The Beautiful Knife Skills of Japan

From November 14th to 16th, 2011, COOK IT RAW (hereinafter C.I.R.) organized a program for participating chefs to experience Ishikawa Prefecture’s satoyama (villages and fields) and satoumi (seas and coasts), and to understand its culture through sake, crafts, and hot springs. On the 17th, the participating chefs expressed the region’s charms through cuisine, utilizing local ingredients and crafts.


(Continued from Part 1) The next morning, we headed to the fish market at Nanao Fishing Port early. The auctioneer’s calls, impossible to translate, echoed around us. The chefs were astonished that despite the immense volume of fish being landed, there was no unpleasant fishy odor.


The master of “Mekumi,” an Ishikawa sushi restaurant whose technique and sensibility Narisawa praises, would demonstrate the art of *ikijime* (live-bloodletting) to the chefs. This involves quickly severing the nerve of a live fish to induce brain death, then bleeding it to preserve freshness. By delaying rigor mortis, the fish can be kept fresh for longer and its flavor improved. “So that each fish can be cherished until the very end. Then, we won’t catch more fish than necessary,” said the master. Watching his work with utmost seriousness were the two sous chefs from Osteria Francescana, Japanese working in Italy. We hope they will not forget that these beautiful knife skills are a treasure of Japan.

One Must Open Their Eyes, Use Their Noses, Listen to the Wind, and Feel

The fishermen here recognized the value of coexisting with fish earlier than anywhere else. In the complex fixed nets, stretching 600 meters, set in the fishing grounds, 70% of the fish caught are released, with only 30% captured. An ideal balance between commerce and sustainability has already been achieved, ensuring the steady development of young successors. We hope this approach spreads throughout Japan, so that fishermen, whose average age is over 70 and who struggle to find successors, will not have to sadly close their businesses.


That day also marked the opening of *sakamagari-ryo*, a traditional hunting method in Kaga. This simple hunting technique, using a net stretched on a bamboo pole, was once practiced by samurai as a form of training. The chefs present experienced firsthand that it is not something that can be easily replicated. The hunters assemble the *sakamaga* nets on a hill along the ducks’ flight path and wait for dusk. As the calls grow louder, the ducks fly overhead in a rhythmic pattern, much like an airplane taking off from a runway. The speed is astonishing. The hunt apparently lasts only about 15 minutes. Photography and conversation were forbidden, and we watched in silence. Unfortunately, there were no catches that day. Yet, there were no complaints. Everyone understood that this was nature, and the fantastical scene would remain etched in everyone’s minds with quiet reverence.


One must open their eyes, use their noses, listen to the wind, and feel. While this is something they excel at, how carefree it must be for them if it were a vacation. To speak frankly, by this point, the chefs’ minds were already consumed by the pressure of the dish they had to present on the final day.

A Night That Proved Their Choices Were Right

Nevertheless, meal times remained exceptionally enjoyable. To make their stay in Ishikawa perfect, C.I.R. requested a traditional Japanese inn, Japanese cuisine, and sake. They explicitly stated that Champagne and cheese were not needed this time.



The night before the gala dinner, as the chefs’ tension and fatigue mounted, we gathered at Araya Totoan, a ryokan with an 18-generation history in Yamashiro Onsen. The slightly lowered ceilings, perhaps due to the guests’ average height, seemed to bring everyone together. When the lights dimmed, everyone anticipated the beloved proprietress’s plan and fell silent. As if permeating the humid air, the sound of a flute could be heard. When the modestly dressed musician paused, everyone became an attentive audience, captivated by “Kojo no Tsuki” (Moon Over the Ruined Castle). Before we knew it, the flute melody shifted to “When You Wish Upon a Star”… A moment filled with cheers and an atmosphere of happiness. Afterward, they repeatedly requested tuna nigiri and indulged in sake until the cloud-like futons welcomed them. It was a night that proved their choices were right.

On the Final Day, 15 Top Chefs Headed to the Kitchen Early

On the final day, the 15 top chefs headed to the kitchen early. From the moment they arrived in Ishikawa, they had secured their positions and were working with a sense of comfort they hadn’t felt before. Normally, they would be working with a team of over a dozen staff, where anything they asked for would be provided. Yet here, they were alone. But right beside them were their friends. Perhaps it was the growing bond, strengthened with each iteration of C.I.R., built on mutual recognition of talent and shared values.


What they created, based on their experiences over these past few days, was, of course, cuisine. Each dish, served sequentially, was accompanied by the chefs’ own words. They were always straightforward, sincere, and filled with praise for the land and love for its people—lyrical poems dedicated to the region.

The Pinnacle of Dishes Created Through Ingenuity and Passion

Kohha Aoki’s Woodwork & Mark Best

Mark Best from Sydney, using a cedar plate about 50cm long, created a dish recalling his days in Japan. The dishes, inspired by the onsen tamago from ryokan breakfasts, the damp leaves of the satoyama, and shiitake mushrooms, were named “Norwegian Wood,” drawing a parallel between the protagonist’s uncertain life in Haruki Murakami’s novel and his own experiences.


Shigetaka Aikawa’s Metalwork & Alex Atala

A stylish metallic plate and square-cut ice. Alex Atala’s dish of red squid and yuzu pepper was named “Jewelsy” (a portmanteau of jewelry and jealousy). “This dish is a mixture of jewels and jealousy. This contrast exists in all styles (or everywhere).” His words, expressing admiration for the beauty of the vessel, held deep meaning.




Taro Oshima’s Lacquerware & Albert Adrià

“Everything looks like Japanese cuisine using Japanese ingredients, but in fact, 80% of it expresses Spain. Do you understand? How easy it is to mix different cultures.” Albert Adrià’s comments are always precise and concise. Albert initially requested mackerel, but due to a prior booking, it was changed to yellowtail. However, even the yellowtail was already sold out, so he ended up cooking sardines, charmingly naming the dish “Frustrated Mackerel.” But next time I see him, I must tell him that the ones who were truly frustrated were the assistant staff who were ordered to prepare 750 pieces of nameko mushrooms.


Yoshihiro Narisawa & Ryosuke Harashima / Toshiyuki Asakura

“The permanence of nature’s blessings. The peaceful lives of those around us. And the strong bonds with our companions. In Japan, we give thanks and offer prayers for all that we are given.” Narisawa Yoshihiro’s vessel, a paper balloon-like wrap integrated with the dish, is entirely made of Japanese paper. Inside, a candle made of burdock root, which can be eaten, was lit. Ingredients found in the satoyama by Kanou of Hashidate create the aroma of Ishikawa. The scene, reminiscent of a *toro nagashi* (floating lantern ceremony), was “Inori” (Prayer) itself.


René Redzepi & Shohei Yokoyama

A glass vessel with a candy-like luster, containing fine glass fibers like threads. René Redzepi said, “I wanted to create a dish that felt like an extension of the vessel.” The dessert, based on rice, featured sake ice cream, rice crackers, and a sauce made from wild plants found in the satoyama, resulting in a dessert he himself was satisfied with.

The Chefs Here Have Transcended Technique

“Among the chefs here, none create classical cuisine. They are creating new cuisine unbound by rules. In other words, they are my colleagues, working to create something from nothing,” says Narisawa.


In a word, they have very coolly and quickly moved beyond the category of cuisine. Their free-thinking and unique styles have, before they knew it, created individual culinary worlds. And they are always in the present, seemingly unafraid of change, perhaps even enjoying it. It is likely that Alessandro and Andrea, the organizers of C.I.R., and the journalists surrounding them were the first to notice this.


Albert Adrià, who served as a chef at elBulli, which changed the history of world cuisine, says, “I’m tired of the cuisine of the past. From now on, I want to create food that I can enjoy.”


Narisawa also removed the French word from his restaurant's name, changing Les Créations de NARISAWA to “NARISAWA.” When one changes their conventional style, there are always those who criticize it. This seems to be the case both in Japan and abroad. Some even denounce them as chefs who have abandoned technique, but this is not so. They have transcended technique. Even without the elBulli name, and without being called French chefs, they can compete. Fortunately, their customers understand this well and have learned to enjoy it with flexibility.

“These Past Few Days Will Leave a New History in the Culinary World”

The job of a chef is surprisingly lonely. Tossed about by the arbitrary criticisms of critics, enthusiasts, and bloggers, they must find their own path while being praised and then criticized. Moreover, once they have received recognition as a top chef, they cannot stop or turn back; they can only move forward… Yes, C.I.R. provides valuable time to share grievances about such everyday problems.


“Cuisine is history itself. The history of how the chefs here spent their time in Ishikawa, the stories depicted on the plates. These past few days will leave a new history in the culinary world,” said Rosa Rivas, a journalist from Spain’s EL PAIS, soothing the chefs’ hearts.

Just as Humans Cannot Conquer Nature, Chefs Cannot Transcend Ingredients

Many foreigners visiting Japan today say, “I want to go to the Japanese countryside. I want to see Japan’s nature.” This is not unique to Japan; it is a sentiment sought by people planning trips all over the world.


The fact that what fulfilled people seek is surprisingly nature itself indicates how difficult it is to obtain in our daily lives. I recall the words of an elderly man in a landscape devastated by a tsunami: “Everything has returned to how it was: only the mountains and the sea…”


Nature’s fury strikes people, and amidst the lost lives, only the mountains and the sea survive. COOK IT RAW reminds us of what we tend to forget on this Earth, where an inescapable system of natural forces is in place.


“Just as humans cannot conquer nature, chefs cannot transcend ingredients.” Narisawa’s words seem to encompass it all.


What do they wish to convey through their cuisine?

They departed on their respective journeys, leaving the question unanswered.

And soon, they will likely embark on new journeys, to continue writing a new history of food…


COOK IT RAW

http://www.cookitraw.org/

Commitment Sealed in Aluminum Pods (Capsules)

In Western countries, where espresso culture is deeply rooted, the appeal of Nespresso extends beyond its design and brand image. The commitment to the taste of each cup is consistently maintained from the cherry (coffee fruit) to the cup (espresso shot).


For Nespresso Grand Cru, only 1-2% of the world’s coffee beans, meeting its unique standards, are used. To maintain this quality semi-permanently, the company established the “AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program,” contracting with 40,000 farms and guaranteeing fair profits for coffee bean cultivation, development, and quality.


Furthermore, these precious coffee beans undergo precise roasting and grinding processes that maximize their individual characteristics and potential. Their quality is carefully sealed in aluminum pods until the moment they are extracted as a cup of espresso.

Official Partner of COOK IT RAW

This commitment to taste and quality, and the passion for Haute Cuisine (creative cuisine) and gastronomy, resonate with Nespresso, leading to its designation as an official partner of COOK IT RAW and its continued support of this journey.


Many top professionals active worldwide are captivated by its quality and taste, and Nespresso is recognized as a fine dining and hospitality partner. Now, two new professional machines used by these professionals are arriving in Japan.

The Latest Freestanding and Mobile Machines

The machine on the upper left, “AGUILA,” is a state-of-the-art model capable of preparing not only espresso and lungo (European coffee) but also milk-based beverages like cappuccino and latte macchiato.


The machine on the upper right, “ZENIUS,” is a mobile machine for enjoying espresso and lungo, with water supplied via its detachable tank.


We want to enjoy the exceptional taste from the latest machines trusted by professionals at restaurants.