Food Culture

Food culture encompasses not just what we eat, but how we make it, how we eat it, and what we value. In Japanese food culture, fermentation transcends mere technique. The seasonal sense of preparing miso, the daily care of a nuka bed, the respect of calling koji mold the national fungus—food culture has grown from the relationship between people, nature, and microorganisms, with fermentation at its center. While globalization raises concerns about food culture homogenization, a return to local food is also a global trend. Food culture is not fixed but a living practice constantly changing and renewing. Transmitting fermentation culture to the next generation means protecting food culture's diversity.