The TAKU Project has started! (Vol. 1)

A new project has kicked off at our center. It’s called the “TAKU Project.”
There is no English word that corresponds to “tsuku.” Through the act of “tsuku,” we will reexamine Japanese food culture from a new perspective.

The inaugural event, titled “Learn the Ultimate Way to Cook Rice and Discuss the Future of Fermented Foods,” was held at the Fermentation Department in Shimokitazawa. We invited the two members of the “Rice Alliance”—Junichi Shirai and Noriko Shirai—to serve as instructors and teach us how to cook delicious rice.
As I savor the distinct flavors of rice cooked in a ceramic earthenware pot and a metal pot, I can’t stop eating the fermented foods recommended by Hiraku Ogura.

After that, there was a talk session featuring Ogasawara PL and Hiraku Ogura, followed by a Q&A with the participants. With the added energy from the fermented beverages, the scheduled two and a half hours flew by in the blink of an eye.

The participants shared their desire to pass on Japan’s culture of fermentation to future generations through the act of “cooking.”
The next event is scheduled for late August.