We’ve talked recently about the complex flavour profiles of olive oil, the making of balsamic vinegar, and the myriad varieties of wine across Italy and Europe. This month, in part of a deep dive into the ingredients which shape our food culture and civilisation as we know it, we take…

World class olive oil doesn’t usually make one think of Japan. Yet, one very special olive production in Shodoshima on the island of Shōdo Island, is revising regional clichés about this golden culinary staple. Toyohiro Takao has taken away several awards over the last decade, including the Olio Nuovo Days…

Olive oil is a staple ingredient in Mediterranian cooking, and was once so plentiful in southern Italy that it was used to fuel street lamps. The olive tree has been harvested for its oil for millenia, and the product is integral to Greek, Italian, Turkish and Spanish recipes: around 2.5…

By Edoardo Celadon and Phoebe Hunt For those passionate about Italian cuisine, meeting Andrea Bezzecchi at his Balsamic Vinegar factory is similar to how meeting Michelangelo might feel for an artist. The man, the artisan, the location and the end products make Andrea one of the true custodians of the…

By Phoebe Hunt There is perhaps no better way to tell the story of Italy’s culinary diversity than through pasta. Not only are there many hundreds of different shapes originating from the country’s 20 regions – often with multiple different names depending on where they’re being eaten – each pasta…

From Antiquity to today, truffles, the diamonds of the kitchen remain a highly-prized mystery. While truffles can be cultivated, the harvest is as unpredictable and uncontrollable as anything coming from nature. It is this enigmatic quality, and the unique, deep musky yet indescribable taste, that drives prices upwards of 850…

Written by All Nippon Airways and Luxeat for a project We Are Japan. I first met Yoshinori Ishi at 2 Michelin-starred restaurant Umu. One of the best Kaiseki masters in Europe, he was the former head chef at this London mecca of Japan cuisine for 11 years. Originally from Saitama,…

There is something beautiful and irresistible when Salt meets Fat. A perfect pairing to stimulate the deep appetite. When done well, there is a warmth, a total engagement of the palate, a consensus between texture and taste. Think of the Anchovy. Best consumed most simply, on rustic bread, a slash…

On September 19th 2020, Luxeat started the first Luxeat panel about the Perfect Ingredient.Panel participants were discussing ingredients from the childhood memories and the importance of ingredients in home cooking and in restaurants, also asking the question if we must always be using local and seasonal produce. The group was…

Hidden in an ordinary residential street in Tokyo’ Shinjuku ward, Ken’s Cafémakes the most extraordinary gâteau au chocolat in Japan and the best-molten chocolate cake I’ve ever had. It is also the most difficult to get too. If you buy it directly from the shop where it’s made, the waiting…