Is water the secret to Japanese cooking?

One of the most important things in presenting Japanese food is portion size, which according to chef Takuji Takahashi, should always be bite-sized and easy to eat. Photos: The Star/Ong Soon Hin

Japanese traditional cuisine or washoku, is so essential to the Japanese way of life that in 2013, Unesco recognised the cuisine as an intangible cultural heritage. Typical Japanese food like miso, sushi and sashimi is often associated with the word “healthy” and research by the National Centre for Global Health and Medicine in Tokyo has linked the island nation’s long life expectancy (87 for women and 80 for men) to the country’s diet.

Chef Takuji Takahashi would agree with that. The master chef of Kinobu is the third-generation chef of the one-Michelin starred restaurant in Kyoto and is seasoned in the art of Japanese cuisine. Takahashi is acknowledged as a Japanese cuisine goodwill ambassador and frequently travels the world, spreading the gospel about Japanese food.