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- Report on the “Nutritionist’s Nagato Skewer” Grill House Event
Report on the “Nutritionist’s Nagato Skewer” Grill House Event
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Last updated:
Jun 23, 2019
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About the writer:
Nagato Tourism Convention Association
Bringing the Appeal of Food from Grill House to the Nation
On June 2 (Sun), "Nutritionist's Nagato Kushi", an event to promote Nagato City foods, was held at "Grill House", a barbecue facility in Senza Kitchen, a roadside station, by dietitians from all over Japan.
This event was part of the "Pass Tour" organized by the Association for the Advancement of Dietitians, which offers "Fun Study," a correspondence course for the national dietitian exam in the city, inviting people who have passed the exam every year from all over Japan to Nagato City to enjoy sightseeing and hands-on experience together. This year, about 30 people from all over Japan participated in the tour.
The Grill House is a facility where visitors can bring in food purchased directly from the market and cook it. On the day of the event, fresh vegetables grown in various parts of the city were prepared, with a focus on "tayanasu" eggplants, which are in season.
At first, staff members of the Nagato City Tourism and Convention Association introduced the facilities of Roadside Station Senza Kitchen and Nagato City's specialties. They talked about the charm of the city, where an abundance of food from the sea and mountains is available.
Next, Ms. Masako Aomura, owner of Yakitoriya Chikuzen, introduced the history of yakitori. With the development of the fishing and seafood processing industries in Nagato City, the poultry farming industry flourished because of the abundant supply of fish cages for chicken feed, leading to the current "yakitori (grilled chicken) town.
Afterwards, Mr. Mitsutoshi Isobe of Fukagawa Chicken Farmers Cooperative promoted the characteristics and taste of "Choshu Kuro Kashiwa," an original local chicken produced in Yamaguchi Prefecture, and the participants were surprised and pleased that the cooperative provided one "Choshu Kuro Kashiwa" for each table this time.
The theme of this year's event was "Kushiyaki," a way of eating unique to Nagato City, where yakitori culture is deeply rooted. We named our original skewers "Nagato Kushi" using ingredients from Nagato City, and enjoyed the process of skewering at each table.
Each part of the dish, such as the thigh, the chicken breast, and the white meat, will be combined with a wide variety of vegetables and seasonings.
This perspective is, after all, unique to dietitians.
First, black kashiwa, which contains many functional ingredients that help relieve fatigue, is topped with ume plum, which contains citric acid that further promotes recovery. Root vegetables such as burdock, carrots, and yams also go well with the chicken, with some people saying that the key is to use them with their skins on in order to get more nutrients.
Cooking methods varied even over the same charcoal fire, such as grilling the large meat of "tayanasu" as it is to enjoy its tender texture, or steaming meat and vegetables together in aluminum foil to keep moisture and flavor intact.
While some said that the resilient and flavorful black kashiwa meat was best enjoyed with salt, as is typical of Nagato's yakitori, others added their own twist by using yuzu pepper, miso powder, or sauce that they brought with them. Each table was busy preparing their own unique "Nagato skewers" one after another.
After the event, each participant posted an article on Facebook and Instagram with the common hashtag #NagatoKushi, and as of June 22, more than 20 posts had been made, communicating Nagato City's food ingredients from a nutritionist's perspective to the rest of Japan.
Grill house is at the back of the direct sales area.
The location of the "Grill House" barbecue facility at Roadside Station Senza Kitchen is behind the direct sales counter.
There is no need to prepare or clean up, and you can enjoy a casual barbecue for a fee of 200 yen (per adult) for 90 minutes. Whether you want to enjoy a slightly luxurious barbecue lunch or have fun with your family or local group, we hope you will make use of this service for your summer outings.
