TASTE OF LIFE/ Salad with uncured ham and espuma-style dressing made from pickled Chinese cabbage: Take a dinner trip to Thailand with umami and fresh flavors
For about 20 years until the summer of 2020, Toshiyuki Miura ran Sadakichi, which offered original Japanese cuisine in Tokyo’s Roppongi district.
During the 1980s, Miura worked at Bar Radio in Aoyama and trained under the late owner Koji Ozaki, who was called a legendary bartender.
He was especially strict with me, and I was trained thoroughly in such things as how to use the chopsticks and count the bills, says Miura.
After he struck out on his own, Miura pursued healthy dishes.
In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, he began growing vegetables in his hometown of Ina, Nagano Prefecture, to obtain safe and worry-free ingredients.
Miura also hit it off with Yoshinobu Shinmachi, who sells high-quality uncured ham at his shop Salumeria 69 near Seijogakuen-mae Station in Tokyo. The two even held an event together.
When he served pickled Chinese cabbage and home-grown vegetables fermented in rice bran (nuka-zuke) with Shinmachi’s ham, which was sliced as thin as 0.1 mm, a complex blend of umami spread on the tongue, and they went so well together, the chef says.
The foamed dressing used in this week’s recipe was inspired by this experience.
Fermentation fascinated Miura and he visited Thailand when he learned that the roots of narezushi (fermented sushi) and gyosho (fish sauce), which had intrigued him for some time, were found in Southeast Asia.
In the inland mountain area, he came across food culture where rice bran and salt were used to preserve food.
The place had a lot in common with south Shinshu and set Miura on a path to re-create the food culture using ingredients from back home.
In 2018, Miura opened a Thai restaurant in Minowamachi, Nagano Prefecture, where he had begun working as a member of a group to cooperate with local revitalization.
Toshiyuki Miura is a proprietor of a Thai restaurant. While running a Japanese cuisine restaurant serving original dishes in Tokyo, he became fascinated by the food culture of northern and northeastern Thailand and eventually opened Guuut in Minowamachi, Nagano Prefecture, in 2018 to re-create Thai dishes using ingredients from his hometown.
The key is to use light-flavored oil and juice from a Chinese cabbage that was pickled in salt and underwent lactate fermentation instead of being pickled for a short time (asa-zuke, literally shallow pickle).
The pickled Chinese cabbage can be stored for a year. When using store-bought pickles, choose the furu-zuke (literally old pickle) type. The dish also tastes better if well pickled and fermented zucchini is used.
With its umami-rich flavors and fresh ingredients, this salad with uncured ham and espuma-style dressing made from pickled Chinese cabbage takes diners on a culinary journey to Thailand. Toshiyuki Miura, a former chef at a popular Japanese restaurant in Tokyo, blends his passion for healthy cuisine with his fascination for Thai food culture to offer a unique dining experience at his restaurant Guuut in Nagano Prefecture.
Miura’s journey into the realm of Thai cuisine began during his tenure at Bar Radio in Aoyama, where he trained under the legendary bartender Koji Ozaki. The bar, known for its aesthetic appeal and esteemed clientele, instilled in Miura a discerning eye for authenticity and fine dining. He was given the opportunity to dine at top-notch restaurants, honing his culinary skills and developing a deep appreciation for quality ingredients.
Inspired by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Miura started growing his own vegetables in Ina, Nagano Prefecture, to ensure the safety and quality of his ingredients. He would personally visit his garden, bringing homegrown vegetables to Sadakichi, his restaurant in Roppongi. It was during this time that he met Yoshinobu Shinmachi, a purveyor of high-quality uncured ham. The collaboration between Shinmachi’s ham and Miura’s homegrown vegetables sparked a revelation of flavors.
The combination of pickled Chinese cabbage, fermented vegetables, and thinly sliced uncured ham led to a harmonious blend of umami flavors that delighted Miura’s taste buds. Inspired by this experience, he created a foamed dressing for this week’s recipe, featuring the light-flavored oil and juice from the pickled Chinese cabbage that had undergone lactate fermentation.
Miura’s fascination with fermentation led him to explore the roots of narezushi and gyosho in Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand. During his journey, he discovered a similar food culture in the inland mountain area, where rice bran and salt were used to preserve food. This discovery motivated Miura to bring elements of this food culture back to his hometown and incorporate them into his dishes at Guuut.
In 2018, Miura realized his dream of opening a Thai restaurant in Minowamachi, Nagano Prefecture. Embracing ingredients from his hometown and infusing them with the essence of Thai cuisine, he aims to provide a unique and authentic dining experience to his customers. The salad with uncured ham and espuma-style dressing made from pickled Chinese cabbage is a testament to Miura’s passion for Thai cuisine and his dedication to serving wholesome and delicious dishes at Guuut.
Whether you’re a fan of Japanese cuisine looking to explore the flavors of Thailand or a Thai food enthusiast seeking a fresh take on traditional dishes, Toshiyuki Miura’s salad with uncured ham and espuma-style dressing is sure to transport your taste buds and take you on a culinary adventure. Indulge in the umami-rich flavors and enjoy the fresh ingredients that capture the essence of Thailand’s food culture right in the heart of Nagano Prefecture.
