Japan’s UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy: Culinary Program in Tsuruoka

Japan’s only UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, Tsuruoka’s diverse climate, varied seasonal ingredients, and active agricultural communities have given rise to the Gastronomy Creative Education Trust (G-CET), which creates specialized experiences to encourage sustainable food, local culinary traditions, and biodiversity.

This 2-day culinary program (4 hours per day) in Tsuruoka is specially designed for professional chefs and food connoisseurs with an interest in developing Japanese culinary skills like preservation, fermentation, and utilizing indigenous plants.

The lessons center around Japan’s rich culinary traditions, with a special focus on the local gastronomy of Tsuruoka. An introduction to the culture of Yamabushi (Japanese mountain ascetics) and Shojin Ryori (Japan’s vegetarian Buddhist cuisine) highlight the special connection between nature, food, and spirituality in the region that’s famous for the Dewasanzan pilgrimage.

The workshops also cover topics like preserving fresh fish (utilizing sake lees, miso, etc.) to maintain freshness and comparing various preservation techniques to European practices. Participants can taste various preparations of seasonal fish (fresh, aged 1 day, and aged 2 or more days), use traditional wild plants, make fresh sesame tofu, and prepare dashi (Japanese soup stock), a foundational skill in Japanese cuisine.
—————————————————————————————————————–

ABOUT BYFOOD:

ByFood is Japan’s one-stop platform for foodie travelers. Here, visitors can book food experiences (food tours, cooking classes, dining experiences, tastings), place restaurant reservations without Japanese, and learn about Japanese food culture and places to eat in different regions of Japan.

ByFood strives to make Japanese food culture accessible to anyone, removing the language barrier and accommodating dietary needs. And if your perfect food experience isn’t available on our platform, the VIP Gourmet Concierge will create one that is custom-made for you.

Best of all, for every experience that’s booked on byFood, 10 school meals will be donated to children in need through the Food for Happiness program.

Visit us at: https://www.byfood.com
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/c/JapanbyFood?sub_confirmation=1
Japan by Food on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/japanbyfood
Japan by Food on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/japanbyfood
Twitter: https://twitter.com/byFood4