Founded on the concepts of shun (seasonality) and omotenashi (hospitality), Japanese cuisine is one of the world’s most prominent culinary traditions.
But for Massimo Bottura — chef-owner of three-Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, and indisputably the world's most famous Italian chef — there is something else in the Japanese approach toward cuisine that moves him.
“The Japanese feel (for) the quality of the ingredients and give them the opportunity to express,” Bottura says. “That is why Japanese cuisine is so interesting. “Both the Japanese and Italians are obsessed about the quality of the ingredients. The Japanese use techniques lightly to touch the ingredients and let the flavors express themselves. That is very important to me.”