I took part at att.Kitchen Cooking Class

att.Kitchen Cooking Class

Have you ever desired to experience the real Washoku (Japanese traditional cuisine) but you are still searching for a chance to give it a try? If that is the case,「att.Kitchen in Matsumoto, Nagano」is what you need to attend! I personally took part at this year spring class titled “Cuisine using wild herbs and vegetables” where I had the chance to experience Matsumoto’s wild herbs based cuisine. In particular, we prepared Wild herbs Tempura and Hitashi, and we dressed them as well with a sauce prepared with vinegar and miso.

During classes I was astonished by the chef’s skills and his confidence in washoku art, while he was swinging the knife with harmony and cutting in half the herbs! I must admit the herbs taste was a bit bitter at first but, as I got used to it I couldn’t stop eating. Then I realized that is the bitterness itself to be the secret behind their addicting taste!

These are very rare herbs and some of them have a pretty strange shape. Look at this one. It is called “Kogomi”!　

Here the dishes with the wild herbs.

You think this is all att. Kitchen has to offer to you? Wrong! What’s more, you will spend the night before the cooking class at Sugimoto’s Japanese traditional ryokan, where you will be granted free access to the Onsen pool and a chance to assist at the traditional soba making process! Not to mention the Japanese style super room for the night! And I am not going to spoil you the dinner menu: one of the most delicious I have ever tasted! This two days have been for me a great opportunity not only to taste Japanese traditional food but to meet new friends as well.

I really loved the atmosphere inside the ryokan, so Japanese!

This is the room where I spent the night at Sugimoto ryokan

The master making the soba