
Osaka's Expo 2025 is shining a spotlight on Japan's fusion cuisine
As the samples are savoured there's time to reflect on the fact that this cherished Japanese national dish actually owes its origins to Indian food-loving English sailors arriving on their shores. In fact, curry rice is a perfect example of Yōshoku, Japanese fusion cuisine that simmers local tastes with culinary influences from around the world.
Now, the Japanese government is keen to share these Yōshoku dishes with a wider audience, and the Expo 2025 event is part of an effort to explain the history of these recipes and why they hold a special place in the hearts of Japanese people.
Food researcher Yuriko Aoki argues that ancient Japanese cuisine based on vegetables, fish, and rice was almost 'too healthy' before it began to incorporate Western influences. For many centuries it was forbidden for the Japanese to eat meat, and local cuisine 'did not contain enough nutrition', she explains. Long isolated from the rest of the world, her countrymen realised that they were often physically shorter than Dutch or Portuguese visitors, and so the move towards eating more pork and beef began to take hold in the early 20th Century.
A perfect example of Yōshoku is Tonkatsu, a thick cutlet of pork, deep-fried and served with shredded cabbage and Worcestershire sauce, plus a bowl of short grain Japanese rice. Tonkatsu is a common sight in school and workplace canteens, and its name drops a heavy hint to its fusion cuisine past, as the word 'ton' means pork, and 'katsu' is a Japanese version of the Franco-British words 'cutlet' and 'côtelette'.
Since then, different regions of Japan have created their own varieties of Tonkatsu, either switching to a veal cutlet, or the Miso Katsu, served with a miso sauce. I'm not alone in enjoying these specialties, either, as a recent survey found that 42% of foreign visitors had eaten Tonkatsu during their trip to Japan.
What's more, according to JFOODO, the Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center, the number of Japanese restaurants worldwide is now over 180,000, a figure which has grown threefold in the past decade.
The country's wider culinary traditions are also gaining influence in some of the highest-quality restaurants around the globe, with the focus on high-quality and sustainably-sourced ingredients plus low-fat recipes chiming with both chefs and their customers.
A panel of Michelin-starred chefs at Expo 2025 revealed some of the latest ideas for weaving Japanese food concepts into local dishes. Kyle Connaughton, the chef from SingleThread Farm on the west coast of America explained to the audience how he was inspired by the traditional Japanese takiawase vegetable soup to create a Californian salad-style version using home-grown red and green manganchi peppers.
Meanwhile Mauro Calogreco, the Argentinian chef at the Mirazur restaurant in the south of France described a new recipe for duck with red seaweed and red shiso, an aromatic herb that's described as tasting half-way between mint and basil.
Thai chef Chaudaree 'Tam' Debhakam from the Baan Tepa restaurant in Bangkok explained how she is now pairing rare Japanese Noto beef with what she describes as a 'blackened' Thai curry that compliments the rich flavour of the fatty meat. The addition of Thai tropical fruits and Thai jasmine rice cooked in Japanese bamboo leaves completes a perfect fusion dish.
Looking ahead, all of the chefs at the Expo 2025 panel debate underlined the need to consume sustainably sourced ingredients. Chef Yoshihiro Murata from the iconic Kikunoi restaurant in Kyoto also advocated for a reduced intake of animal proteins in general, telling the crowd: "We all need to think about balance, and produce vegetables and make dishes with vegetables. I think it is a good idea to make a dish in which vegetables make up more than half of the entire course."
At the heart of all of these recipes is the freshness and taste of the ingredients. Japanese cuisine gives great emphasis to the pure flavour of herbs, vegetables, seafood, fish and meat, offering them a chance to stand alone on the plate and the palate.
To support them, you'll always find a bowl of plump Japanese rice. Food researcher Yuriko Aoki says that this humble crop carefully cultivated across the archipelago is actually her favourite Japanese speciality. "New rice can be eaten with just a dash of salt, it's delicious enough on its own," she smiles.
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Euronews
2 days ago
- Euronews
Osaka's Expo 2025 is shining a spotlight on Japan's fusion cuisine
In the buzzing crowd at Expo 2025 in Osaka a small line is starting to form, curling around the Tasty Japan food stall. The rumour that rice-guru Sumidaya Shoten is about to serve up some 'curry rice' samples is quickly confirmed as a trolley laden with spoonfuls of thick sauce and sticky white rice emerges from behind the scenes. I manage to secure a spoonful, and it's just as brightly spiced and satisfyingly tangy as everyone had promised. As the samples are savoured there's time to reflect on the fact that this cherished Japanese national dish actually owes its origins to Indian food-loving English sailors arriving on their shores. In fact, curry rice is a perfect example of Yōshoku, Japanese fusion cuisine that simmers local tastes with culinary influences from around the world. Now, the Japanese government is keen to share these Yōshoku dishes with a wider audience, and the Expo 2025 event is part of an effort to explain the history of these recipes and why they hold a special place in the hearts of Japanese people. Food researcher Yuriko Aoki argues that ancient Japanese cuisine based on vegetables, fish, and rice was almost 'too healthy' before it began to incorporate Western influences. For many centuries it was forbidden for the Japanese to eat meat, and local cuisine 'did not contain enough nutrition', she explains. Long isolated from the rest of the world, her countrymen realised that they were often physically shorter than Dutch or Portuguese visitors, and so the move towards eating more pork and beef began to take hold in the early 20th Century. A perfect example of Yōshoku is Tonkatsu, a thick cutlet of pork, deep-fried and served with shredded cabbage and Worcestershire sauce, plus a bowl of short grain Japanese rice. Tonkatsu is a common sight in school and workplace canteens, and its name drops a heavy hint to its fusion cuisine past, as the word 'ton' means pork, and 'katsu' is a Japanese version of the Franco-British words 'cutlet' and 'côtelette'. Since then, different regions of Japan have created their own varieties of Tonkatsu, either switching to a veal cutlet, or the Miso Katsu, served with a miso sauce. I'm not alone in enjoying these specialties, either, as a recent survey found that 42% of foreign visitors had eaten Tonkatsu during their trip to Japan. What's more, according to JFOODO, the Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center, the number of Japanese restaurants worldwide is now over 180,000, a figure which has grown threefold in the past decade. The country's wider culinary traditions are also gaining influence in some of the highest-quality restaurants around the globe, with the focus on high-quality and sustainably-sourced ingredients plus low-fat recipes chiming with both chefs and their customers. A panel of Michelin-starred chefs at Expo 2025 revealed some of the latest ideas for weaving Japanese food concepts into local dishes. Kyle Connaughton, the chef from SingleThread Farm on the west coast of America explained to the audience how he was inspired by the traditional Japanese takiawase vegetable soup to create a Californian salad-style version using home-grown red and green manganchi peppers. Meanwhile Mauro Calogreco, the Argentinian chef at the Mirazur restaurant in the south of France described a new recipe for duck with red seaweed and red shiso, an aromatic herb that's described as tasting half-way between mint and basil. Thai chef Chaudaree 'Tam' Debhakam from the Baan Tepa restaurant in Bangkok explained how she is now pairing rare Japanese Noto beef with what she describes as a 'blackened' Thai curry that compliments the rich flavour of the fatty meat. The addition of Thai tropical fruits and Thai jasmine rice cooked in Japanese bamboo leaves completes a perfect fusion dish. Looking ahead, all of the chefs at the Expo 2025 panel debate underlined the need to consume sustainably sourced ingredients. Chef Yoshihiro Murata from the iconic Kikunoi restaurant in Kyoto also advocated for a reduced intake of animal proteins in general, telling the crowd: "We all need to think about balance, and produce vegetables and make dishes with vegetables. I think it is a good idea to make a dish in which vegetables make up more than half of the entire course." At the heart of all of these recipes is the freshness and taste of the ingredients. Japanese cuisine gives great emphasis to the pure flavour of herbs, vegetables, seafood, fish and meat, offering them a chance to stand alone on the plate and the palate. To support them, you'll always find a bowl of plump Japanese rice. Food researcher Yuriko Aoki says that this humble crop carefully cultivated across the archipelago is actually her favourite Japanese speciality. "New rice can be eaten with just a dash of salt, it's delicious enough on its own," she smiles.


Euronews
15-07-2025
- Euronews
India orders airlines to inspect Boeing models after Air India crash
India's aviation regulator has ordered airlines operating Boeing aircraft to inspect all fuel control switches, days after an investigation into last month's Air India crash found that they had been flipped off, starving both engines of fuel. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation stated that the directive would apply to Boeing 787 Dreamliners and certain Boeing 737 variants, and that airlines must complete the inspections and submit their findings to the regulator by next Monday. A preliminary report into the Air India crash that killed 260 people in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad found that the switches shifted positions within one second, cutting off fuel supply to both engines. The report, released last week, did not offer any conclusions regarding the cause of the plane crash. It also did not say how the switches could have flipped from run position to the cutoff during the flight. The movement of the fuel control switches allows and cuts fuel flow to the plane's engines. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed on 12 June shortly after take-off. All but one of the 242 people on board were killed, as well as 19 people on the ground. The report, issued by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, noted a 2018 advisory from the US Federal Aviation Administration, recommending that airlines operating Boeing models inspect the locking feature of fuel cut-off switches. According to the report, cockpit voice recordings captured a moment of confusion between the pilots, with one asking the other why he cut off the fuel. "The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said. Some aviation experts in India speculated that the crash was caused by human error based on the preliminary report. At least two commercial pilots' associations have rejected such claims. The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association in a statement on Sunday said it was "deeply disturbed by speculative narratives ... particularly the reckless and unfounded insinuation of pilot suicide." On Monday, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the preliminary report into the crash of the London-bound plane found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or its engines. In an internal memo to airline staff seen by AP, Wilson stated that the report indicated all mandatory maintenance tasks for the aircraft had been completed. "There was no issue with the quality of fuel and no abnormality with the take-off roll. The pilots had passed their mandatory pre-flight breathalyser and there were no observations pertaining to their medical status," he said in the note. Following the crash, Indian authorities ordered a thorough examination of all of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliners to prevent future incidents. Air India has 33 aircraft of that model in its fleet.


France 24
27-06-2025
- France 24
Eel-eating Japan opposes EU call for more protection
Eel is eaten worldwide but is particularly popular in Japan, where it is called "unagi" and traditionally served grilled after being covered in a sticky-sweet sauce. Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters that the country carefully manages stock levels of the Japanese eel in cooperation with neighbouring China, Taiwan and South Korea. "There is a sufficient population, and it faces no extinction risk due to international trade," he said. Japanese media have reported that the EU could soon propose that all eel species be added to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which limits trade of protected animals. There are 19 species and subspecies of eel, many of them now threatened due to a range of factors including pollution and overfishing. In 2014, the Japanese eel was listed as endangered, but not critically endangered, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which cited factors including habitat loss, overfishing, pollution and migration barriers.