to learn directly from a Japanese top chef;” “I could rediscover the depth of Japanese cooking techniques;” “I could learn not only cooking techniques, but also about the restaurant business. It is very helpful for my work as a chef in this industry.”