Japan's ailing economy may lack the impact it once had on global finance, but there's one area of influence where the country's significance is on the rise: the world of gastronomy. Earlier this month, a team of 39 top-tier Japanese chefs wowed an international audience with dazzling displays of technique and artful presentation at the Culinary Institute of America's annual Worlds of Flavor conference in Napa Valley, California.
Widely recognized as North America's most influential professional forum on world cuisines and flavor trends, the event, now in its 13th year, has highlighted broader geographical regions in the past. This year's conference is only the second time that the institute has focused on a single country. Although the majority of attendees traveled from within the United States, the event also attracted industry professionals from Britain, Australia, South Korea and South Africa.
The conference featured Michelin-starred Japanese master chefs from across Japan — such as Kunio Tokuoka of Kitcho, Yoshihiro Murata of Kikunoi and Yousuke Imada of Kyubei — alongside U.S. celebrity chefs David Chang of Momofuku and New-York-based Masaharu Morimoto of "Iron Chef" fame. Over the course of three days, 90 Japanese and American chefs and industry experts delivered presentations on cooking styles ranging from kaiseki ryori (Japanese haute cuisine) to casual foods such as ramen and soba, and covered topics as diverse as the umami taste, health issues, and cultural exchange between Japan, Europe and the Americas.