Journeys in Japan - Season 9 - Eps 10: Toyama: A Food Culture Rich in Umami
Kombu (kelp) seaweed has been an essential ingredient in the Japanese diet for over a thousand years. It is used to make the savory dashi stock that underpins all Japanese cuisine. It also cooked in many dishes to add essential minerals and umami. This kombu seaweed grows in the sea around Hokkaido. In the old days, trading vessels known as kitamae-bune used to carry kombu from Hokkaido to other parts of Japan, traveling down the Japan Sea coast. Toyama was one of the ports of call for those ships, and the kitamae-bune merchants became very wealthy. At the same time, kombu became embedded in the lives and daily food of the local people. These days, people in Toyama use more of the seaweed in their local cuisine than almost anywhere else in Japan. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, Mai Rapsch from Germany visits Toyama to explore its rich food culture and traditions.
About Journeys in Japan
Title: Journeys in Japan
First Air Date: 2010-02-02
Last Air Date: 2024-12-03
Status: Returning Series
Rating: 9/10 (from 1 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 15
Total Episodes: 515
Network: NHK WORLD-JAPAN
Genres: Documentary
Production Companies: Japan International Broadcasting (JIB), NHK
Synopsis
Journeys in Japan provides an eye-opening look at the many unique places to visit in Japan. English-speaking visitors travel the length of the country, exploring the culture, meeting the local people, visiting historic sites and offering travel hints rarely found in guidebooks.
