Interview with the journal “Modern Farmer” with the ancestor “land cuisine” by Japanese chef Toshio Tanabe.
A handful of sand on a plate causes most people to not pleasant feelings, except when you try extraordinary Dishes from Japanese Chef Toshio Tanabe. In his Tokyo Restaurant “Ne Quittez Pas” Tanabe offers in addition to the usual oysters, truffles and risotto taste their signature “mud” dishes.
Tanabe is a pioneer in the field of “land cuisine.” He studied at Parisian restaurants of the most famous and influential rating Michelin systems. Toshio is sure that adding land to food gives her healthy and natural shade for all types of dishes, ranging from soups, ending with desserts.
A photo from open sources
And the fans of his kitchen are completely in agreement with this: the tables in his establishments are ordered three months in advance – and all for the sake of to appreciate the charm of his clay dishes. Cooking Tanabe in appearance has a rough and dirt-like structure, but does not taste is nothing extravagant.
SF: Do you really eat land?
Tanabe: Yeah, about 25 years old. At first I just used for food raw dirty vegetables right with garden dirt. But the turning point happened eight years ago when I participated in a cooking show. Then I wanted to cook something really special – so and my first dish with earth appeared. Since then a lot of people began to visit my restaurant and everyone wanted to try the dishes as one my signature “earthen cuisine.” So this year I created my Full menu with the addition of land.
SF: How would you describe the taste of the earth?
Tanabe: It’s hard to put into words. I will not say that she possesses earthy aftertaste, but generally resembles the taste of the Earth. Of course, a large number of people immediately begin to argue that they feel nothing but earthy relish, but it only depends from their own perceptions of the image of the earth. Anyway, many people enjoy savoring dishes “land kitchen”, but someone is sure that the land doesn’t have any taste.
SF: Where do you get your land from? And with what types of soil are you prefer to deal with?
Tanabe: Every month I get 20 kilograms of land in the city Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture. For most dishes, I use chernozem, and in lighter foods I add serozem. Soil is taken from depths of 15 kilometers and undergoes rigorous content checks various impurities, as well as chemical and household pollution. So that before the earth comes to me, it becomes safe for human use. Earth is natural organic environment that is home to millions microorganisms. And all the bad things that can happen to her, whether radiation contamination or industrial pollution occurs only through the fault of man.
A photo from open sources
SF: How do you prepare the land?
Tanabe: First, I pour it evenly on the pallet and in the oven I warm up to 200 degrees Celsius for five minutes. This I repeat the operation three times. Bacteria die at 120 degrees Celsius. Then I mix the earth with a pan of water and I boil the resulting mixture for 30 minutes. Next I drain the water thus getting rid of sand and particles, and then through cheesecloth. I I let the mixture settle, and it is divided into soil and water. Fluid i then use to make jelly and sauces.
SF: And how do you feel after consuming land in food?
Tanabe: Yes, I always feel great after eating “land” dishes. Today, our consciousness perceives the earth as something dirty and inedible, but it’s not at all. Soil is natural and nutritious supplement to our diet.
Water japan
