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Japan Studies Austrian Cooking and Wines

Three famous Japanese chefs are now studying Austrian cooking with Toni Mörwald at Kloster Und, at Esterhazy´s Restaurant Henrici and at the Kurkonditorei Oberlaa. Also, two leading Japanese wine experts will be studying Austrian wine culture in the wine regions for one year. Indeed, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board is strengthening Austria´s quality image even more in what is still the most important Asian market.

A fitting welcome for the Japanese star chefs in the Steirereck restaurant in Vienna, Copyright AWMB
A fitting welcome for the Japanese star chefs in the Steirereck restaurant in Vienna (left to right): Eva Mörwald,AWMB head Willi Klinger, Kazuya Takada, Yoshinobu Kuroki, Kazunori Kobayashi , Heinz Reitbauer, Toni Mörwald, Elisabeth Kamper, Chefpatissier Leopold Forsthofer. © Austrian Wine

The Japanese word “Ryotei” means the art of fine eating - and describes the favorite activity of    Japan's successful generation today. No other city in the world can boast such a concentration of premium restaurants – in all styles – more than Tokyo. It isn't just their own cooking culture that Japanese chefs are interested in: they also want to learn about European cuisine, especially the kitchens of France and Italy.

“I have seen many Japanese chefs and sommeliers in the top restaurants of Italy,” says Willi Klinger, head of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board. “They are meticulous professionals who take their knowledge with them back to their homeland and put it perfectly into practice. Internationally, Austria needs more culinary ambassadors to better position our wine and high quality food next to the big nations of France and Italy.”

Kazunori Kobayashi, Yoshinobu Kuroki and pastry chef, Kazuya Takada are three highly decorated star chefs of the Resort Trust Group which, with more than 4,000 employees in 42 luxurious Membership Hotels & Spas, runs some of the finest restaurants in Japan. While Austrian wines have already found a prominent place in this top-level environment, the sommeliers of the group are receiving important training here in Austria. Plus, in the Fall of 2011, Austrian cooking and wine will be the focal point at 21 of the resorts.

Also, two Japanese wine experts will be staying in Austria to study for one year. The two specialists are Notsuko Okada, who is responsible for the Austrian sector of the wine department of the luxury store, Isetan, and journalist Yukari Iwashiro, who also teaches wine courses for the AWMB in Tokyo.

Even though the present complicated economic situation in Japan has put a bit of a damper on the Austrian wine euphoria there, the land of the rising sun indeed will remain, next to China, as one of the most important Asian export markets for Austrian wine in the future.

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