Japanese Ingredients for the World’s Top Kitchens #01
Black Currants
Handpicked Goodness from Aomori, Rich in Polyphenols
2021.02.25

Though the times are always changing, there are certain timeless ingredients from Japan that will never go out of style. Yukio Hattori, president of Hattori Nutrition College in Tokyo, introduces unique labors of love—items grown and produced with care and integrity by hardworking suppliers across the country.

He uses no agrochemicals and insists on handpicking, a labor-intensive process that peaks for two weeks in July. “You can’t beat handpicked quality,” he says. Fresh black currants have a short shelf life, so much of the harvest is flash-frozen for delivery to restaurant, hotel, and pastry chefs, or turned into the 100-percent puree, jam, and powder sold online.





◎Hayashi Farm
2-5-13 Matsumori, Aomori-shi, Aomori, Japan
☎017–743-3317
https://www.cassiscafe.shop/
Instagram:@cassis.cafe.aomori
(The Cuisine Magazine / January 2021)