"Looking at it through a chef's eyes, soybean dashi has intriguing potential," says Head Chef Kurusu, who plies his craft at the ryotei "Kumahiko" in Arashiyama, Kyoto. In May 2023, there was a chef who seriously engaged with the unprecedented ingredient Minoyo brought in—a "dashi of roasted soybeans."
A Kyoto ryotei made a kaiseki using soybean dashi
It was the morning of May 25, 2023, an early-summer day when the greenery of Arashiyama was lush and verdant. With the roasted soybeans brought in from Minoyo before him, Head Chef Kurusu quietly posed a question: "What kind of dishes can I make with this?"
That day's kaiseki became a special course with soybean dashi in the starring role. What Head Chef Kurusu worked on was not to hide the individual character of soybean dashi—its "cloudiness" and "gentle sweetness"—as flaws, but to make use of them as they were. Mizore ankake, nitsuke, takiawase. Seasonal ingredients and soybean dashi melded together, giving rise to a delicate yet deeply layered flavor.
"A dashi ingredient can be used in all sorts of dishes depending on how you combine and use it. Soybean dashi was an ingredient that reminded me of that anew."
The "cloudiness" was not a flaw, but a character
The "soybean-specific cloudiness" that Minoyo had initially worried about. Head Chef Kurusu readily dispelled the concern that it might not be usable in a clear soup.
"Just don't use it in clear soup. In mizore ankake or nitsuke, the cloudiness doesn't bother you at all. If anything, the thickness and sweetness give the dish more depth."
In those words was the perspective of someone who has faced cooking over many years.
The wall of tradition, and the new potential of soybean dashi
On the other hand, Head Chef Kurusu was candid. "Within the long tradition of Kyoto cuisine and washoku, I do think it would be difficult to deliberately introduce soybeans as a dashi ingredient into the standard menu."
Kombu, katsuobushi, niboshi. Room for a new ingredient to break into Japan's dashi culture, honed over hundreds of years, does not arise so easily.
Still, behind those words was genuine expectation. "In a new field, you could put it out there for vegans and for foreign customers, couldn't you? There's plenty of potential."
Rather than forcing its way into the context of tradition, showing value in a place no one has yet pioneered. It was a suggestion that the individual character of soybean dashi might come to life better that way.
The potential of soybean dashi, recognized by a chef
What Minoyo gained from that day's kaiseki was significant. The fact that a professional chef rated it delicious and actually incorporated it into a course. We were made to realize that the unique character of soybean dashi—its cloudiness and sweetness—could become a weapon rather than a flaw.
The experience at "Kumahiko" in Arashiyama became an important step for Minoyo in developing soybean dashi. That day's kaiseki became solid confirmation for soybean dashi development.