When you hear the word "craft," you might think of handmade items like knitted goods or woodworking. However, we define "craft" as anything that conveys the feelings and intentions of the person who made it. With that in mind, we realize that Awaji Island has many forms of craft, not just in the form of physical objects, but also in the form of food.
The "Delicious Craft Festival," held last December, has returned this year, evolved into a "World" event. With the cooperation of the multinational residents of the island, it's a day to experience cuisine and culture from around the world. Here's a report on the event, which brought together craftsmen from various countries.
https://sumoto-brick.jp/wp/oshina_oishii_craft_festa_world/
What if you were to recreate regional dishes from around the world on Awaji Island?
Representing people from around the world residing on Awaji Island, representatives from three different countries teamed up with Awaji Island chefs to recreate the flavors of their hometowns.
- 296-5 × Eng (South Africa)
- Standing Bar Awaji Island Blues × Anna (Poland)
- Charlar-Charlar- × Mac (USA)
Ms. Enge is from South Africa. The person who cooperated with us for this collaboration is a shop located in Fukura, Minamiawaji City.296-5 It's Mr./Ms.
Enge's favorite dish from her hometown is the "Brovos Roll." It's like a South African hot dog, and the chakalaka sauce used as a topping gives it a distinctly African flavor. In South Africa, it's apparently served with anything, from meat and fish to salads.
They also participated in the previous craft festival.Standing Bar Awaji Island Blues The person who collaborated with us was Anna, who is from Poland.
Pierogi are an essential part of Christmas in Poland. They are like dumplings made from scratch, and apparently there are even specialty shops dedicated to them in Poland.
And the third group is,CharlarMr. [Name] and Mr. Mac, who is from the United States. Since Mr. Mac is from Kentucky, he recreated fried chicken!
Mac tried making it based on his mother's recipe, and he said, "I think I might have surpassed my mother's recipe!"
These three dishes offer flavors rarely found in Japan. On the day of the event, the islanders were very interested in the food from each of the participating restaurants. Thank you to all the chefs who helped us recreate these global flavors!
A world tour in just one day!
In addition to the three collaborations, the event featured 11 booths, including restaurants offering Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Nepalese cuisine, as well as shops selling goods from the UK, India, and Finland.
Additionally, four chefs invited as guests from South Korea hosted "Island Sopung." Sopung means "excursion" or "field trip" in Japanese. They spent several days touring Awaji Island, and based on the inspiration they gained there, they created unique dishes for this special day.
This "Island Sopun" was also exhibited at Craft Base, allowing visitors to catch a glimpse of Awaji Island as seen by people from different cultural backgrounds.
NOMADIC KITCHEN
(Nomadic Kitchen)
This bag will be filled with stories of Awaji Island, its products, and the lives of its inhabitants. We chose a bright yellow as the main color. Yellow symbolizes joy, happiness, and warmth. It is also known as a color that stimulates intellectual activity and creativity. Will our project bring joy to the people of Awaji Island and provide new ideas and opportunities for growth for the four chefs who have come from Korea?
A world connected through food.
Authentic crepes made by Clotilde, a French graduate student who spent three months interning on Awaji Island.
Clotilde hails from Saint-Nazaire, in southern Brittany. Brittany was a separate country from France until the 16th century, and there is a strong movement to preserve their identity and culture.
In Brittany, both sweet and savory crepes are called crepes. At the craft festival, they offered Breton-style crepes made with rum, while showcasing the culture that remains in the Brittany region.
At the event, attendees were encouraged to bring their own containers as a gesture of environmental consideration. This, too, was actually prompted by a comment from one of our guests from Korea.
In markets held in South Korea, it's common to bring your own containers or to borrow tableware. Therefore, a system for borrowing and returning tableware was also provided for this event.
Despite the call being made on Instagram just before the event, many people brought their own tableware or used reusable dishes. This shows that people were inspired by different cultures and developed a positive attitude towards creating a sustainable cycle.
It was a day where diverse cultures intersected, and new encounters were born and spread through delicious food. The event was bustling with approximately 1,000 visitors, and doors to a wider world than usual were opened.