Nobu Matsuhisa

At all my restaurants, wherever in the world they may be, I focus on serving our guests meals that make the best possible use of local ingredients. In Tokyo, for example, it is easy to buy all sorts of regional foodstuffs shipped to the capital from around Japan, but a chef can obtain much better ingredients by going in person to the areas where they are produced, speaking directly with the producers, and seeing and touching the foods for himself.

Umami was discovered and named by a Japanese scientist, but its sources are by no means limited to specifically Japanese ingredients. It turns up in the local foods of other countries too, offering unexpected discoveries. The ají peppers that are popular in Peru are hot, but they also have strong umami. If you add them to sliced onions, the acidity of the onions makes this umami stand out clearly.