‘Fernweh’ is a German word, which describes the feeling of missing a location you have by no means been to. There could be no word more apt to convey how I really feel about Japan every single single day. But, in my defence, I have personally and stoically deferred my travel to this terrific nation till I can speak the language mainly because, I really feel, that to really capture the essence of the land and its folks, communication will be essential and English may perhaps just not be sufficient.
So I sit patiently and watch from a distance, following up on almost everything they do, even more so when eventful occasions take location on regional shores. From the launch of higher-finish designer brands to the more commonplace ones creating an entry, absolutely nothing goes unmarked. Recently, when the most reputed soy sauce brand in the globe, Kikkoman, landed officially on Indian shores, I just had to attend the proceedings, even if practically and from 1,600 km away.
Soy sauce is a organic all-objective seasoning, a condiment produced by fermenting soya beans along with water, wheat and salt, applying the honjozo process, the way it has been performed by the brand more than its 300-plus-year history. The method requires a couple of months, gradually evolving the brew into this unique seasoning. There is actually absolutely nothing else added to it and, however, the resulting sauce packs in a heady variety of flavours, from mildly spicy to sweet, salty and sour. You may perhaps catch a touch of coffee, a lick of vanilla, florals hints, all packed in with generous lashings of Umami, that fifth element, which can only most effective be described as a wholesome and wealthy sensation that envelopes the mouth and enhances all the other notes present. In a excellent soy sauce, the sum is higher than the components, so do not be concerned if you can not inform each and every person note (Kikkoman final counted 300!), but just relish the all round harmony of this organic blend. All in all, it nevertheless appears like really a tall order for a humble table condiment.
That stated, soy sauce is also a terrific marinade and pre-cooking seasoning for raw components. The sauce, while traditionally restricted to Japanese (and Chinese, Korean and other south-east Asian) cuisine, has now discovered application in other areas about the globe and it is one of the most established brands in the United States, a curiously unlikely industry. Not just that, even in Europe, chefs in Michelin-star restaurants have discovered it to be a harmonious addition to their brand of flavour, introducing hitherto untried components. At property, it is an straightforward way to spruce up an otherwise bland dish irrespective of the cuisine.
In the final century, the brand has managed a thriving foray in more than one hundred nations, so the entry in India is not a mere afterthought. Harry Hakuei Kosato, director and representative of Kikkoman India, understands the richness and historical implication of the regional cuisines and is in no rush to invade and conquer the subcontinent. Indian cuisines are a wealthy heritage mainly because they have normally embraced the novel and untried, locating techniques to give it expression in their personal exceptional way. Be it chillies, tomatoes, carrots or even potatoes, all these weren’t native to Indian cooking, but today, we can not assume of a meal without having them. It’s this sentiment of assimilation that is prevalent to each the Indians and the Japanese, which assists traditions survive and evolve at the similar time. So the brand’s method will be slow and sincere. They initially partnered with some leading chefs to show how Kikkoman can be used to get our collective imaginations fired and, going ahead, it will be down to us, experimenting with the sauce and locating new techniques to incorporate it into our quotidian cooking rituals more than time rather than something forced or contrived.
I was fortunate sufficient to meet Harry-san for the duration of his short Delhi check out. He asked me to attempt some plain vanilla ice cream with a dash of Kikkoman soy sauce. Salad dressings, barbecue marinade, pizza topping, immediate noodle enhancer, I believed I was carrying out relatively properly currently, but creamy desserts and soy sauce… mmmmm.
So what will be your ticket to the soy sauce express?
The writer is a sommelier