A tea leaf shop pursuing the potential of Japanese tea [ GEN GEN AN illusion ]
Tea experiment discussion with professionals of various genres gathering around it " NEW TEA LAB ". The fifth time, after working as a chef at the popular restaurant Salmon & Trout in Shimokitazawa, the Thai restaurant "Shibuya Parco" Chompoo Chef Miki Morie, who works on this. We will delve into the world of "kombucha" that opens up new possibilities for non-alcoholic drinks.
Creation of "natural"
"I want to find gaps and get points for things that people find interesting. I'm trying to do new things by creating a sense of discomfort with what I have now, or by shifting a little while doing the same thing. did"After working at Salmon & Trout in Shimokitazawa, in November 2019, at the reborn Shibuya Parco, a Thai restaurant `` Chompoo Mr. Morie who started. Even when we started "Salmon & Trout", which has gained popularity as a well-known restaurant since its opening in 2014, it is now commonplace to incorporate casualness into course meals and mix cooking genres. However, it is said that he continued to make efforts such as how to combine ingredients, which was rare at that time.
Breaking away from stereotypes
"Opened in Shibuya Parco" Chompoo "Is a Thai restaurant. What is the significance of Mr. Morie, who has challenged cooking by combining multiple genres, to open a store in a specific genre called "Thai food"?"In Japan, when we talk about" Thai food, "there are still biased stereotypes such as" it looks like a food stall "and" Gapao. "But in reality, Thailand is not limited to cooking. It is very developed in the sense that it has mutual understanding with people from various countries. Even in cooking, although it incorporates and uses a wide variety of seasonings, Japan has a very stereotyped "Thai food". Because there is such a biased stereotype, I dare to try to change the consciousness of such people, and I dare to narrow down the genre of "Thai food". It is not within the range of stereotypes, but I feel like I want to increase the + α and "options" beyond that. "
The spirit of misalignment and collapse
There is "misalignment" because there is a standard value, and there is room for "breaking". Mr. Morie says that interesting things may be created from the "misalignment"."Wine and tea have a certain standard in everyone. That's why there are" deliciousness "and" interesting ". There is a rule of thumb so far, and I drink while comparing with that standard, so I" break " You can do "Zurasu". However, the world of non-alcoholic pairing has not been established in Japan yet, so it is not good for me to dig deep into the non-alcoholic "Kombucha" that has no standard yet. I was wondering what it was. "
"Kombucha" is a fermented vegetable drink made by fermenting tea. In recent years, mainly in the United States, workshops have become very popular and specialized bars have been opened. It is said that there is a reason why Mr. Morie paid attention to "Kombucha".
"First of all, I like the taste. And there are a wide variety of" kombucha "brands in the United States, some of which are expensive (700-800 yen), and they sold well. However, the non-alcoholic market in Japan is tied to a price range of around 150 yen. It was the first time I felt that there was a range of creativity in that respect as well. When I wanted to drink kombucha, there are few things that are not too sweet and can be drunk cleanly. I wanted to make a line that would be one of the protagonists in the non-alcoholic category. "
"Kombucha" is not a major player in Japan yet. Maruwaka, the representative of EN TEA, said that when he drank "Kombucha" made by Mr. Morie, he felt that "it is a drink that values tea."
"In Japan, there were few kombucha makers around me that I thought were delicious, so I decided to make it myself and experimented with various tea leaves. As part of that experiment, EN TEA of Roasted tea I also asked them to change the roasting of the product. Try it many times, remember it with your tongue, and repeat. As a result, I was able to create something that I thought was delicious. "
The world of "Kombucha" where you can play anywhere
"I make it by calculating back from the taste of the finished product," says Morie, who is happy."Even if you prepare two of the same ingredients, they will have different tastes depending on the fermentation condition. The bacteria that promote fermentation are alive, so you can't decide the recipe based on the time and amount. It's a matter of taste. The work of remembering with your tongue is a bit like GEEK, isn't it? "
The taste of kombucha is the result of changing the sugar content to acetic acid by fermenting kombucha with a fungus called "kombucha". Therefore, the taste changes depending on the taste and taste of the creator. "In addition to playing with the original base, you can also add other things, such as mango juice and red perilla juice, to the base you made. First of all, know this fun. I want you to
The more you know, the deeper the "Kombucha". The more players there are, the more this "playground" will expand.
Kombucha is " GEN GEN AN illusion "When " Chompoo I am preparing an opportunity to actually drink it.
Edit & Text: Kana Takeyama ( PARK 365 )