UMAMI
Dish

Check out recipes using Japanese ingredients and fermented seasonings straight from Chef Kono, the judge for UMAMI MATCH.

Atsushi Kono

Atsushi Kono is a renowned Japanese chef & Yakitori master. He opened his restaurant "Kono" in NYC's Chinatown in 2021. It was featured in Bon Appétit Magazine as one of the best restaurants of 2023.

KONO

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Yuzu & Soy Sauce Scallop Ceviche

Scallops have an incredibly unique, umami rich flavor. I love eating them raw to experience their soft texture and richness. I add soy sauce to increase their complexity and natural sweetness as well as to bring out their light, buttery flavor. Adding the rice vinegar alongside the soy sauce, further increases the soft sweetness of the dish for a well rounded, delicious experience.

Ingredients

  • 4 large live scallops*Japanese Ingredients
  • 2 T yuzu juice
  • 2 T soy sauce*Japanese Ingredients
  • 1 t red onion
  • ¼ C cherry tomato
  • 1/8 C roasted shishito

Method

  1. Remove scallops from shells, reserving shells.
  2. Slice scallops thinly; place in nonreactive bowl.
  3. Whisk together yuzu juice, soy sauce, Olive oil, lemon juice, sugar.
  4. Stir in tomato, roasted shishito and onions.
  5. Pour over scallops; marinate at least 8 but not more than 12 minutes.
  6. Spoon ceviche into reserved shells.
  7. Garnish with chives and dill.

Cooking effects of each
fermented seasoning

MISO

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SOY-
SAUCE

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MIRIN SWEET
SEASONING

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RICE
VINEGAR

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Miso

Effective Use of Miso in Cooking
Example: Tofu and Wakame Seaweed Miso Soup

In addition to seasoning ingredients, miso’s unique characteristics enhance rich flavor of food and make dish more appealing. Since miso contains enzymes that break down proteins, coating meat or fish with miso softens them so they don’t become tough even when heated. It can also eliminate the unpleasant odor of fish. Saikyoyaki, a style of grilled fish from Kyoto, is a dish that takes advantage of this effect. In addition, when enzymes break down the proteins in the soybeans used in miso, the proteins change into glutamic acid, an umami constituent. The combined taste of miso umami and the umami from other constituent ingredients, such as the world-famous Japanese broth, dashi, create the flavor of miso soup, an essential part of Japanese home cooking.

Soy sauce

Effective Use of Soy Sauce in Cooking
Example: Japanese Wagyu with Wasabi and Soy Sauce

Applying soy sauce alters or eliminates strong smells inherent in foods, and improves tastiness. Furthermore, the lactic acid and salt in soy sauce, as well as alcohol and other ingredients, help prevent bacterial growth, so it has been a long-standing custom in Japan to preserve and prepare meat and fish by soaking them in soy sauce. Also, applying heat to soy sauce causes amino acids and the sugars to produce a mouthwatering aroma. This effect, for example, draws out the delicious taste of high-quality Japanese wagyu, enabling the full enjoyment of the meat’s sumptuous flavors.

Mirin sweet
seasoning

Effective Use of Mirin Sweet Seasoning in Cooking
Example: Buri(yellowtail) Teriyaki

Mirin sweet seasoning brings together the complex combination of sugars and umami constituents, like amino acids and peptides, creating a rich umami flavor. When applying Mirin, amino acids expand the umami and savoriness, organic acids add a tinge of acidic flavor, and the sugars imbue the ingredients with a sophisticated sweetness. Additionally, the alcohol quickly soaks into the food, allowing the food to absorb the umami constituents. Then, applying heat causes the alcohol to evaporate and carry away the strong smells that may be in the fish or meat. This is why fish and meat teriyaki are standard dish in Japan.

Rice vinegar

Effective Use of Rice Vinegar in Cooking
Example: Buri(yellowtail) Sushi

Rice vinegar is an effective natural preservative and eliminate unwanted strong smells. Sushi is one common example, comprised of vinegared rice (containing a mixture of rice vinegar and sugar) topped with raw fish. The rice vinegar takes away the strong smell, while the sugar helps prevent the starch in the rice from aging so that the rice does not become hard when cooled.