Kiyomi Mikuni

In a word, umami is the taste of dashi, a natural stock made from kombu and other ingredients. Being a native of Hokkaido where most kombu is produced, I feel close to its taste; it is something with which the Japanese are naturally able to express themselves. Taking advantage, as a French chef, of being Japanese, I create Mikuni original dishes by combining French cuisine with the umami taste. If you want to achieve a Japanese flavour, the best way is to use umami-rich dashi. In French restaurants and around the world, there is increasing interest in umami. Chefs outside of japan will even use kombu and katsuobushi to make dashi. The world’s chefs are starting to recognise umami as a new taste, which was discovered by the Japanese.