Chefs Compete Live in Umami Recipe Contest at the 2014 International Restaurant & Foodservice Show for an Exclusive Culinary Tour of Japan

NEW YORK, March 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The JRO Umami Pavilion at the 2014 International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of NY announces its annual Umami Recipe Contest. Three finalists of creative umami recipes are invited to bring their pots and pans to compete on-stage for an all-expense paid culinary trip to Japan. The showdown will be judged by top chefs, including Chef George Mendes, the Executive Chef of Aldea. This year's finalists are Aaron Bludorn, Executive Sous Chef of Cafe Boulud, Arnold Marcella, Chef de Cuisine of The Elm, and Jacob Clark, Sous Chef of Tocqueville.

The special tour of Japan's unique culinary world, valued at $20,000, is sponsored by JRO (Organization to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad), a non-profit organization promoting Japanese restaurants abroad. With UNESCO's recent inscription of washoku, or traditional Japanese cuisine, on its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, this prize is an even more priceless opportunity.

The Umami Contest requires the chefs to create an original recipe using an umami ingredient and explain how they enhanced the umami flavor in their dish. Its main focus is to expand the knowledge and understanding of umami. As Chef Aaron Bludorn so perfectly states, "I feel this competition is a great showcase for how modern American Chefs utilize classic Japanese ingredients and flavors to add new dimensions to their cuisine. I feel that immersing myself in the country would bring a new chapter to my creativity and how I think about food." For the contest Chef Bludorn prepared a Surf Clam Ceviche. He uses miso to tie the dish together and give an earthy aroma and to highlight the ocean flavor of his dish.

Chef Arnold Marcella states "Going to Japan and experiencing a culture where umami is ingrained in the cuisine, would offer a unique view on how the flavor of umami is developed and utilized." Chef Marcella created a Foie Gras with mushroom, celery root, and green apple sake. He uses koji in his dish to help create a depth of flavor needed to counter the richness of the foie gras.

Chef Jacob Clark will present a Butternut Consume in which he uses dried kombu and shiitake to transform the flavors of the butternut squash. He states "I would love to win the trip to Japan to further my knowledge of Japanese cuisine and culture."

This year the JRO Umami Pavilion will be highlighting six fundamental Japanese ingredients. A chef from Sushiden NY will demonstrate how to make the best quality rice to make excellent sushi. An array of quality sake will be introduced with explanations on how to properly taste and pair with foods. Visitors will have the opportunity to sample unique, top-grade A5 Wagyu beef. Top chefs will demonstrate how to use various umami flavors in Western cooking and identify condiments, which have umami. There will be presentations on how to cook ramen, which is a popular dish at the moment. The Umami Pavilion will introduce the benefits of Japanese green tea and its versatility in cooking.

An opportunity to gain an advantage with exclusive insight into one of Japan's culinary secrets, the JRO Umami Recipe Contest is an experience that you do not want to miss! 

Contact:
Chikako Ichihara, CEO
[email protected]

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SOURCE Organization to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad (JRO)