Our second umami workshop featured exclusive insight with food professionals and like-minded gourmands. This tasting and walking tour helped to deepen our understanding of the complex and delicious fifth taste, the foundation in both Asian and Western cuisines.
The itinerary began with a quick visit to an Asian Specialty Dried Food Store Goodies Food store (貨品目錄) to gain a deeper understanding of umami of the world and venture into the core of Asian culinary taste. We discovered a variety of specialty ingredients known for their umami properties. We perused the shop to see the many dried seafood offerings and jars of sauces made with umami-packed ingredients. It was great to learn how they can be incorporated into daily cooking to elevate flavor profiles.
The next stop of our taste tour was at Mercato Gourmet, where “origin matters” owner/Chef Gianni Caprioli is known for personally sourcing many Slow Food Presidia products and ingredients directly from Italy. Tastings of these high-quality, ethically sourced ingredients helped us to understand the complex flavors that will help you transform simple dishes into extraordinary culinary creations.
Traditional Hong Kong Cafe/Tea Room
We concluded the journey at Kee Wah Tea Room, a cornerstone of traditional Hong Kong gastronomy, with lead food product developer Mr. Ringo Tsao who shared his insights into the use of umami in their much loved popular specialties.