“Did you know Japan grows its own vanilla beans?” Pastry chef Kanako-san asked as she showed me a bag of vanilla beans.
“Definitely not,” I replied.
She went on to explain that they could purchase their beans based on the year they were harvested, much like wine. And to take it to the next level of minutiae, buyers can also choose their beans based on their maturity level at the time of harvest.
This is how Japan approaches food.
CHEWYFOODLIFE 