November 4-6 2010, the 13th Worlds of Flavor International Conference and Festival (WOF) was held at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Greystone campus in Napa Valley, California. Sakai city participated in this conference with the Gohan Society and Korin as a joint platinum sponsor of the event and there appealed "Sakai Uchi-hamono," Sakai-made high-quality forged knives and scissors, through the exhibition and knife sharpening demonstrations by Sakai's master craftsmen. Sakai Uchi-hamono kinife has a great share among Japanese professional chefs because of its incomparable sharpness of the blade and is grabbing popularity in the U.S. recently.
The event was held at the Culinary Institute of America's Greystone campus. |
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View of Napa Valley from the school |
At the event, Keizou Shinoda, President of Sakai Hamono Commerce and Industry Joint Association, made an appearance at the opening ceremony as the representative of Sakai city, while traditional craftsman Shotaro Nomura, Vice-chairperson of Sakai Uchi Hamono Craftmaster Association, and Yasuhiro Hirakawa, Vice-president of Sakai Hamono Commerce and Industry Joint Association, performed live blade sharpening demonstrations of Sakai Uchi-hamono at the Sakai city booth. Conference participants enjoyed their exquisite performance of the sharpening and the beauty of the knives on display.
During the Sakai sponsoring seminar entitled "Traditional Knives and the Japanese Seafood Kitchen: Cutting and Cooking for Flavor" hosted by Yukio Hattori, President of Hattori Nutrition College, Chef Hideki Shimoguchi of Byodoin Omotesando Chikurin, Chef Shigeo Araki of Uosaburo and Chef Yoshihiro Takayoshi of Hyotei, who each specializes in "Kaiseki," Japanese traditional course meals, performed their culinary techniques with a variety of single-edged Sakai Uchi-hamono knives.
Opening Ceremony |
Keizou Shinoda, President of Sakai Hamono Commerce and Industry Joint Association |
Host Yukio Hattori (left) and Shigeo Araki of Uosaburo presenting a dish. |
Sakai-Uchi-hamono in Use |
Conference participants eagerly listen to the lecture |
Chef Murata (right) from restaurant Kikunoi was also at the event representing Japan |
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Master of Japanese Traditional crafts Shotaro Nomura (right) and Yasuhiro Hirakawa (left) demonstrating their knife sharpening skill |
A traditional Japanese dance was also performed at the World Marketplace |
Conference participants show an interest in Okonomiyaki |
Yakitori is also popular in the United States |
Closing ceremony |
Reference
- ■The Culinary Institute of America (CIA)
A culinary college which offers associate and bachelor's degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts. The school has a network of over 37,000 graduates and is recognized as one of the most prestigious culinary colleges in the United States. The main campus is in New York.
Homepage:http://www.ciachef.edu/
- ■Worlds of Flavor International Conference & Festival (WOF)
An international conference on food held by The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) once a year. It is well known as the most influential conference in the world food trend. The food showcased at the event will often catch on as a new food trend in the United States. The event is highly praised by the industry's leading chefs, menu planners, suppliers and journalists. The theme for the 13th annual conference was "Japan: Flavors of Culture," which focused exclusively on Japanese food and culture. The conference was the largest in its history. That is, approximately 50 top chefs and experts in the field participated in the event as "Team Japan." A wide variety of Japanese foods, from regional dishes to Kaiseki cuisine, contemporary flavor, were introduced at the conference.
Homepage:http://www.ciaprochef.com/WOF2010/
- ■The Gohan Society
The Gohan Society is a nonprofit enterprise promoting Japanese food and food culture in the United States.
Homepage:http://www.gohansociety.org/
- ■KORIN
KORIN is a Japanese kitchenware store in New York. The shop has been running for more than 25 years and is one of the key players in supplying Japanese kitchen knives to restaurants there.
