Delving into the origins of Japanese flavor: a visit to Handa Canal

Students were given an opportunity to visit the nearby city of Handa and explore the flavor origins of Japan's unique and world-famous cuisine. Less than an hour's drive outside of Nagoya, the unassuming countryside city with a population of just over 100,000 is known for its strong historical connection to the basic elements of Japanese cooking: soy sauce, sake, and vinegar.

Located along the Handa Canal, on which local industries during the Edo Period transported goods out to the Mikawa Bay and off to Tokyo, two museums offer a glimpse into traditions and innovations that helped define the Japanese palette: the Kunizakari Sake Cultural Hall, and the Mizkan Museum--the latter located next to the Mizkan Holdings worldwide headquarters.

The story that emerges in visiting these two museums demonstrates how ingenuity at the right time can make a global cultural impact. By developing a vinegar production process that uses byproducts from the sake brewing process, Mizkan founder Matazaemon Nakano was able to provide a cheaper and more aromatic rice vinegar alternative, perfect for making hayazushi--a precursor to the nigirizushi enjoyed all over the world today.

Through understanding the history of food and food products, we gain newfound appreciation for the smells and tastes we encounter in our culinary exploits. Who would have thought that knowledge is the best seasoning of all?