FURIKAKE, YAKUMI & UMAMI
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"If I had to describe furikaké in one word? I would say medicine ! Health absolutely must come from diet and prevention. Salt and sugar excite the brain, we've known that for a long time," explains Kei Matsushima, a Japanese chef based in Nice. "When I talk about furikake, I immediately think of the word yakumi , which translates as condiment. "Yaku" literally means medicine, while "mi" means taste," he continues. "These condiments FURIFURI created by Natsuko and Julie recall the spirit of the Ancients: to do good through food. In the past, medicines were composed of herbs, plants, spices, before becoming chemical molecules… I like to conduct research to better understand health,” he enthuses. "That's why I'm so interested in umami , this 5th taste, in addition to sour, bitter, salty and sweet. It is found in furikake thanks to the algae. Umami, it is the explosion of the taste , but without needing to add any salt ! " Needless to say, as soon as you talk to him about umami, Kei becomes inexhaustible... Written by Leslie Gogois |
