-
Osaka’s Cuisine and Food Culture
The word umami, which has entered the global lexicon, may arguably be tracked back to dashi (cooking stock). An essential component of Japan’s food culture, dashi—a uniquely Japanese ingredient—first made its appearance in Osaka.
-
Bounty from the Mountains and the Sea: Osaka “Terroir”
Osaka Bay has historically been home to an abundant catch of sea life, to the extent that it was once known as “garden of fish. ”Here were once huge volumes of sea bream, mackerel, sea eel, scabbard fish, sardines, and conger.
-
Osaka Casual: Cheap-and-Cheerful Eatslture
The people of Osaka are passionate about food. They value ingredients, and never waste things; they invest time and effort into preparing food well for maximum enjoyment, and hone their culinary skills to please their families or guests. This helped raise the basic standard of local food culture, and gave rise to the Japanese word kuidaore, which literally means to spend all your money on eating.
-
The Spirit of Craftsmanship that Underpins Food Culture
Featuring perfect edges created via fire, iron, water and artisanal techniques, these knives remain unrivaled in superiority. The designation of Japanese cuisine as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage likely owes in part to this 600-year history of disciplined practice among Sakai craftspeople.
-
From Street Food to Haute Cuisine
This development is at the very core of Osaka’s unique food culture. The logical and thrifty thinking of merchants permeated all corners of Osakan society. Although this led to a cultural mindset of frugality and efficiency regarding food, the use of restaurants and establishments for business discussions and negotiations galvanized the haute cuisine industry.