This year, several food forecasters have pointed to a growing trend that’s showing up in restaurants and social media nationwide. They call it Japan-Adjacency, and it’s all about using time-honored Japanese flavors, ingredients, and influences to innovate in the kitchen and on the menu.
“Japanese food is the cuisine that all the other cuisines most want to hang out with,” declared the New York Times in a January 2023 article entitled “How Will We Eat in 2023?”
Chefs all across the U.S. are exploring Japan-adjacent mash-up cuisines like wafu Italian, which features classic Italian dishes reimagined through a Japanese lens; Nikkei, a melding of Japanese and Peruvian flavors; and a whole new kind of California cuisine that leans into the tastes, textures, and esthetics of Japanese cooking.
They’re discovering that sweet, savory, sour and umami qualities of Japanese ingredients like soy sauce, mirin, miso, yuzu, and seaweed can seamlessly enhance the flavors of other cuisines from Asia and all around the globe.
Join us for a lively and informative panel discussion with some of the nation’s leading Japan-influenced culinary innovators to hear first-hand where Japan-adjacency is headed.
- Learn about new ways to use familiar Japanese ingredients in a variety of cuisines and culinary styles.
- Discover less familiar “rising star” Japanese ingredients that we’ll be seeing more of in the future.
- Hear about how chefs are brilliantly fusing Japanese cuisine with other global cuisines.
- Gain a better understanding of the philosophy and esthetics of Japanese cooking, and how they can be applied to other cuisines.
Kim Severson
Journalist
New York Times
Chef Robbie Felice
Chef and Restaurateur
Critically Acclaimed Viaggio, Osteria Crescendo, & pastaRAMEN
Chef Angel Barreto
Chef De Cuisine
Anju
Chef Andrew Hunter
Chef
Kikkoman
Alan Liddle - Moderator
Contributing Event Content Editor & Moderator
Restaurant and Food Group
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