Onion - Trails to Oishii Tokyo

Tokyo. This world-class metropolis is a veritable gourmet wonderland. Discover the stories behind the ingredients that make this city so delicious, so oishii. Today's focus is onions. They have a long history, with cultivation likely starting at least 5,000 years ago. In ancient Egypt, onions were considered sacred, thought to hold the power of rebirth. In Japan, onion cultivation started about 150 years ago. Today, they're a staple ingredient in all kinds of home cooking. Over time, many varieties have been developed to suit Japan's climate. Join us and see for yourself the great potential of these wonderful Japanese onions. Trails to oishii Tokyo. This time, we're taking a closer look at onions. You can find them in the kitchen, in your meals, some people use them as remedies, and somehow they always make us cry. In this episode, we'll peel the layers and find out the truth behind Japanese onions. Gao heads to the produce section of Tokyo's Toyosu Market. She'll visit a wholesaler with an impressive selection of onions. Ah, here it is. And here we have it, the onions. In Japan, there are two categories of yellow onions, those harvested in fall and those harvested in spring. Spring-harvested onions come in many varieties on their own. The ones harvested early in the season are called shintamanegi, or new onions. Kondo peels one for Gao. I can see the juices of the onion coming out. New onions are shipped soon after harvest with very little drying. With a high moisture content, they don't keep very well, but their fresh and juicy texture makes them a popular spring ingredient. Awaji Island floats in the Seto Inland Sea. The island's southern plains have lots of onion farms. It's April. Fields of onions await the harvest. Awaji Island is known as the onion kingdom, and just by opening the window slightly, it's welcoming us with a sweet and refreshing onion-scented breeze. Gao begins at a tourist spot. Already here, take a look at this. Christmas tree. Who would have thought? So cute. With many onion-themed photo ops, the facility is a must for tourists. What is this called? 500 yen gets you five tries. The prize? Real onions, of course. Try again. Okay, let's drop it. For each one you catch, you get an extra three or four onions to take home. Next, Gao visits a restaurant known for local Awaji Island specialties. Look at this. Doesn't it look delicious? These fine pieces of beef. The main ingredient is locally raised beef. And this time of year, soft, new onions are used. Under a layer of premium beef is a mixture of simmered beef belly and new onions. And here are the onions. Golden glazed. Awaji Island is known for delicious rice, delicious onions, and Awaji beef. So in 2008, we decided to make a beef bowl on Awaji Island. And apparently, when travelers visit the island, the dish is on the itinerary. Onions contain enzymes that break down meat proteins. They're also said to help prevent high blood pressure and high cholesterol. So they're healthy. I was surprised to see that the onions were so soft. Yes, it's very difficult to cook them. If you let go of the onions now, they'll melt completely. So we have to adjust the heat as we cook them. Gao heads to meet some onion farmers. Hello. Nice to meet you. I'm Harada, Harada Shinta. And this is my brother, Harada Shuhei. Oh, you're brothers. The Harada family has been growing onions on Awaji Island for about a hundred years. They lead Gao to the harvest site. Ah, the fields have so many onions. Oh, that's great. These are the new onions you saw at the market, right? Yes. Specifically, it's an early variety called Rextar. Gao gives harvesting a try. Wow, look at the roots. They're so fine, and they're stuck to the soil. It seems the edible part of an onion is actually just a bunch of swollen leaves. If I cut it in half, it'll be easier to see. Yes. There's a seed on the extension of this leaf, right? Yes. This is the seed. The leaf is the seed, right? It was a leaf. A new discovery. I did not know. When the leaves are upright, they're sending nutrients down to the onion. When the onions are satisfied, the leaves fall over. That means it's harvest time. They're going to show Gao something that's rarely seen. Wow, they're so big! Wow, that's amazing! They're not sold in supermarkets. They're frozen, chopped up, and sold in restaurants. So they're used as processed food. Yes. Awaji Onions are now a leading regional brand known across Japan. Awaji Island onions are said to be sweet and delicious. Why is that? Awaji Island is surrounded by the sea. No matter what wind blows, the sea breeze blows. The minerals in the sea are stored in the fields, and when they're under moderate stress, they become delicious. Sea breezes carry salt to the soil. That puts stress on the onions, causing them to produce more starches and sugars that create sweetness. Farmers began testing onion cultivation on Awaji Island in 1888. Before that, rice was the main crop on the island. They discovered that rotating rice and onion crops made better use of the land. It also prevented pests and diseases that harmed the onions. The local livestock industry also played an important role. A steady supply of cattle manure compost enriched the soil. For about 140 years, farmers refined cultivation methods and grew varieties suited to the island's climate. That's how Awaji Onions became a leading regional brand in Japan. New onions are shipped soon after harvest. Ah! Oh, they're jumping around! Before that, dirt is removed using roller brushes and air. Then the onions are sorted by size. Finally, each onion is inspected by hand to check for remaining dirt. The brothers will show Gao their favorite way to enjoy the onions. Oh, here it comes! It's simple. Cut a cross-section and steam them in the microwave. Eat them the local way, with ponzu sauce and bonito flakes. The softness of the soil and the wind all come together to make these onions. Interesting! Middle and late-season onions are harvested from late spring. To improve shelf life, they are dried for about a month before shipping. This is their storage facility. Wow! This is a late variety called Momiji No. 3. Gao asks them about their hopes for the future. There's production and storage management. You can't do it all by yourself. You have to look at it with your own eyes and decide what to do. Our goal is to be able to put clean items on the table in a stable manner. As we get older, we get more regular customers. There are a lot of people who can't help or produce their own products. I want to protect their hearts. I want to keep producing high-quality onions all over the country. I want people from overseas who have never eaten this kind of sweet and delicious onions to try it. I hope they can reach the other side of the world. I'll do my best. Gao heard about a shop showcasing new ways to enjoy awaji onions. An onion dessert. What's it taste like? It's shaped like an onion. Wow! And the layers peel off. Is onion a fruit? It looks like it. It's sweetened with sugar. It tastes like a fruit. It's delicious. It's a taste you've never had before. I've never had it before. The texture is amazing. It's crispy and delicious. Originally, there was an orange sweetened with sugar. I thought it would be a good idea to use onions in the same way. I tried it and it was delicious. I peel a lot of onions in a pot like this. I separate the onions one by one and add sugar to them. What kind of onions do you use? The onions in this dish tend to become runny. I use dried onions, and I make them into a confit to make them look nice. It's like taking care of my children. To keep up her journey, Gao visits a French restaurant at a hotel on the island. Trained in France, Chef Shimaoka is known for bringing out the best in local ingredients. Here's the new creation. Fish tartare featuring new onions. He uses red sea bream and seasonal veggies. A new onion acts as the bowl. The appetizer is filled with spring flavors. How is it? Mmm. Mmm! Wow! The second dish features a late-season onion. Wow! He wraps the onion in a dough of flour, bamboo charcoal and salt. It's his signature, his pride and joy. Wow! Mmm! I am left speechless. What do onions mean to Shimaoka as a chef? Wow! This episode was a completely new discovery for me. It challenged the idea that onions are all the same and revealed a totally wide range behind the layers of the onion's transformation, growth and varieties. From feel to flavor, I have come to understand and appreciate and actually love this little bulb much more. In Tokyo, every ingredient has its own story.