There is a natural chemistry between Japan and Mediterranean cuisine, especially the Italian one, so much so that there is a word in Japanese "Itameshi" which means from Italy, and Meshi, dish.
Chef Hiro, also known as Hirohiko Shoda, is one of the chefs that best expresses this culinary chemistry. He is an authentic celebrity, in Italy and Japan, and has been given the official title of "Ambassador of Japanese Cuisine in Italy," by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of his home country.
Chef Hiro has described his cuisine as "textural" meaning that it focuses on the best ingredients of the Mediterranean tradition. Among these products of absolute excellence is European olive oil.
In an interview named 'Chef Hiro, a life between extra virgin olive oil and shoyu' for the online magazine 'La cucina italiana' he noted that these two culinary traditions share "the variety of seasonal ingredients, the pleasure of sharing the table with others, the respect for tradition, family rituals, the act of cooking as a gesture of love and welcome."
Chef Hiro also says he can't do without two ingredients: extra virgin olive oil and shoyu (soy sauce). He also explains how "for both ingredients, it is important to avoid industrial production and only use products of excellent quality, and with different characteristics depending on the recipe in question."
European olive oil carries with it centuries-old traditions, passed on by the ancient Romans who were masters of olive growing and olive oil production and have brought this precious extract to the farthest corners of the Empire.
An interesting article on Nippoo.it covered an expert meeting on Italian-Japanese relations and pointed out how an authentic 'Italian-Japanese partnership' has emerged between 'two cuisines that understand each other and are close from the point of view of taste, techniques and aesthetics.'
At the core of this solid partnership is European olive oil, the main ingredient of Mediterranean gastronomy, and increasingly also Japanese.
Sources:
04 August 2022
