Michikusa Expert
Michikusa Master FAQ
- Please tell us what got you hooked on shumai.
It was when I thought, "Poor shumai." Kanagawa Prefecture is a region familiar with shumai, centered around Kiyoken's siu mai. I also ate shumai as a matter of course since childhood, but after becoming a working adult and living in Tokyo, I realized that there were no opportunities to eat shumai nearby. As I looked into it, I realized how minor shumai was. I decided to support it on my own, and that was the start of my journey eating my way through shumai across the country.
- What is an interesting point about "shumai" that most people don't notice?
It's the freedom of shumai. Gyoza, which is often compared to it, has clear rules: wrapping pork, chives, and garlic filling in a wheat wrapper. While shumai is basically a wheat wrapper and meat filling, there are diverse forms where the wrapper can be sticky rice or a thin omelet, the filling can be fish, game meat, or fruit, and it can be not only steamed but also grilled or fried. There is the fun of discovering shumai with that sense of freedom, and there is also the joy of being able to use free ingredients and cooking methods when making it yourself.
- Actually, I am also a ○○ enthusiast
I have a fair amount of experience eating and drinking local cuisine and sake. Because I covered the "100 Best Local Cuisines" for work, I learned about the history and connections of local ingredients and dishes, and the joy of knowing and tasting them is the real thrill of local cuisine. Through my work, I was also able to connect with several sake breweries individually, and by chance, I was even able to be involved in everything from rice cultivation to brewing. Also, since I was born in Kanagawa, I like Hakone's yosegi-zaiku (marquetry) and have been secretly collecting it.
- What is an "unforgettable travel destination" and why?
Osaka is the destination of my very first shumai trip. When it comes to Osaka, the shumai from "551 Horai" is famous, but I remember discovering the shumai at the long-established restaurant "Ippoutei" and being moved not only by its historic flavor but also by seeing the locals enjoying their shumai inside the shop. Also, the joy of discovering fried shumai at a deep-dive izakaya in the Nishinari area has become the starting point for my current shumai research. Every time I visit after that, I encounter new shumai, and I feel the depth of Osaka.
- Is there anything you always bring with you when you travel?
I always upload the dishes I eat on my shumai trips to Instagram, so an iPad for updates is essential. I also bring a mirrorless camera, the "Pentax Q10," equipped with a prime lens for stock photos. Additionally, for places I visit for the first time, I check for shops that serve shumai and register them on my Google Maps "My Maps" so I can check them at any time. And finally, a stomach that can handle eating my way through several shumai shops.
