INFORMATION

As the recommended menus from around the country compete for FooDrinpic,
A project in which professionals give advice on recommended foods from around the region, aiming to reach the pinnacle of deliciousness.
That's "Hiroshima Iron Man Goes!"
The first event was held in Mihara City in November 2024.

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The person who was responsible for polishing Mihara City's "oshi-shoku" was the stationmaster of "Mihara Shinmei-no-Sato Roadside Station."
Mr. Koji Nakata.

He is the owner and chef of the Italian restaurant "Cafe & Dining Ciao!"
Taking advantage of his wealth of experience, he makes flan using octopus and mitten crab, which are local specialties of Mihara City.
(A type of French dish, similar to a savory pudding)

This flan brings out the best in ingredients from Mihara City,
It was developed with the aim of being the perfect snack to accompany the local sake "Suishin."

The Hiroshima Iron Man giving Fran advice is,
Mr. Mitsunori Shimamura.
After experiencing life in Kobe and France, he returned to his hometown of Hiroshima.
After helping to launch "Mikuni Hiroshima,"
He continues to run his own restaurant, Shima Labo, while continuing the same concept.
As a specialist in Satoyama and Satoumi French cuisine,
It has earned high praise for its cuisine that makes use of ingredients from the Seto Inland Sea.

Shimamura focuses on Mihara City's "good water quality" and also focuses on eggs, an important ingredient in flan.
These elements are combined with the Mihara octopus and Japanese mitten crab,
They developed a flan recipe that made the most of the region's characteristics and came to the event with it.

In the ingredient understanding section, a representative of the producers of common octopus (Yassa octopus)
Mr. Teruyuki Hamamatsu, Chairman of the Mihara City Fisheries Cooperative Association,
Also, on behalf of the producers of the local sake "Zuishin"
Mr. Kunio Sakai, manager of Zuishin Yamamoto store, participated in the event.
The characteristics of each ingredient were explained.

Yassa octopus (common octopus) is a specialty product representing Mihara City.
It is a food ingredient that has deep ties to the local fishing culture.
Octopus is mainly caught in the Seto Inland Sea around Mihara City, where it grows in calm waters and abundant seaweed.
It has a firm texture and a rich flavor.
The fishing method used is the traditional octopus trap fishing method, which reduces the burden on the environment.
We were introduced to sustainable fishing practices.

Furthermore, Zuishin is a local sake that represents Mihara City, and boasts a history of over 100 years since its founding.
We use pure soft water for brewing,
The resulting soft, smooth texture and refined flavor are characteristic of Suishin.
The rich flavor of Yassa Octopus and the delicate taste of Yokishin make a perfect pairing.
It was spoken of as a unique attraction of Mihara.

After the participants tasted the flan developed by Mr. Nakata,
Chef Shimamura has begun preparing the flan.

Chef Shimamura uses water and eggs as a base.
In order to bring out the texture of the octopus, we propose cutting it into cubes to retain its texture.
By adding seasonal vegetables cut to the same size (in this case, radish),
They shared ideas for providing dishes that are filling yet have different flavors for each season.

Furthermore, as we continued cooking, we pursued even greater deliciousness,
It was decided to use "nameko" mushrooms, which were available at the venue and were produced in Mihara City, as one of the ingredients.
In addition, we paid particular attention to the appearance, and used a crab shell as the lid,
This not only traps heat but also provides visual enjoyment.

The result is a visually stunning and delicious flan that will please both your eyes and taste buds.

The completed flan, invented by Chef Shimamura, was tasted by those involved,
Comments were received from each participant.

Chef Shimamura says, "I don't stick to pairing with sake,
By using the standard French recipe,
As a result, ingredients from the same region naturally complement each other's flavors."

Stationmaster Nakata said,
"Although it looks and tastes different from the flan I invented, it is definitely a dish that goes well with 'Drunkenness.'
It was very interesting and a valuable experience to be able to experience a different approach."
Also, regarding the diced ingredients,
"Not only is it satisfying to eat, but the flavor of the ingredients really stands out.
"I thought, 'Chef Shimamura, that's tricky!'" he said with a smile.

Producers Hamamatsu and Sakai also said,
Chef Shimamura and Stationmaster Nakata's flan each have their own unique character and charm,
He expressed his hope that these dishes will further increase the value of Mihara City's ingredients.

Finally, a message from Stationmaster Nakata
"Through this project, I was able to enjoy both Chef Shimamura's flan and my own flan.
We have brushed up the product to make it the best of both worlds.
We will be competing in the autumn "FooDrinpic HIROSHIMA 12" finals to be held on December 4th.
The meeting came to a close with enthusiastic comments.