Excursion S.a.l.t. essential tastes: celebrating the cuisine of osaka and the science of umami tour at Osaka

Japan is home to one of the most exciting, varied and endlessly delicious culinary scenes on the planet. It's also famously challenging to explore on your own. To help us understand and appreciate this most complex and compelling cuisine we travel and eat our way through the vibrant port city of Osaka.  

Your Host, a Food and Sake Expert and Writer Based in Tokyo 

Melinda Joe’s passion for Japanese food and culinary culture brought her to Tokyo where she consults and writes about restaurants, food  culture, and sake for a variety of publications and is a columnist for The Japan Times.

Sakai City – The Art of Japanese Knives

We begin our day in Sakai, just south of Osaka, to visit the Sakai Denshokan, a museum dedicated to one of the city’s traditional crafts – knife making. Sakai knives are coveted by chefs from around the world who value their precision and quality as well as the history and lore surrounding these special tools. This is followed by a visit to a famous and ancient producer of Japanese knives. We’ll learn about the craft of hand-forged knives, central to the cooking of Japan, a tradition that dates to the 15^th century, and hear from the artisans at work. Of course, you will have a chance to take home one of these pieces of functional art.

At these stops, we’ll also meet Eric Chevallier, a French-born bladesmith and Japanese knife expert and connoisseur who will talk about the role these tools play in the cuisine.

Introduction to Kombu – Kombu Facility

We follow this with an exploration of kombu (sea kelp), a key ingredient in dashi, the basic building block of Japanese cuisine. With a visit to a top kombu facility, we see how the product is sourced and used in many dishes and our chef guide explains the world of umami, or the “fifth taste,” a crucial element of Japanese cooking that has also influenced top chefs and restaurateurs globally.

Seasonal and Regional Lunch at a Michelin-starred Restaurant

We continue these themes of umami and regionality at Ajikitcho Bunbu-an, a renowned kaiseki restaurant with one Michelin star. Second-generation chef Ryusuke Nakatani’s multi-course hyper-seasonal menu is both traditional and inventive. Located centrally, the restaurant has a rural and transporting feeling thanks to its construction of timber and stone as well as an elegant and serene garden with a stone alley and bamboo fence. Here, the ingredients and exquisite presentation encourages you to “take in the feeling of each Japanese season with all of your five senses.”

This exploration of umami and an appreciation of many aspects of Japanese cuisine seen through the food and traditions of this city is truly a special insider's look at this most fascinating cuisine and culture that continues to inspire and delight chefs and taste-seekers everywhere.

Points of interests

Points of interest seen on this excursion may include: Osaka, Introduction to Kombu Seaweed, Kombu Facility, Seasonal and Regional Lunch by a Michelin-starred Kaiser Restaurant, Sakai City, Japanese Knives' Artisans, Food Expert Guide

Note

Please note: This tour involves a minimal to moderate amount of walking and standing with some steps to negotiate at the visited sites and a few to get on/off the coach. This tour is suitable for guests with limited mobility but not for those who utilize a wheelchair. Please be advised that special dietary requests or menu substitutions may be not be possible to accommodate in this program. Guests must be at least 21 years old to be served alcoholic beverages. Space on this tour is very limited; we suggest you book in advance to avoid disappointment. Local Tour Guides tend to have a strong accent therefore we urge flexibility.