Gunma’s Fermented Delights Make Waves in San Francisco！
On January 25, 2024, a Fermented Foods Workshop and Tasting Event was held in San Francisco’s Japantown at SF76, a popular store known for its Japanese lifestyle products. The event was attended by 15 people, including influencers and professionals in the food industry who have a keen interest in fermented foods.
he Fermented Foods 101 workshop was led by Ai Fujimoto, founder of OMISO, a Los Angeles-based brand that produces traditional Japanese miso and unique instant miso soup balls. She highlighted the cultural and health significance of fermented foods and shared the appeal of fermented foods.
The workshop was followed by a tasting session featuring ten dishes made with 13 types of fermented ingredients provided by the Gunma Prefecture Soy Sauce and Miso Industry Cooperative, which aims to introduce these products to the U.S. market. The dishes were prepared by Chef Akiko, a Japanese chef who brings a fresh perspective to the New York food scene. Akiko has experience working in trendy New York restaurants. The dishes, while Japanese in style, were designed to appeal to American tastes and were presented on the tables in white Jubako (tiered boxes) that showcased a vivid array of colors and flavors.
jimoto’s innovative “spicy miso soup” made with green chile miso was one of the highlights. This novel concoction offered a refreshing balance between the heat of the chili and the sweetness of the miso. It proved extremely popular with attendees.
Chef Akiko’s vibrant array of nine dishes, all featuring fermented foods and beautifully presented in tiered boxes, was another highlight that amazed attendees. The combination of edamame and soba offered a fresh, salad-like experience that surprised those who tried it. Kinpira, Japan’s famous root vegetable dish, was made irresistible with the savory, appetite-stimulating aroma of soy sauce. Karaage (Japanese fried chicken), increasingly popular in America, was given a unique twist. The secret ingredient was a slightly spicy green chile miso, which added an unexpected depth of flavor.
Stay tuned for our next article, where we will share the recipes for nine dishes and introduce the 13 fermented foods currently available for a limited time at the SF76 store.
