Interview of the magazine "Contemporary Farmer" with the founder of the "land kitchen" Japanese chef Toshio Tanabe.
A handful of sand on a plate makes most people feel uncomfortable, 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 risottos, to taste its signature "mud" dishes.
Tanabe is a pioneer in the land kitchen. He trained in the Parisian restaurants of the most famous and influential Michelin rating system. Toshio believes that adding earth to food gives it a healthy and natural flavor for all types of dishes, from soups to desserts.
And fans of his cuisine are completely in agreement with this: tables in his institution are ordered three months in advance - and all in order to appreciate the charm of his clay dishes. Tanabe's concoction has a rough and muddy texture, but does not taste extravagant.
SF: Do you really eat earth?
Tanabe: I've been eating for 25 years. At first, I just eaten raw, dirty vegetables right with the garden mud. But the turning point happened eight years ago when I was on a cooking show. Then I wanted to cook something really special - and this is how my first dish with earth appeared. Since then, many people began to visit my restaurant and all as one wanted to taste the dishes of my signature "earthy cuisine". So this year I created my full menu with added earth.
SF: How would you describe the taste of the earth?
Tanabe: It's hard to put into words. I will not say that it has an earthy taste, but in general it resembles the taste of the Earth. Of course, a large number of people immediately begin to assert that they do not feel anything but earthy relish, but this depends only on their own perception of the image of the earth. One way or another, many people experience the pleasure of savoring the dishes of the "land cuisine", and someone is sure that the earth does not have any taste at all.
Promotional video:
SF: Where do you get your land from? And what types of soil do you prefer to deal with?
Tanabe: Every month I purchase 20 kilograms of land in Kanuma City, Tochigi Prefecture. For most dishes I use black soil, and add gray soil to lighter foods. The soil is taken from a depth of 15 kilometers and thoroughly checked for the content of various impurities, as well as chemical and household contaminants. So even before the earth gets to me, it becomes safe for human consumption. The earth is a natural organic environment that is home to millions of microorganisms. And everything bad that can happen to her, be it radiation contamination or industrial pollution, happens only through the fault of a person.
SF: How do you prepare the ground?
Tanabe: First, I sprinkle it evenly on a tray and heat it in the oven to 200 degrees Celsius for five minutes. I repeat this operation three times. The bacteria die at 120 degrees Celsius. Then I mix the earth with a pot of water and boil the resulting mixture for 30 minutes. Next, I drain the water, thus getting rid of sand and particles, and then through cheesecloth. I let the mixture settle and it separates into soil and water. I then use the liquid to make jellies and sauces.
SF: And how do you feel after eating the earth?
Tanabe: Yes, I always feel great after eating earthy dishes. Today our consciousness perceives the earth as something dirty and inedible, but this is not at all the case. Soil is a natural and nutritious addition to our diet.