Bringing Fermented Food Back to the Kitchen

Fermented food is back in the kitchen. This is the vision of “Fermented Restaurant Kamoshika” run by Megumi Seki.
In the past, cooking and preserving techniques for various fermented foods such as miso, nukazuke, amazake (sweet sake), soy sauce, and natto (fermented soybeans) were passed down from generation to generation in the kitchen. However, with the spread of refrigerators, microwave ovens, and home-cooked meals, they have gradually become more and more difficult to prepare in our daily lives. Bringing fermented food back into the home is a symbol of regaining what we have lost in exchange for convenience.
Fermented Shokudo Kamoshika offers a variety of ways to prepare and eat fermented foods in order to make it easier for people to enjoy the fermented foods that everyone used to make and enjoy at home. We asked the owner, Mr. Seki, about his thoughts on fermented foods.

■A charm that I can spend my whole life on.

Megumi Seki, owner of Fermented Restaurant Kamoshika (Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture)

- What made you decide to open Fermented Restaurant Kamoshika?

I have been following the medical field for many years, but I have never felt that medicine is contributing to our health because it does not solve diseases. The only essence of medicine is prevention. When I was feeling this way, I started going to an obstetrics and gynecology clinic that emphasizes natural childbirth in preparation for childbirth. The women I met there were making a variety of fermented and preserved foods at home. Influenced by them, I tried making miso and pickled plums, and one by one, I began to realize that I could do it myself.
Among them, I narrowed it down to fermented foods because the foods and drinks I liked were fermented. So many of the foods that go well with alcohol are fermented foods. I also like to drink, and as a result, I liked to eat a lot of fermented foods.
When I was working for a medical consulting company, I thought, “I can’t spend my whole life in this job,” but I became convinced that fermentation had intrinsic value that I could spend my whole life on. I decided to create a place where people could gather around the theme of fermentation, and opened Fermentation Restaurant Kamoshika in May 2014.

— — Why do we encourage people to make fermented foods at home?

Making my own fermented food gave me a great sense of satisfaction. For example, you can buy miso anywhere, but I realized that miso made by myself has a value and joy that cannot be replaced by any other miso. Commercial miso made with carefully selected ingredients and miso made by myself do not stand side by side in the same category. Handmade miso may taste a little less delicious, but there is still something different about it. This kind of joy of making is still untapped in the world. I believe that the joy and excitement of making your own miso will energize people.

■The Miracle of the Invisible People

— — What is the appeal of fermentation?

There are many interesting things about fermentation, but one of them is that invisible people (microorganisms) make things taste better. Miracles happen in the world of fermentation, such as when you think you’ve ruined something and leave it alone, but six months later it turns out to be delicious.
Also, there are very few countries that are so rich in fermented foods. Surrounded by the four seasons and the sea, there are many kinds of fish sauce alone… I think this is a traditional Japanese culture that we can share with the world.
And the ultimate and easiest thing to understand is that it tastes good. There are two ways to feel “delicious”: one is to feel delicious in your head, and the other is to feel delicious beyond reason on the level of Japanese DNA.
- Some people seem to have an image of fermented food as being “hard”.
I think that is where I need to communicate the most. Our stance is, “Anyone can do it, so let’s do it. It doesn’t matter if you make a mistake or if it doesn’t taste good, we want people to experience that they can do it if they just try.
When you make your own bread, you want to give it to someone else. In fact, I would rather receive a hand-kneaded, beaten-up loaf of bread than a loaf from a very good bakery. As a result, making fermented food can also be a means of communication. I believe that this kind of communication is actually something that many people are looking for.

■Separate what you make from what you buy.

— — What is the mechanism for getting people to adopt fermented foods in their homes?

We believe that having a meal at Fermented Restaurant Kamoshika is the best way to enter the world of fermentation. Our signature menu item is the “Fermented 8 kinds set meal,” which includes eight kinds of fermented foods. After all, you have to experience it to understand it, don’t you? In May 2015, we opened the Fermentation Marche as a receptacle for people who are interested in making or buying fermented foods themselves.

Initially, we only sold original fermented sweets, but since May 2016, we have been gradually increasing our product line as a select store selling original amazake (sweet sake) as well as fermented foods such as mackerel heshiko, natto, and nukadoko.
Looking at our customers, I have the impression that the overwhelming majority of them still find it too much trouble to make their own food or want to eat it easily. However, there are some people who want to reduce costs by making their own food, or who switch to “making” food at some point. The transition from “buying” to “making” is easier than you think. At that time, I believe that all non-essential hurdles can be lowered. It is important not to make everything yourself, but to separate the fermented foods you make from the fermented foods you buy.

I share The Ferment Lab’s attitude of challenging the world view of “aiming for cooperation between people and home appliances” and trying to go beyond the big things as a manufacturer. That’s what I want the future of home appliances to be. When I think about how to live a richer life, I want to rely on home appliances where I can, while at the same time taking care of the things I need to take care of myself. I think that home appliances that help people make fermented foods are a very big experiment.