One of my best discoveries recently is 8 places sushi-ya in Wimbledon Takahashi, run by a husband and a wife team. Before moving to London, Nobuhisa Takahashi worked at a kaiseki restaurant in Japan as well as Nobu Tokyo, where he acquired great skills for both, sushi and Japanese fine dining.…

A single word holds the key to the magic to so much of what we understand about the world of taste and flavour today – Umami. But what is this famous fifth taste, where do we find it, and why is it that we can’t get enough of it? In…

Throughout this series, we’ve delved into the world of Umami – the indescribable fifth flavour – which was discovered in Japan by Professor Ikeda in 1908. To put it simply, when something is really tasty and delicious, it’s very often the case that it’s got umami in it. Scientifically, these…

Umami is synonymous with Japan in many ways, in everything from their cuisine to their tea ceremonies, but there’s no reason the illusive ‘fifth taste’ can’t be produced in other countries too. This was exactly the thought that struck journalist Nina Gruntowski one day, when she discovered that green tea…

A PhD in microbiology may not seem an obvious background for the creator of a trendy ramen shop in Oslo, but the connections run deeper than you might think. David Quist talks to Luxeat about the huge untapped potential of making meat from fungi, and why ramen is the perfect…

Sake – a fermented alcohol, brewed from rice, kōji rice, water and yeast – is one of the world’s most misunderstood beverages. It’s not a distilled spirit, and to ensure it maintains its true quality, low temperature storage is essential at all times. We sit down with Rebekah Wilson-Lye, a…

Art historian Rossella Menegazzo has always specialised in Japan: she completed her PhD in Oriental Studies with a dissertation on Japanese art history and photography in 2009, and went on to become Professor of East Asian Art History at the University of Milan. Menegazzo is the author of numerous texts…

As part of our deep dive into Japan, Luxeat has the joy of meeting with a Japanese ceramics legend to better understand the history and importance of cups, plates and bowls across the nation. Robert Yellin is an American Japanese ceramics specialist who has been living in Japan since 1984.…

Originally from Sapporo,Takuya Watanabeis the chef-owner of Jin, Michelin starred sushi restaurant in Paris. Opened in 2013, Taku was one of the first sushi masters in Europe to serve omakase behind the counter, just like in Japan. He has also put a lot of time and effort into sourcing only…

By Pablo Alomar Salvioni We’re all familiar with sake, the alcoholic rice wine which is known as Japan’s national drink. There are myriad different varieties and flavours, and the proper term is Nihonshu or Seishu in Japanese. While sake is well-known, however, there is another drink with the appearance of…