Creating New Food Culture from Japanese Traditions
The plant-based food market is expanding exponentially, and Takasago is well-prepared to provide flavor solutions that meet its customers' evolving needs and expectations.
Takasago has launched two global projects, “Plant-based Meat & Seafood”, and “Plant-based Dairy”, to cater to the plant-based market's growing demands.
For the Meat and Seafood alternatives segment, it is a common expectation to be able to provide solutions that mimic animal-sourced protein and fats. However, is that all it needs to satisfy everyone? As a global flavor house based in Asia with headquarters in Tokyo, we know that plants and fungi have been Asia's primary protein source for centuries. Many cooking methods and ingredients have been developed, and we believe that incorporating ancient pearls of wisdom from Asia is vital to elevating plant-based food’s taste even further.
Our commitment to elevating plant-based food’s taste has led us to collaborate with Chef Daisuke Nomura from SOUGO, one of the best shōjin restaurants in Tokyo. We are confident in our ability to provide innovative and exceptional plant-based flavor solutions that align with our "Contributing to Society through Technology“ philosophy by learning from shōjin cuisine. With this belief, Takasago’s global team of R&D, market, and consumer insight specialists visited SOUGO to deepen their understanding of shōjin philosophy and cooking methods.
Chef Introduction
Chef Daisuke Nomura was born in Tokyo into a shōjin restaurant family, owners of the premier fine dining restaurant, Daigo. There, he developed his career as a third-generation executive chef, receiving two Michelin stars starting in 2008.
Chef Nomura worked to introduce traditional shōjin ryori to diners within Japan and around the world before shifting his passion to a more accessible version of vegetarian cuisine.
In 2011, Chef Nomura opened his own restaurant, Sougo. At Sougo, shōjin cuisine is served in a modern and relaxed atmosphere for lunch and dinner.
“I want to cook dishes enjoyable for all guests from every generation, every culture, and every diet. As a shōjin ryori chef, the most memorable dishes are those that go beyond technique or taste. They are those that allow me to share moments of gratitude with my guests.”
Chef Nomura continues to travel the world to increase awareness of shōjin ryori. He is listed on the Plant Forward Global 50（Source: https://www.sougo.tokyo/chef_e.html）
So, where are the Origins of Shōjin Cuisine
Japanese shōjin cuisine originated in the 13th century when Zen Master Dōgen, founder of the Soto sect of Zen Buddhism, brought back from China, where he had studied and popularized this method of cooking, a vegetarian diet for Buddhist monks to devote themselves to sādhanā (spiritual practice for enlightenment and liberation from a karmic cycle). Japanese monks had been eating vegetarian meals since the Nara period (710-794), but the cooking methods had not yet been developed at this time, and the seasoning was simple. According to classical literature from the Heian period (794-1185), the vegetarian meals were called "sojimono" (shōjin food).
According to Dōgen, who studied in China during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), daily life itself was a form of sādhanā, with the act of preparing meals and eating being a particularly important part. Dōgen’s “Tenzo Kyōkun”, a set of instructions for preparing meals for sādhanā-practicing monks, stipulates in detail the five ways of cooking (raw, boiled, baked, fried, steamed), the five colors (blue, yellow, red, white, black), the five tastes (salty, bitter, sour, spicy, sweet), and the use of all the seasonal ingredients in cooking, and well-seasoned vegetarian dishes were prepared by combining these in a well-balanced manner. Despite the absence of animal protein, these dishes eventually spread outside the monasteries. They satisfied the warriors tired from battle and ordinary people engaged in manual labor.
Although shōjin cuisine is known for its use of plant-based ingredients, meat was not forbidden in early Buddhism when it was founded around the 5th century BCE in the Indian subcontinent. Since ordained practitioners could not earn money or produce goods then, they lived on various foods they obtained by visiting houses daily and eating whatever they were provided, including meat. The Buddhist precepts, the rules of life that Buddhist monks were required to follow as part of their practice, did not include a rule against eating meat, but it was still limited to the "three kinds of pure meat" that were not directly related to killing for one's consumption.
However, it is also a fact that the non-killing precept is one of the five precepts that Buddhists must observe. Therefore, in Mahayana Buddhism, of which Zen Buddhism is also part, meat-eating, which cannot be done without taking another life, is also prohibited. Furthermore, the precept also bans the consumption of five pungent vegetables, such as leek and garlic, since these are believed to be energizing and may disturb the practitioner's mind and stimulate worldly desires.
The Buddhist term "shōjin" which means "to devote oneself to Buddhist practice," evolved to signify "not to eat meat" and "to purify the body and mind," giving rise to the present-day concept of shōjin cuisine, which has become the prototype for the washoku which is loved around the world today.
Learning ① Dashi Workshop
What is Chef Nomura's "Shōjin dashi"?
- Traditional soup stock in shōjin cuisine is often made from kombu (kelp), dried shiitake mushrooms, kanpyo (dried gourd), and soybeans.
- Chef Nomura’s “shōjin dashi”, on the other hand, uses kombu, a variety of vegetables (including Western vegetables), and mushrooms to make the broth.
- This way, more people are familiar with its taste.
Learning ② Modern Shōjin Food Experience?
※Each dish’s explanation is based on comments of Chef Nomura
Vegetable sashimi
A playful vegetable sashimi that combines Thai coconut with oyster leaf to create a seafood-like flavor.
Soup of junsai and molokheiya with fried bread
Adding junsai into a dashi broth is a staple of kaiseki cuisine, but here, fried bread made from glutinous rice flour that resembles croutons is added.
Dōmyō-ji sushi
Sushi is usually cold, but here, Chef Nomura created a unique flavor using vinegar rice made at Dōmyō-ji temple and deep-frying to create a warm dish.
Young corn with its husk, princess bamboo shoots, and edamame
Have you ever eaten corn husk? Here, Chef Nomura showed how to bring out the simple deliciousness of vegetables with a simple seasoning.
Deep-fried sesame tofu with mushrooms
Sesame tofu is a symbolic ingredient of shōjin cuisine. The Chef sincerely and patiently grates sesame seeds and makes a curd for his guests.
The curd is deep-fried and served with a tasty mushroom sauce and dashi to create a satisfying taste.
Shōjin-style stewed immitation meat
A traditional shōjin dish made from stewed gluten and resembles tenderly stewed pork.
Rice with corn, grated chrysanthemum, kombu and tsukudani
Shōjin cuisine is cooking without waste. The kombu used for the dashi soup stock was boiled in soy sauce, combined with the remaining chrysanthemum stems and tsukudani, and served in a bowl of surinagashi soup.
Water with fruits
Fruits and jelly in chilled water with a slight citrus flavor.
Many Learnings for Our Team
Dr. Markus Eckert, VP Flavor Creation & Technology, Global Flavor R&D Lead for Plant-based Meat & Seafood
”Listening to a Master Chef talking about Japanese vegan cuisine from a historical and cultural point of view and seeing him passionately balancing different origins of kombu dashi with vegetable broths and rounding his blends off with soy sauce as a foundation to create and serve delicious vegan dishes was a privilege and incredible experience that I will never forget.
The most memorable learning for me was the significant taste differences of the different kombu dashi based on where the seaweed is cultivated. North, West, or South coast, all delicious in their own right, delicate, complex, and mouthwatering.
Learning to blend kombu with various vegetable extracts to create a unique vegan broth was one of my highlights during this session.
Having a Japanese Master Chef tasting and judging our creations made this an unforgettable experience.
Our technical team at Takasago is actively working on vegan flavor solutions for various different end applications. We can apply some of the learnings right away in finetuning blends of flavor building blocks to emphasize specific nuances and flavor profiles to develop consumer-preferred flavor systems.“
Jemaine Chia, Savory Category Director South-East Asia
“Taking part in the workshop was an eye-opening experience! We delved into the art of going back to basics and finding joy in the simplicity of ingredients. We explored often overlooked ingredients like kombu, Shiitake, Enoki and oyster mushrooms, and an array of vegetables (corn, radish, carrot, broccoli, and more). We crafted these into delectable, umami-packed broths that not only satisfied the tastebuds but also transformed into visually stunning dishes.
This session definitely evoked the creative senses.
There are many possibilities and opportunities for plant-based developments, and I am looking forward to working with our R&D teams on the usage of various plant-based ingredients to bring out/ extend the tastiness in various market relevant recipes.”
Peter Vermeiden, VP Flavor R&D EMEA, Global Project Lead for Plant-based Dairy
“Chef Daisuke Nomura from the SOUGO restaurant gave us a great overview of the shōjin philosophy and cooking methods.
Insights in the life and philosophy at a shōjin monastery, including instructions for cooks and eaters, followed by tastings of 4 main kombu types gave us a good introduction. Going one step further in creating our own combined dashi with different Kombu types was a great sensory experience. This was followed by a real “aha” moment when Chef Daisuke Nomura presented a set of 6 dashi preparations, which he typically cooks with, prepared using combinations of different kombu types.
It was a real eye opener to see what can be achieved using plant-based materials combined with shōjin cooking methods.
Chef Daisuke Nomura presented seven final dishes covering a wide range of taste directions. This convinced us even more that shōjin cooking methods can bring the quality of Plant-based dishes to the next level, in line with our ambitions at Takasago!”
Yukari Kakumu, Flavor R&D Japan, Creation Group
“This workshop taught me a lot, from plant-based cuisine's basic concepts to shōjin cuisine's details.
I felt that shōjin cuisine is more than using plant-based ingredients.
Shōjin cuisine contains also aspects of “Vegetarianism," “Veganism," and “Sustainability“.
These fundamental ideas could be used in a wide range of areas beyond food in the future.
In shōjin cooking, oil (deep frying) and sesame seeds add koku-richness and satisfy every dish.
We are already intensively working in these areas, but we could reaffirm that for promoting a plant-based solution we have to emphasize flavor development on compensating for the "lack" of oil, koku and so on.”
Ratapol Teratanavat Ph.D., Global VP Consumer Insights & Market Research
“The workshop helped me realize how dishes that are made from plants can be created in beautifully and delicious fashion. We should embrace the beauty of plant-forward dishes more, instead of trying to mimic something else. Rather than mimicking animal taste profiles, we should consider to embrace a plant-forward taste experience in our plant-based/animal-free initiative.
Our global consumer pulse study showed that consumers around the world generally prefer natural and real taste experiences.
Therefore, we should promote our flavors and technologies within the Shojin® framework.
This approach would have broad appeal, not only among vegans and vegetarians but also among flexitarians, who are increasingly prevalent in many countries worldwide.”
Conclusion
The objective of this workshop was "to make plant-based foods even more delicious by incorporating the wisdom of our Asian predecessors," and our participants were well informed of this intention and potential. In addition, the chef's idea of aiming for "dishes that can be enjoyed by all people and his attitude of hospitality that goes beyond the technical skills required to achieve this goal were also reaffirmed as something we should aim for through our Shojin® brand. The participants of this event will take what they felt there back to their home countries and use and develop it in their daily development and sales activities. By doing so, Takasago will contribute more than ever to the future of the global plant-based food market.
