Highlights
- Prepare Japanese home cuisine with freshly-picked seasonal vegetables
- Experience how Koji (traditional Japanese rice fermentation) can bring out umami flavor and sweetness of many types of food
- Get off the beaten path to enjoy beautiful countryside sceneries in serenity and learn about Japanese traditional “kengyo” farming lifestyles with our personal stories
Description
Discover the secret of "koji", which is a vital ingredient in fermentation and hidden in sake, soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, and miso. All of these ingredients define Japanese food. We will teach you how to cook Japanese everyday meal with focus on fermentation. Japanese culinary culture, most notably "kaiseki", is internationally famous for its delicacy and beautiful presentation. Our home cooking class however, characterize its uniqueness, simplicity, and most importantly healthy balanced diet.
Details
Kengyo Farmhouse Toyota
Situated in the mountainous region of Aichi Prefecture, we are kengyo farmers, which represent a majority yet shrinking type of farmers in Japan. “Kengyo” means side business. Our traditional countryside lifestyle has been to tend small plots of land mostly to grow what we eat while working full-time elsewhere. Currently, we only sell small quantity of local brand rice called Mineasahi to local specialty shops. Like most farmers in Japan, farming is not a big part of our business and mostly remains as a way of life in countryside. However, this type of "kengyo" farming lifestyle is quickly disappearing in Japan as many farmers in countryside get older and many youngsters move to big cities like Tokyo. Here we would like to share our culture and values of Japanese countryside lifestyle through our passion of food.
Class synopsis: Shiokoji Cuisine
Our private cooking class starts with a short introduction of "shiokoji" (a fermented mixture of sea salt and koji rice spore), followed by hands-on cooking instructions from our family chef. The class involves light cooking of protein (a choice of chicken, fish or tofu), miso soup, activated brown rice, and a few seasonal vegetable dishes. Gluten-free and vegan options are available upon request in advance.
Depending on seasonal availability and weather conditions during your visit, you may be invited to visit our backyard to pick fresh seasonal vegetables. If time permits after the cooking class, you can also read our personal stories of “kengyo” farming lifestyle and walk around our neighborhood farms.
Itinerary:
Get off the beaten path to enjoy a 40-minute local bus journey from Toyotashi Station and enjoy a view that drifts from bustling city to countryside along the Yahagi River.
9:33: Take No.5 Oiden Bus from Toyotashi Station (bound for Odo)
10:15: Get off at Kamobashi Shimo
10:30-12:30: Cooking class (2 hours)
12:30-13:30: Free time (e.g. chat with the family chef, walk around neighborhood farms)
13:50: Take No. 5 Oiden Bus from Kamobashi Shimo (bound for Toyotashi Station)
14:32: Arrive at Toyotashi Station
or
14:23: Arrive at Korankei with transfer at Hirose (No. 8 Oiden Bus)
Bus Fare: 500 yen (one way)
Local Tips: If you are looking for a side trip in the afternoon after the cooking class, you can visit Korankei Valley and Old Town of Asuke before you head back to the city. On Wednesdays, you can take a 200-yen community bus from Wachibara Kamobashi to Korankei (13:29-13:59)
Important information
Included in price
- All ingredients
- Drinking water
- Apron rental
- Recipes (available in English)
Not included
- Transportation to/from Kengyo Farmhouse Toyota
Opening days: Tuesdays to Thursdays
Class duration: 10:30 am to 12:30 am (2 hours)
Capacity: Maximum number of participants is 3 (in a private group)
Difficulty: beginner to intermediate level
Know before you book
- Cooking class can be offered in English and Japanese. But the instructor (family chef) can only speak basic level of English. One of the family members is fluent in English and can respond to your queries by email. Fret not, our family recipes and short educational articles are available in English.
- Please inform us of any dietary restrictions in advance (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, gluten- free). We are flexible to accommodate them.
- Reservation: Please book at least one week in advance to have sufficient time for communication and preparation
- Cancellation: For a full refund, cancel within 7 days of purchase if the booking is made more than 1 month in advance. Otherwise, a full refund can only be issued within 48 hours of purchase. We shall not be liable for no-show cancellation due to travel mishaps.
What you need to bring
- Empty stomach
- Intellectual curiosity
Starting point
Kamobashi Shimo bus stop
Mido Shimokawaguchicho, Toyota, Aichi 470-0422
Organised by Kengyo Farmhouse Toyota
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