Martes, 20 de mayo 2025, 12:55
Spain Fusion has made its mark in Tokyo for the second consecutive year, and the reception from the Japanese gastronomy sector has been as enthusiastic, if not more so, than the first time. From the moment the doors opened, chefs, sommeliers, and restaurant purchasing managers; distributors, retailers, and esteemed influencers filled the halls of the exclusive The Edition Tokyo Tonaromon hotel, located in the heart of Minato, one of Tokyo’s gastronomic districts.
A full house attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, who did not want to miss the event and expressed his delight at the initiative’s success: “Japan is one of the priority markets for our agri-food industry. We share a great gastronomic culture and a discerning public that values the quality, safety, and innovation of our gastronomy.”
The reason Japan is such a lucrative market is that the archipelago imports up to 60% of the food and beverages it consumes, and being a strong and stable economy, it is a strategic territory for companies wishing to compete in the quality segment.
Hence, Planas emphasized the aptness of Spain Fusion 2025’s motto, ‘masterpieces of Spanish gastronomy’. “Spain has certified and endorsed masterpieces in gastronomy. Our foods, of which 400 have differentiated quality figures, and our chefs are such masterpieces,” he said.
In this edition of Spain Fusion, wine has been the star. Ten exhibitors and over a hundred references surprised during the tasting, with Spanish Master of Wine Fernando Mora acting as ambassador with two presentations; one dedicated to whites from various wine regions, and another to reds and pairing with Iberian products.
This is indicated by ICEX studies. In 2023, the ICEX panel of experts and advisors in the Japanese market placed our country as the fourth exporter in Japan behind France, Italy, and Chile, and the first, ahead of France, in sparkling wines.
Precisely, the Spain Fusion format provides narrative, context, and explanation of the products and their production. In this sense, some products need little explanation. “Iberian ham, for example, we love,” said Kathuhito Inoue, a star of Japanese cuisine at the helm of Chef’s Table restaurant in Kyoto, and one of the day’s speakers, who presented among his ferments an Iberian ham garum. Albert Raurich, chef of the Dos Palillos* Restaurant (Barcelona), dedicated his presentation to Iberian ham. Iberian ham dashi, Iberian ham mochi croquettes, and also an Iberian ham and pork garum, with which he seasons a tuna toro sashimi.
Tuna, unsurprisingly in Japan, was present in many of the presentations, but the Spanish fish that shone the most in this edition of Spain Fusion was Aquanaria’s sea bass, returning to the Japanese market after suspending exports during the COVID crisis.
The panel of chefs was completed by Javier Olleros, from Culler de Pau (* and * green Michelin), from O Grove, who highlighted the similarities in delicacy, simplicity, and flavor of Japanese cuisine and Galician cuisine, of which he himself is a perfect exponent. Ricard Camarena (Rte Ricard Camarena**) spoke about the curing processes of toro with nori and carob. Chele González, from the restaurant Gallery by Chele, in Manila, dedicated his presentation to paprika, choricero pepper, and ñora.
As Benjamín Lana, general director of Vocento Gastronomía, said, “Spain and Japan are living a love story in gastronomy,” something that was demonstrated. The atmosphere was one of concentration, cordiality, and gratitude. “The love for cooking connects us,” said Lana. “We have learned a lot from Japan and have absorbed your way of understanding gastronomy. The aim of this meeting is to give back some of what you have given us, and hopefully, in not too long, there will be the same interest and admiration for Spanish gastronomy in Japan as we feel towards yours,” he concluded. For Albert Raurich, married to a Japanese woman and a deep connoisseur of both gastronomic cultures, the key to the Japanese seduction by Spanish food lies in “quality, intensity, and passion.”
On Wednesday, the Spanish gastronomy embassy moves to the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Kyoto for the second edition of Madrid Fusion Atelier in this historic Japanese city. An edition that, following the success of the first, doubles its program and duration.
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