1 00:00:01,580 --> 00:00:07,870 [Music] 2 00:00:10,430 --> 00:00:15,210 [Music] 3 00:00:19,420 --> 00:00:24,279 an intricately marbled cut of meat this 4 00:00:24,279 --> 00:00:29,739 is Japan's world-famous Courbet beef it 5 00:00:29,739 --> 00:00:32,619 comes from cows raised for three years 6 00:00:32,619 --> 00:00:38,470 using strict guidelines Japan delights 7 00:00:38,470 --> 00:00:41,640 gourmets with steak yakitori sukiyaki 8 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:48,510 tonkatsu and other meat dishes but for 9 00:00:48,510 --> 00:00:51,820 1,200 years Japan actually prohibited 10 00:00:51,820 --> 00:00:54,640 meat consumption as we'll see 11 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:59,500 rice played a role in that ban this time 12 00:00:59,500 --> 00:01:01,840 on jabber knology plus we look at some 13 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,209 cultural features of meat eating in 14 00:01:04,209 --> 00:01:05,710 Japan 15 00:01:05,710 --> 00:01:08,920 [Music] 16 00:01:11,300 --> 00:01:16,950 [Music] 17 00:01:17,750 --> 00:01:20,120 hello welcome to Japan on G I'm Peter 18 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:23,870 Barca in recent years there seems to be 19 00:01:23,870 --> 00:01:25,820 an increasing number of vegans around 20 00:01:25,820 --> 00:01:26,300 the world 21 00:01:26,300 --> 00:01:28,250 so today's program may have limited 22 00:01:28,250 --> 00:01:29,900 appeal we're going to be talking about 23 00:01:29,900 --> 00:01:32,840 meat we're a carnivore like myself 24 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,600 Japan has plenty to offer in that area I 25 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,060 mean core bear city which is world 26 00:01:38,060 --> 00:01:40,670 famous for its beef so much so that in 27 00:01:40,670 --> 00:01:43,550 2009 when President Barack Obama came to 28 00:01:43,550 --> 00:01:46,220 Japan Kobe beef was firmly on his wish 29 00:01:46,220 --> 00:01:49,370 list these days you'll find a wide 30 00:01:49,370 --> 00:01:51,410 variety of meat in any Japanese 31 00:01:51,410 --> 00:01:55,100 supermarket but regular consumption of 32 00:01:55,100 --> 00:01:57,320 meat has only been widespread in Japan 33 00:01:57,320 --> 00:01:59,479 for about 50 years and in the past 34 00:01:59,479 --> 00:02:02,630 several hundreds of years the eating of 35 00:02:02,630 --> 00:02:04,970 meat was actually prohibited in Japan on 36 00:02:04,970 --> 00:02:06,650 today's program we'll take a look at the 37 00:02:06,650 --> 00:02:08,360 reasons for that and what brought about 38 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:10,639 the change in attitudes in recent years 39 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:15,440 for many people the phrase Japanese food 40 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:17,810 conjures up images of fish rather than 41 00:02:17,810 --> 00:02:25,040 meat but let's ask some people what they 42 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:45,590 like to eat the Japanese diet has 43 00:02:45,590 --> 00:02:48,019 changed dramatically over the past 50 44 00:02:48,019 --> 00:02:50,049 years 45 00:02:50,340 --> 00:02:55,180 in 1960 the average person ate only 3.5 46 00:02:55,180 --> 00:02:58,660 kilograms of meat per year but by 2017 47 00:02:58,660 --> 00:03:01,300 that figure was thirty two point seven 48 00:03:01,300 --> 00:03:04,660 kilos nearly ten times as much by 49 00:03:04,660 --> 00:03:05,380 comparison 50 00:03:05,380 --> 00:03:08,110 seafood consumption stood at just twenty 51 00:03:08,110 --> 00:03:10,720 four point four kilos and that amount is 52 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:11,470 in decline 53 00:03:11,470 --> 00:03:20,680 a Tokyo department store in sight is a 54 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:22,420 specialist meat counter 55 00:03:22,420 --> 00:03:24,550 there are separate sections for chicken 56 00:03:24,550 --> 00:03:27,790 beef and pork prices are higher here 57 00:03:27,790 --> 00:03:31,560 than they would be at a supermarket 58 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:39,170 chicken thigh is about 400 yen for 100 59 00:03:39,170 --> 00:03:46,269 grams pork loin is 670 yen for 100 grams 60 00:03:46,269 --> 00:03:53,239 and beef loin 2500 yen for 100 grams 61 00:03:53,239 --> 00:03:56,360 each cut is individually wrapped 62 00:03:56,360 --> 00:04:00,310 [Music] 63 00:04:00,310 --> 00:04:05,340 so what meat dishes are popular in Japan 64 00:04:05,340 --> 00:04:06,610 [Music] 65 00:04:06,610 --> 00:04:09,500 steak and fried chicken are common 66 00:04:09,500 --> 00:04:13,340 worldwide but Japan also offers some 67 00:04:13,340 --> 00:04:18,980 unique takes on dishes featuring me one 68 00:04:18,980 --> 00:04:24,350 example is sukiyaki beef fat is melted 69 00:04:24,350 --> 00:04:28,040 in a special pattern thin strips of beef 70 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:32,480 are frying then you add sugar and soy 71 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:34,570 sauce 72 00:04:36,270 --> 00:04:38,050 [Music] 73 00:04:38,050 --> 00:04:40,419 when the meat is browned on both sides 74 00:04:40,419 --> 00:04:43,210 it's dipped in beaten egg before being 75 00:04:43,210 --> 00:04:53,680 eaten next is shabu shabu thin strips of 76 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:55,840 meat are cooked by swishing them around 77 00:04:55,840 --> 00:05:03,699 in a pan of boiling stock they are eaten 78 00:05:03,699 --> 00:05:09,970 with sesame or citrus sources after the 79 00:05:09,970 --> 00:05:12,699 mead you add vegetables like mushrooms 80 00:05:12,699 --> 00:05:16,289 greens and carrots 81 00:05:19,799 --> 00:05:23,589 this is yakitori bite-sized pieces of 82 00:05:23,589 --> 00:05:25,419 chicken cooked on skewers over a 83 00:05:25,419 --> 00:05:27,990 charcoal grill 84 00:05:27,990 --> 00:05:31,060 [Music] 85 00:05:31,060 --> 00:05:33,550 there are two main types of seasoning 86 00:05:33,550 --> 00:05:37,780 salt or padam tatah is a sweet thick soy 87 00:05:37,780 --> 00:05:42,580 based source countless other dishes 88 00:05:42,580 --> 00:05:45,580 including con katsu and nikujaga feature 89 00:05:45,580 --> 00:05:47,440 meat cooked or seasons in a 90 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:52,750 japanese-style yakiniku restaurants 91 00:05:52,750 --> 00:05:54,880 where you grill meat at your table exist 92 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,390 in huge numbers plans are especially 93 00:05:58,390 --> 00:06:01,220 popular with younger diners 94 00:06:01,220 --> 00:06:05,279 [Music] 95 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:08,579 mutton and lamb are also eaten in Japan 96 00:06:08,579 --> 00:06:11,879 for example they are used in genius gun 97 00:06:11,879 --> 00:06:16,489 a dish cooked on a specially don't grill 98 00:06:16,669 --> 00:06:20,009 Thanks the dishes like these meat takes 99 00:06:20,009 --> 00:06:22,319 up an increasingly large portion of the 100 00:06:22,319 --> 00:06:30,239 Japanese diet this time on Japanese A 101 00:06:30,239 --> 00:06:32,339 our guest is Knoblauch Harada a 102 00:06:32,339 --> 00:06:39,179 professor at Kukushkin University his 103 00:06:39,179 --> 00:06:41,699 work shines a light on Japanese culinary 104 00:06:41,699 --> 00:06:44,159 culture and the key developments in its 105 00:06:44,159 --> 00:06:49,379 history we're at a top-class 106 00:06:49,379 --> 00:06:54,779 steak restaurant in central Corbin the 107 00:06:54,779 --> 00:06:58,259 chef a 10-year veteran serves Kobe beef 108 00:06:58,259 --> 00:07:01,049 one of Japan's three most renowned 109 00:07:01,049 --> 00:07:04,969 varieties here's the main ingredient I 110 00:07:04,969 --> 00:07:07,649 think this is the first time I've ever 111 00:07:07,649 --> 00:07:11,279 eaten haven't eaten yet at a restaurant 112 00:07:11,279 --> 00:07:13,110 with a Michelin star so I'm sure we're 113 00:07:13,110 --> 00:07:15,809 in for something special with beef of 114 00:07:15,809 --> 00:07:17,279 this quality I'm sure it's going to set 115 00:07:17,279 --> 00:07:19,799 my bankaccount back quite a bit perhaps 116 00:07:19,799 --> 00:07:22,409 we should find out how much before we 117 00:07:22,409 --> 00:07:26,249 eat today's beef cost 16,000 yen for a 118 00:07:26,249 --> 00:07:28,219 hundred grams okay 119 00:07:28,219 --> 00:07:32,759 just to be prepared thank you when it 120 00:07:32,759 --> 00:07:35,399 comes to top-class beef prices like that 121 00:07:35,399 --> 00:07:38,729 and no surprise for most people eating 122 00:07:38,729 --> 00:07:39,989 this kind of food is a 123 00:07:39,989 --> 00:07:42,299 once-in-a-lifetime experience 124 00:07:42,299 --> 00:07:44,909 the two diners I the small piece of 125 00:07:44,909 --> 00:07:49,499 frying meat apprehensively how does it 126 00:07:49,499 --> 00:07:52,019 how often do you eat me say how many 127 00:07:52,019 --> 00:07:52,999 days of the week 128 00:07:52,999 --> 00:07:56,639 quite often I'd say at least four days a 129 00:07:56,639 --> 00:07:57,239 week 130 00:07:57,239 --> 00:08:01,169 something like that I'm probably 131 00:08:01,169 --> 00:08:03,479 something like that the actual amount of 132 00:08:03,479 --> 00:08:04,050 meat 133 00:08:04,050 --> 00:08:06,750 in one time it's probably not an awful 134 00:08:06,750 --> 00:08:08,930 lot 135 00:08:14,259 --> 00:08:16,719 it looks good it smell good and even 136 00:08:16,719 --> 00:08:19,689 sounds good you can enjoy it with every 137 00:08:19,689 --> 00:08:28,180 one of your senses after browning you 138 00:08:28,180 --> 00:08:31,960 let it cook very slowly what happens 139 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:32,409 then 140 00:08:32,409 --> 00:08:36,339 well the juices are trapped inside that 141 00:08:36,339 --> 00:08:39,510 boosts the umami and the meat becomes 142 00:08:39,510 --> 00:08:42,810 wonderfully soft 143 00:08:48,150 --> 00:08:52,110 sharpness of the knife is amazing the 144 00:08:52,110 --> 00:08:58,320 way you slice it changes the taste yes 145 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:00,870 you're supposed to cut it in such a way 146 00:09:00,870 --> 00:09:03,420 that the juices stay in if you're 147 00:09:03,420 --> 00:09:05,370 careless you damage the tissue of the 148 00:09:05,370 --> 00:09:10,100 meat and that will let the juices escape 149 00:09:10,670 --> 00:09:13,800 even high quality meats its heavily in 150 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,650 the stomach if you eat too much and a 151 00:09:16,650 --> 00:09:18,839 normal-sized portion of beef like this 152 00:09:18,839 --> 00:09:21,810 would cost a fortune so the restaurant 153 00:09:21,810 --> 00:09:34,110 serves portions of 100 to 150 grams it's 154 00:09:34,110 --> 00:09:38,190 tender and absolutely full of flavor it 155 00:09:38,190 --> 00:09:43,320 really literally melts in the mouth when 156 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:45,960 it's cooking and when you eat it the 157 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,320 meat gives off a unique scent we call 158 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:52,740 that the Wagyu aroma took a what to say 159 00:09:52,740 --> 00:09:55,230 that was just fantastic when you talk 160 00:09:55,230 --> 00:09:58,650 about Japanese food immediately the the 161 00:09:58,650 --> 00:10:00,900 things that come to mind uh sushi and 162 00:10:00,900 --> 00:10:03,930 sashimi and tempered on a lot of things 163 00:10:03,930 --> 00:10:07,290 that use fish but according to recent 164 00:10:07,290 --> 00:10:09,660 statistics it seems that Japanese people 165 00:10:09,660 --> 00:10:12,150 in general are now actually eating more 166 00:10:12,150 --> 00:10:15,120 meat than fish which is it was a little 167 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:16,560 bit surprising to me when I first heard 168 00:10:16,560 --> 00:10:20,040 that today Japanese people eat lots of 169 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:22,260 meat but up until relatively recently 170 00:10:22,260 --> 00:10:24,350 things were very different 171 00:10:24,350 --> 00:10:28,380 they still ate a great deal of fish it 172 00:10:28,380 --> 00:10:33,000 really was a very recent change today 173 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:34,560 we're here in this restaurant having 174 00:10:34,560 --> 00:10:35,640 this amazing 175 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:37,860 Kobe beef but for hundreds of years 176 00:10:37,860 --> 00:10:40,380 there was a prohibition against Japanese 177 00:10:40,380 --> 00:10:42,900 people eating meat so let's take a look 178 00:10:42,900 --> 00:10:47,279 at why and how that happened how did the 179 00:10:47,279 --> 00:10:49,730 Japanese relationship with me develop 180 00:10:49,730 --> 00:10:54,070 through history over 10,000 years ago 181 00:10:54,070 --> 00:10:57,889 Japanese people hunted and ate deer wild 182 00:10:57,889 --> 00:11:02,839 boar and other animals but when rice 183 00:11:02,839 --> 00:11:04,970 cultivation arrived fire the Korean 184 00:11:04,970 --> 00:11:07,639 Peninsula three thousand years ago the 185 00:11:07,639 --> 00:11:11,010 new club began to dominate the diet 186 00:11:11,010 --> 00:11:16,330 [Music] 187 00:11:16,330 --> 00:11:19,840 in the late sixth century Buddhism came 188 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:23,080 to Japan the religion forbids killing 189 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:25,930 and so as it spread meat consumption 190 00:11:25,930 --> 00:11:27,620 declined 191 00:11:27,620 --> 00:11:31,399 [Music] 192 00:11:31,399 --> 00:11:35,070 one particularly devout Buddhist was the 193 00:11:35,070 --> 00:11:39,570 10 new emperor in 675 he banned the 194 00:11:39,570 --> 00:11:42,390 consumption of animal meat an act that 195 00:11:42,390 --> 00:11:44,640 made an enormous impact on the national 196 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:48,480 diet it marked the beginning of a 1200 197 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:55,470 year period of prohibition the ban 198 00:11:55,470 --> 00:11:57,750 finally came to an end during the Meiji 199 00:11:57,750 --> 00:11:58,649 Restoration 200 00:11:58,649 --> 00:12:00,810 when lifestyle shifted to follow a more 201 00:12:00,810 --> 00:12:08,940 Western model in 1872 the Meiji Emperor 202 00:12:08,940 --> 00:12:11,370 revoked the prohibition of meat and 203 00:12:11,370 --> 00:12:17,730 began eating it himself he said I didn't 204 00:12:17,730 --> 00:12:20,730 do it for my health it was necessary as 205 00:12:20,730 --> 00:12:23,010 a way to build better relationships with 206 00:12:23,010 --> 00:12:26,459 foreigners national isolation had ended 207 00:12:26,459 --> 00:12:28,620 and meat-eating was now regarded as 208 00:12:28,620 --> 00:12:32,600 vital for international exchange 209 00:12:33,330 --> 00:12:36,070 [Music] 210 00:12:36,070 --> 00:12:39,100 as meat had been banned for so long at 211 00:12:39,100 --> 00:12:41,259 first the public at launch didn't take 212 00:12:41,259 --> 00:12:43,660 to him but people experimented using 213 00:12:43,660 --> 00:12:46,509 condiments like soy sauce and miso and 214 00:12:46,509 --> 00:12:48,850 they created dishes that suited the 215 00:12:48,850 --> 00:12:54,730 Japanese palate beef in particular 216 00:12:54,730 --> 00:12:57,370 became a symbol of westernization and 217 00:12:57,370 --> 00:13:00,699 among earlier doctors miso beef hot pots 218 00:13:00,699 --> 00:13:03,699 were popular soon enough meat-eating 219 00:13:03,699 --> 00:13:06,870 had spread across the whole country 220 00:13:06,870 --> 00:13:10,539 [Music] 221 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:13,360 yakitori I mean just the aroma events 222 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:14,829 enough to make your mouth water enough 223 00:13:14,829 --> 00:13:16,449 something as good as this 224 00:13:16,449 --> 00:13:19,990 it's amazing that for so long Japanese 225 00:13:19,990 --> 00:13:22,120 people weren't allowed to eat this now 226 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:24,850 the burn on eating meat was what twelve 227 00:13:24,850 --> 00:13:29,560 hundred years in 675 the ten new emperor 228 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:32,730 introduced what we call the ban on meat 229 00:13:32,730 --> 00:13:35,880 the animals the ban covered were cows 230 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:41,110 horses chickens dogs and monkeys which 231 00:13:41,110 --> 00:13:44,620 are very similar to humans but the ban 232 00:13:44,620 --> 00:13:47,130 only applied to those five animals 233 00:13:47,130 --> 00:13:50,319 everything else including wild boar and 234 00:13:50,319 --> 00:13:54,670 venison was still allowed also the ban 235 00:13:54,670 --> 00:13:56,920 only applied from the time rice was 236 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:00,220 planted to when it was harvested just 237 00:14:00,220 --> 00:14:03,850 that period in other words those animals 238 00:14:03,850 --> 00:14:05,589 couldn't be killed and eaten between 239 00:14:05,589 --> 00:14:08,980 April and September the leaders of the 240 00:14:08,980 --> 00:14:11,019 past thought that if people ate meat 241 00:14:11,019 --> 00:14:13,389 during those times they wouldn't make a 242 00:14:13,389 --> 00:14:16,180 good rice that's what the people in 243 00:14:16,180 --> 00:14:21,130 charge believed what was the logic for 244 00:14:21,130 --> 00:14:23,500 not being able to grow the rice properly 245 00:14:23,500 --> 00:14:24,940 of people reading meat 246 00:14:24,940 --> 00:14:28,470 for the Japanese rice is a sacred food 247 00:14:28,470 --> 00:14:32,230 rice or rice based products like sake 248 00:14:32,230 --> 00:14:34,900 and mochi rice cakes are used as 249 00:14:34,900 --> 00:14:39,070 offerings at shrines rice was a sacred 250 00:14:39,070 --> 00:14:41,860 offering to the deities but meat on the 251 00:14:41,860 --> 00:14:44,980 other hand was seen as unclean that at 252 00:14:44,980 --> 00:14:46,990 least is the view that took hold after 253 00:14:46,990 --> 00:14:52,120 the ten move Emperor issued his ban if 254 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:54,670 you became ritually impure were there 255 00:14:54,670 --> 00:14:56,380 certain particular things that happened 256 00:14:56,380 --> 00:14:59,800 to you or did people think so people 257 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:01,720 believed that meat-eating would cause 258 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:05,110 blindness or contort your mouth they 259 00:15:05,110 --> 00:15:09,640 were common superstitions they even 260 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:11,740 believed that the impurity could spread 261 00:15:11,740 --> 00:15:16,390 from person to person so if person a ate 262 00:15:16,390 --> 00:15:21,430 meat they were impure for 100 days after 263 00:15:21,430 --> 00:15:24,460 100 days had passed they would be back 264 00:15:24,460 --> 00:15:27,070 to normal but if they shared a meal with 265 00:15:27,070 --> 00:15:30,250 person B during that time B was impure 266 00:15:30,250 --> 00:15:35,440 for 30 days so a ate meat and B didn't 267 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:38,170 but the fact that a and B ate together 268 00:15:38,170 --> 00:15:40,890 was enough to make the impurity spread 269 00:15:40,890 --> 00:15:45,700 for 30 days yes 30 and let's say there's 270 00:15:45,700 --> 00:15:50,200 a person C who's never even met a if C 271 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:54,160 eats with B then C becomes impure for 7 272 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:59,740 days but the impurity disappears beyond 273 00:15:59,740 --> 00:16:04,780 that okay so if you're d you're cool and 274 00:16:04,780 --> 00:16:06,730 other particular periods within that 275 00:16:06,730 --> 00:16:10,699 twelve hundred years when the 276 00:16:10,699 --> 00:16:13,680 prohibitions were particularly severe or 277 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:16,589 perhaps were more lenient the 278 00:16:16,589 --> 00:16:18,839 limitations were at their most strict in 279 00:16:18,839 --> 00:16:21,660 the 17th to 19th centuries the Edo 280 00:16:21,660 --> 00:16:25,170 period at that time rice was used to 281 00:16:25,170 --> 00:16:27,300 measure the value of everything from the 282 00:16:27,300 --> 00:16:29,459 size of settlements to the economic 283 00:16:29,459 --> 00:16:30,809 power of Lords 284 00:16:30,809 --> 00:16:33,600 therefore the cultivation of rice spread 285 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:36,149 for political reasons meat was seen as 286 00:16:36,149 --> 00:16:38,819 the unclean opposite of rice and that is 287 00:16:38,819 --> 00:16:43,309 why it was shunned in the Edo period and 288 00:16:43,309 --> 00:16:45,959 that lasted all the way through to the 289 00:16:45,959 --> 00:16:47,759 end of the Edo period like two hundred 290 00:16:47,759 --> 00:16:50,399 and fifty years there was a degree of 291 00:16:50,399 --> 00:16:53,579 flexibility for example people with 292 00:16:53,579 --> 00:16:55,769 frail health could eat meat to get their 293 00:16:55,769 --> 00:16:58,139 strength back it was seen as a kind of 294 00:16:58,139 --> 00:17:01,019 medicine people also used that kind of 295 00:17:01,019 --> 00:17:06,148 logic so again this is an indication 296 00:17:06,148 --> 00:17:08,339 that despite it being strictly 297 00:17:08,339 --> 00:17:10,439 prohibited people did want to eat it 298 00:17:10,439 --> 00:17:12,990 they did like eating meat so they found 299 00:17:12,990 --> 00:17:14,490 a way to get around the problem to the 300 00:17:14,490 --> 00:17:17,579 prohibitions that's right in the past 301 00:17:17,579 --> 00:17:19,770 Japanese people ate a lot of wild boar 302 00:17:19,770 --> 00:17:23,220 and deer they were known as whales of 303 00:17:23,220 --> 00:17:25,500 the mountains and people ate them 304 00:17:25,500 --> 00:17:27,750 because they were seen as more like fish 305 00:17:27,750 --> 00:17:34,200 than Mitsuwa taisha shrine is 306 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:36,330 particularly famous for selling a 307 00:17:36,330 --> 00:17:39,270 talisman that called a venison permit if 308 00:17:39,270 --> 00:17:44,730 you had that you could eat deer so there 309 00:17:44,730 --> 00:17:46,260 were loopholes like that 310 00:17:46,260 --> 00:17:48,929 Japan's famous for the whole idea of 311 00:17:48,929 --> 00:17:53,399 umami which Japanese take from things 312 00:17:53,399 --> 00:17:56,970 like seaweed in other countries I think 313 00:17:56,970 --> 00:17:58,740 they would get the same kind of thing 314 00:17:58,740 --> 00:18:01,169 from meat especially from the the fat 315 00:18:01,169 --> 00:18:03,840 would it be logical to assume the 316 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:05,880 Japanese went to all these lengths of 317 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:07,440 finding and women other things because 318 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:09,870 they weren't eating meat a lot of 319 00:18:09,870 --> 00:18:11,669 countries use animal fat in their 320 00:18:11,669 --> 00:18:16,140 cooking as a source of but in Japan meat 321 00:18:16,140 --> 00:18:20,909 eating was ostensibly banned so people 322 00:18:20,909 --> 00:18:23,130 made sure to avoid meat when cooking 323 00:18:23,130 --> 00:18:28,320 formally that's why people used seaweed 324 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:31,919 or fish for umami flavor we saw that 325 00:18:31,919 --> 00:18:34,200 development in the aro period when the 326 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:36,299 restrictions on meat consumption were 327 00:18:36,299 --> 00:18:39,179 most severe we have the best of both 328 00:18:39,179 --> 00:18:43,409 worlds these days yes indeed in the 329 00:18:43,409 --> 00:18:45,770 modern era we have yakitori like this 330 00:18:45,770 --> 00:18:49,710 sukiyaki tonkatsu and so on we've 331 00:18:49,710 --> 00:18:51,539 developed an approach to food where meat 332 00:18:51,539 --> 00:18:55,400 and fish are equally enjoyable 333 00:18:57,540 --> 00:19:01,829 [Music] 334 00:19:02,510 --> 00:19:05,370 wanky is the name for native Japanese 335 00:19:05,370 --> 00:19:09,570 cattle where is Japan and kill refers to 336 00:19:09,570 --> 00:19:12,360 beef the exquisitely marbled beef that 337 00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:14,789 these breeds produce has made a name for 338 00:19:14,789 --> 00:19:17,270 itself all over the world 339 00:19:17,270 --> 00:19:21,890 [Music] 340 00:19:21,890 --> 00:19:25,410 hi I'm Matt alt and this is plus one 341 00:19:25,410 --> 00:19:28,200 today I'm deep in the mountains of me a 342 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,030 Prefecture in a little town called 343 00:19:30,030 --> 00:19:32,430 Matsuzaka this is where they raised 344 00:19:32,430 --> 00:19:34,740 Matsuzaka cattle which are used to make 345 00:19:34,740 --> 00:19:37,350 Matsusaka beef one of the most famous 346 00:19:37,350 --> 00:19:40,140 brands of Wagyu in all of Japan there's 347 00:19:40,140 --> 00:19:42,090 lots of tips and tricks and techniques 348 00:19:42,090 --> 00:19:44,280 to making this beef taste so good and 349 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:45,870 that's what I'm gonna check out on 350 00:19:45,870 --> 00:19:51,480 today's episode as you can see I've had 351 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:53,310 to change into a special protective 352 00:19:53,310 --> 00:19:55,620 outfit this isn't to protect me it's to 353 00:19:55,620 --> 00:19:57,540 protect the cows from any germs that we 354 00:19:57,540 --> 00:19:59,700 humans bring in as you can see it's not 355 00:19:59,700 --> 00:20:03,150 just me but the whole crew hello there 356 00:20:03,150 --> 00:20:05,040 thank you for having me today 357 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:07,860 tell me all about not to suck on you 358 00:20:07,860 --> 00:20:09,540 let's get started 359 00:20:09,540 --> 00:20:14,940 Matt disinfects his shoes first of all 360 00:20:14,940 --> 00:20:19,500 how many cattle do you have here 55 the 361 00:20:19,500 --> 00:20:21,950 three most prominent types of yq-- 362 00:20:21,950 --> 00:20:25,980 Matsuzaka only and Colbert all use carbs 363 00:20:25,980 --> 00:20:28,260 from Tajima in her goal but they're 364 00:20:28,260 --> 00:20:30,330 raised in different climates using 365 00:20:30,330 --> 00:20:33,260 different techniques 366 00:20:34,500 --> 00:20:36,820 Matsusaka beef includes a special 367 00:20:36,820 --> 00:20:39,490 variety that is made using virgin female 368 00:20:39,490 --> 00:20:42,670 Tajima cattle fattened for over 900 days 369 00:20:42,670 --> 00:20:48,370 to produce a top-class meat hygiene 370 00:20:48,370 --> 00:20:51,550 management is taken very seriously on 371 00:20:51,550 --> 00:20:54,430 average 50 to 100 animals are raised at 372 00:20:54,430 --> 00:20:56,920 each farm and in principle they don't 373 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:00,100 graze outside instead farmers take 374 00:21:00,100 --> 00:21:04,160 personal care of each one of them 375 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:06,710 do you feed them any special types of 376 00:21:06,710 --> 00:21:10,580 food we perfected our feed over many 377 00:21:10,580 --> 00:21:13,610 years it's a blend of oats wheat bran 378 00:21:13,610 --> 00:21:17,570 corn and soybeans this looks like a 379 00:21:17,570 --> 00:21:20,180 really nice premium breakfast cereal you 380 00:21:20,180 --> 00:21:23,960 can eat it it's tasty go ahead it's 381 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:29,420 pretty good Wow it's like muesli this is 382 00:21:29,420 --> 00:21:32,990 really good as we slowly fatten the cows 383 00:21:32,990 --> 00:21:35,900 the aroma and sweetness of the grain is 384 00:21:35,900 --> 00:21:38,810 absorbed those qualities get right into 385 00:21:38,810 --> 00:21:42,710 the meat so what are we doing here 386 00:21:42,710 --> 00:21:46,550 messaging the cows is this also key to 387 00:21:46,550 --> 00:21:49,400 why matsuzaka beef tastes so good that's 388 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:50,150 right 389 00:21:50,150 --> 00:21:53,030 massaging them improves this circulation 390 00:21:53,030 --> 00:21:57,830 it also reduces stress can I give it a 391 00:21:57,830 --> 00:22:01,300 try go right ahead 392 00:22:03,430 --> 00:22:05,440 this is fun 393 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:14,060 hey we paid a visit to another nearby 394 00:22:14,060 --> 00:22:16,570 farm 395 00:22:16,730 --> 00:22:19,800 well first of all it's so clean and nice 396 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:22,830 in here it's oh yes you want stress-free 397 00:22:22,830 --> 00:22:26,280 cows with a good appetite hygiene is a 398 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:30,720 part of that creating an appropriate 399 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:32,580 living environment for the cows is 400 00:22:32,580 --> 00:22:37,250 clearly an important key to success 401 00:22:38,940 --> 00:22:41,580 as I understand it Matsuzaka beef is 402 00:22:41,580 --> 00:22:44,040 famed for how marbled it is is there 403 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:46,740 some special way to get that after we 404 00:22:46,740 --> 00:22:49,230 receive a calf the first year is 405 00:22:49,230 --> 00:22:52,280 make-or-break we have to fatten them up 406 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:55,080 then we feed them a set amount for three 407 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:57,930 years and that creates wonderfully 408 00:22:57,930 --> 00:23:02,460 marbled meat well I met the cows now 409 00:23:02,460 --> 00:23:04,110 it's time to eat the meat 410 00:23:04,110 --> 00:23:07,020 what does Matsuzaka beef taste like this 411 00:23:07,020 --> 00:23:08,700 is my first time trying it and this 412 00:23:08,700 --> 00:23:11,220 restaurant which is established in 1902 413 00:23:11,220 --> 00:23:14,790 is famed for its Matsuzaka beef 414 00:23:14,790 --> 00:23:19,110 follow me well this is it 415 00:23:19,110 --> 00:23:21,510 the main course sukiyaki give us 416 00:23:21,510 --> 00:23:26,430 cornerguy CMOS the meat so what do you 417 00:23:26,430 --> 00:23:28,710 think makes Matsuzaka beef taste 418 00:23:28,710 --> 00:23:30,330 different from other types of these oh 419 00:23:30,330 --> 00:23:33,000 my god there we see this me sukiyaki 420 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:34,950 needs about the decided though to mess 421 00:23:34,950 --> 00:23:38,280 it up I can see it's very marbled hey so 422 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:40,200 there's a necklace with similar - isn't 423 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:48,720 it okay well that's we say in Japan 424 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:52,220 ether lucky mas look at this 425 00:23:52,220 --> 00:23:55,450 [Music] 426 00:23:55,780 --> 00:24:02,170 oh wow it's incredibly mild but get rich 427 00:24:02,170 --> 00:24:04,570 at the same time I wouldn't meet doc I 428 00:24:04,570 --> 00:24:06,460 meet though you love allah almighty said 429 00:24:06,460 --> 00:24:09,220 oh thank you so much for cooking for me 430 00:24:09,220 --> 00:24:11,230 today well there you have it the 431 00:24:11,230 --> 00:24:15,190 legendary Matsusaka beef of japan next 432 00:24:15,190 --> 00:24:17,200 time you come to Japan keep an eye out 433 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:19,690 for wonderful brands of meat like this 434 00:24:19,690 --> 00:24:22,570 and restaurants where people will cook 435 00:24:22,570 --> 00:24:23,290 it for you 436 00:24:23,290 --> 00:24:25,870 it's a great place to have a party or 437 00:24:25,870 --> 00:24:29,170 like me just enjoy yourself that's what 438 00:24:29,170 --> 00:24:31,270 I'll be doing until you tune in again 439 00:24:31,270 --> 00:24:34,350 next time 440 00:24:37,170 --> 00:24:39,610 this whole thing with marbled beef 441 00:24:39,610 --> 00:24:41,890 really is a big deal why do you think 442 00:24:41,890 --> 00:24:44,710 that is it's actually not limited to 443 00:24:44,710 --> 00:24:48,130 just beef people in Japan also really 444 00:24:48,130 --> 00:24:51,700 enjoy fatty fish there's a strong 445 00:24:51,700 --> 00:24:53,710 conviction that flesh containing fat 446 00:24:53,710 --> 00:24:58,060 tastes better than other varieties and 447 00:24:58,060 --> 00:25:00,760 because we believe that marbled meat is 448 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:03,310 delicious I would say that this is what 449 00:25:03,310 --> 00:25:05,920 we've always sought as we developed our 450 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:10,930 knowledge and technology on the other 451 00:25:10,930 --> 00:25:13,180 hand when I was first here at in Japan 452 00:25:13,180 --> 00:25:15,010 you didn't used to hear about his 453 00:25:15,010 --> 00:25:17,140 marbled beef with something that one 454 00:25:17,140 --> 00:25:20,500 hurt started hearing about a little more 455 00:25:20,500 --> 00:25:22,690 recently I think again I'm sure there 456 00:25:22,690 --> 00:25:25,720 must be a reason for that beef imports 457 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:29,440 were liberalized in 1991 and then a 458 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:31,990 large volume of cheap beef arrived from 459 00:25:31,990 --> 00:25:35,620 countries like the United States when 460 00:25:35,620 --> 00:25:36,370 that happened 461 00:25:36,370 --> 00:25:38,950 Japan's livestock farmers were forced to 462 00:25:38,950 --> 00:25:42,610 differentiate their products they needed 463 00:25:42,610 --> 00:25:46,830 a way to make their products stand out 464 00:25:46,830 --> 00:25:50,230 the quality they decided to pursue was 465 00:25:50,230 --> 00:25:54,670 taste they aimed to develop a marbled 466 00:25:54,670 --> 00:25:58,840 beef that melts in the mouth a style of 467 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:01,000 meat that wasn't found in other 468 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:05,170 countries that was their goal or today 469 00:26:05,170 --> 00:26:08,430 definitely has been a bit of a treat but 470 00:26:08,430 --> 00:26:13,150 living in Japan and you eat I mean a lot 471 00:26:13,150 --> 00:26:14,950 of different kinds of meat and there are 472 00:26:14,950 --> 00:26:16,180 things that we all take for granted 473 00:26:16,180 --> 00:26:17,850 which are really quite simple 474 00:26:17,850 --> 00:26:20,770 for example there's strips of pork 475 00:26:20,770 --> 00:26:23,290 cooked with ginger and onions which is 476 00:26:23,290 --> 00:26:25,510 something that I first met when I first 477 00:26:25,510 --> 00:26:27,370 came to Japan 40 something years ago 478 00:26:27,370 --> 00:26:29,950 don't think twice about but there are 479 00:26:29,950 --> 00:26:31,270 these things that you really don't get 480 00:26:31,270 --> 00:26:34,570 outside of Japan and they have all these 481 00:26:34,570 --> 00:26:37,290 absolutely delicious ways of cooking 482 00:26:37,290 --> 00:26:41,830 regular not expensively and I think 483 00:26:41,830 --> 00:26:44,590 perhaps it's worth mentioning those 484 00:26:44,590 --> 00:26:46,400 things because they are part of 485 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:48,890 the Japanese food culture and anybody 486 00:26:48,890 --> 00:26:51,440 can partake of them anytime for very 487 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:54,590 very reasonable amounts of money it's 488 00:26:54,590 --> 00:26:57,110 true that marbled beef commands a high 489 00:26:57,110 --> 00:27:00,470 price tag but Japan certainly does make 490 00:27:00,470 --> 00:27:03,170 cheap and delicious dishes available to 491 00:27:03,170 --> 00:27:06,950 everyone as well meat based cuisine is 492 00:27:06,950 --> 00:27:09,380 booming that I'm thankful that such 493 00:27:09,380 --> 00:27:11,840 fantastic food is available on an 494 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:18,590 everyday basis thank you very much thank 495 00:27:18,590 --> 00:27:22,430 you very much Japan has developed 496 00:27:22,430 --> 00:27:24,860 top-of-the-range meat like corbeil beef 497 00:27:24,860 --> 00:27:28,790 as well as cheap and casual dishes that 498 00:27:28,790 --> 00:27:34,040 anyone can enjoy this broad assortment 499 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:37,190 adds to the rich variety of Japanese 500 00:27:37,190 --> 00:27:39,820 cuisine 501 00:27:41,650 --> 00:27:45,759 [Music] 502 00:27:45,900 --> 00:27:49,150 next time on Japanese Plus popular 503 00:27:49,150 --> 00:27:51,970 theater we explore a unique style of 504 00:27:51,970 --> 00:27:54,100 performance with a broad appeal that has 505 00:27:54,100 --> 00:27:57,900 lasted for hundreds of years