Brehadeesh Kumar, head chef and co-owner of Ginkgo in Pune, has now been appointed as the Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador for India. He shared this news on his official Instagram handle @the_indian_japanese. He is one of the first few Indians to receive this honour from the Government of Japan. Here is more on this.
Brehadeesh Kumar Becomes The Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador For India
If you follow @the_indian_japanese, you might be aware of his amazing culinary journey in Japanese cuisine. Co-owner and head chef of Ginkgo, an authentic Japanese restaurant in Pune, he has now been recognised for his efforts. Japan has honoured him by appointing him the Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador for India. He shared this news on his official Instagram handle with the caption, “Humbled to be appointed as the Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador for India along with @nooresha.izumi san. It started with a few coins and a deep curiosity for an unknown land, leading to learning the language and eventually honing skills and knowledge of the cuisine. Hope to bring the two countries closer together through food!”
The video showed us his journey and what inspired him to carve a path for himself in the world of Japanese cuisine. He said that it all started with a few Japanese coins, which inspired him to begin his journey to not only cook their cuisine but also learn the language. He also added that he never imagined Japan would one day recognise him as the Japanese cuisine goodwill ambassador. Brehadeesh Kumar is now one of the first few non-Japanese chefs to receive this honour. The Chef is also known for preparing tempting Japanese dishes from scratch.
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An Indian Touch To A Japanese Ceremony
The chef also shared that for the ceremony held at the Japanese Embassy in Delhi, he wanted to showcase his culinary skills by making Japanese food with an Indian touch. He sourced all the ingredients from the INA Market in Delhi. The Chef followed the traditional technique of Japanese ‘kaiseki’ but retained the Indian idea of ‘shun’, meaning he used local peak produce for ingredients.
The elaborate menu for the ceremony prepared by Brehadeesh featured kalmi shak yokan, corn and arrowroot tofu. Besides that, the menu also had panam kalkandu jaggery and arbi shinjo crumbled in red pohe from Pen, Maharashtra. He also prepared grilled fishcakes and namafu, a wheat protein dish that chefs rarely prepare from scratch.
He prepared these dishes by staying true to both India and Japan, while also minimising waste. Brehadeesh ended the video by citing that his journey is not just his own, but also of the people who stood by him along the way. He aims to develop a cross-connection between these two cultures through food. Many of his followers came out in support with comments like, “You have always been an inspiration,” while another one wrote, “Well-deserved recognition, chef..Many many congratulations to you ..it’s so fascinating to see you blending the 2 cuisines in such an interesting way”
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It’s really interesting to watch how Brehadeesh Kumar blends two cuisines to make a dish that looks so tempting. We believe he truly deserves the recognition.
Cover Image Courtesy: Arjun Datta/ LinkedIn