Experts from around the world share their thoughts on umami and original recipes where umami is brought to life.
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A third-generation Japanese Kaiseki chef from the important cultural and culinary heartland of Kyoto, Chef Murata talks about the umami-rich Japanese stock dashi.
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Yoshihiro Murata
third generation owner of Kikunoi
Japan |
The cuisine of Kyoto, which lies some distance from the sea, is centered upon vegetables. At our restaurants, in order to make a dashi (Japanese stock) that is suitable for Kyoto cuisine, we are strict in using only the best quality kombu (kelp) and water. The kombu is from Rishiri, a region in Hokkaido famous for producing superlative kombu, and the water, even in the new shop opened in Tokyo, the water is brought in from Kyoto.
In order to bring the flavor of the ingredients to life, so that the customers can enjoy truly delicious food, it is imperative to have pure umami and dashi brimming with umami. Compared to d with the stocks used in of other countries, there is not a great variety of Japanese dashi, in Japan is not great, but to strip away all that is unnecessary in search of something pure is a very Japanese way of thinking, and one which certainly has relevance in the pursuit of good dashi for Japanese cuisine.
In recent years, chefs of all countries are seeking to produce healthy food, and, in the midst of striving towards the goal of ‘no cream, no butter, no less oil’, perhaps the time has come to take a fresh look at umami. Umami is indispensable to the cuisine of our present century. Today, I feel that umami is moving towards its own revolution.
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Yoshihiro Murata's Profile
Born in 1951 in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The third hereditary owner of the famous time-honoured Kikunoi restaurant.
In 2004, he opened a second branch in Akasaka, Tokyo. A multi-talented individual, he has pioneered new styles of cuisine and worked as the chairman of the board of directors of the Japanese Culinary Academy whilst remaining active in preserving tradition. Recent publications include the English language edition of Kaiseki: The Exquisite Cuisine of Kyoto’s Kikunoi Restaurant. |
 Chef Murata's
‘Naonohana no Shiro-ae (Tofu Dressed Rape Shoots)’
Ingredients:
Serves 4 |
| rape shoots |
100g |
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block cotton (firm) tofu |
420g |
| sesame paste |
2 tsp |
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sugar |
1 tbsp |
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light soy sauce |
1 tbsp |
| Black sesame seeds (to taste) |
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【Marinade】 |
| dashi stock | 300ml |
| light soy sauce | 1/2 tbsp |
| salt | 1/3 tsp |
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Method:
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Wrap the tofu in paper towels, place a flat object such as a plate on top, then top with a heavy object and leave for half a day to remove moisture from the block. |
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| 2) |
Cut off the hard roots from the rape shoots, and cut into bite sized pieces. Blanch briefly in salted, boiling water, remove, then squeeze firmly to remove excess moisture. |
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| 3) |
Place the marinade ingredients in a saucepan, and heat until the mixture comes to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. |
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| 4) |
Marinate the rape stalks in the cooled marinade for 4-5 hours. |
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Take the drained tofu, and grind well using a pestle and mortar, ideally the Japanese ribbed mortar known as a suribachi. Add the sugar, soy sauce and sesame paste, and grind once more to incorporate. |
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| 6) |
Having removed the rape stalks from the marinade and drained them, place in a bowl, add as much of the tofu dressing as is required and mix lightly. Place in serving dish, and garnish with black sesame seeds. |
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