Remarks in March 2007
Mr. Shigenobu Kato, Ambassador of Japan, delivered a speech at the Japanese Food Demonstration at Jordan Applied University College of Hospitality and Tourism on 14 March 2007
Professor Muhsen Makhamreh, Dean of Jordan Applied University College of Hospitality & Tourism
Distinguished hotel and restaurant executives and chefs,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is the great honor for me to welcome you all here today to the Japanese Food Demonstration at this college.
First, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Professor Muhsen Makharmeh, Dean of JAU College of Hospitality & Tourism, and his colleagues who realized today’s event. It is the first event in its kind organized by the Embassy of Japan.
I also wish to take this opportunity to express gratitude to those who have introduced Japanese cuisine to Jordan for their endeavor. I believe we share the same goal that is to provide guests with an opportunity to enjoy delicious food, culture of Japan as well as a way of Japanese hospitality therein. Having enhanced its reputation as a healthy food, its refined presentation, and harmony with seasonal nature, Japanese cuisine has become very popular in many parts of the world, in particular the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Therefore, serving the Japanese cuisine at hotels and restaurants would definitely attract tourists to Jordan along with the Arabic, Jordanian and other cuisines. It is with it in mind that I arranged today’s culinary event to further empower the tourism industry of Jordan in addition to introduction of the cultural dimension of the food.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Authentic Japanese cuisine has influenced French cuisine in various ways and vice versa, which produced the so-called nouvelle cuisine. Japanese food would also definitely enrich culinary culture in Jordan. I am pleased to note that today’s menu incorporate with many locally available ingredients. It is my hope that the chefs in Jordan would share expertise and knowledge of Mr. Mitsuhiro Hikasa, Chef at my residence, in order to improve and develop Japanese food in Jordan through this event.
I am delighted to thank you all once again for joining us here today and I hope to work with you to bridge Japan and Jordan through the food.
Thank you.
And now, I would like to introduce my personal chef Mr. Mitsuhiro Hikasa to you. He has been in Jordan for almost a year together with me. He is young but received extensive training in the preparation of traditional Japanese dishes from a famous authentic five stars restaurant in Japan. Having accompanied me since posted myself as Consul General in Sydney, Australia, he has devoted himself to serve authentic as well as creative cuisine as highly skilled chef. Chefs are respected in Japan because their profession needs knowledge on Japanese traditions and a sense of beauty, which enables them to make a presentation in a similar way with Ikebana flower arrangement or Bonsai and manner of tea ceremony as well. Mr. Hikasa did food demonstrations when I was posted as Ambassador in Trinidad and Tobago as well as on St. Lucia. These Caribbean island states economy are fully relied on tourism and hospitality. That is a reason why we did contribute to help them through enrich and diversify their hotel menu with some Japanese food.
Mr. Hikasa, would you say a few words?
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