Australia's gourmet produce is set to make an assault on the lucrative high-end Japanese culinary market, and the move is being orchestrated by some of Tokyo’s top chefs.
Five category winners from a Japanese cooking show showcasing Australian produce are completing a week-long tour of Australia.
No strangers to Australian food at home, the group benefited from up-close exposure to paddock-raised cattle.
“They look so happy,” said leading steak chef Munehiro Takesue, a Tokyo-based restaurateur accustomed to grain-fed Wagu raised in a temperature-controlled environment.
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“Aussie beef and lamb are very pure and natural and delicious,” Mr Takesue said.
The group also visited bustling delicatessens at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market where they tasted a range of locally made delicacies including pates and cheeses.
“I am so surprised [at the] presentation and taste of Australian food,” said renowned chef Masami Katano.
According to Australia’s Trade Minister to Japan Julianne Merriman, the surprise isn’t unusual – as many in Japan’s food industry associate Australia with a limited, often bland range of food products. The objective of the delegation is to help change perception.
“ A broader based consumer hasn't been aware of the great range of products we have across horticulture, dairy, nuts and other areas of seafood and meat they haven't yet discovered,” Ms Merriman said.
Traditionally Japan shifts between being Australia's second and third largest trading partner - and much of that is food, beverages and agri-business. It's hoped this association with the high-end will lead to further spin-offs.
“When they travel to Australia for food and wine experiences, and not just for the touristic experience, then they come back to Japan and can be ambassadors of a kind for the food and products that we have to offer to the market,” Ms Merriman said.
Just hours before boarding their return flight, the five Japanese chefs paired with Australian counterparts for what became an impromptu “cook-off” of some of the country’s best food.
Within seconds, a Queensland-grown Wagu hit the grill, with Steak Ministry executive chef Chris Wade partnering Munehiro Takesue.
“Certainly it has been a challenge with the language barrier but we've worked that out - chefs are creative guys and Wagyu is the same in Japan as in Australia now,” Mr Wade said.
Those fortunate enough to taste the final result agreed.
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