My first acquaintance with the Kikkoman soy sauce happened years ago, while I was still living in the former Soviet Union and consuming mostly bland and carbohydrate-rich culinary delights of Mother Russia. Practically every recipe from my cherished home cookbook contained lard, mayonnaise, sour cream, and butter all in one; and any dish made with tomato paste was considered “spicy.”One day, a glass bottle with a red cap and dark liquid inside appeared on a grocery store shelf – like an elegant alien among the usual tins of tomato sauce and cartons of gray salt.
I was immediately intrigued and bought my first bottle of soy sauce. Oh, the revelation! I added the novelty to my borsch, to my pelmeni, to my pirozhki, and to every fried egg and boiled potato produced in my kitchen for my loving family. I just couldn’t get enough of the rich fragrant salty stuff that transformed the most mundane everyday meals into festive experiences!
Since then, Kikkoman say sauce became a staple in my household no matter what country I lived in or what kind of international cuisine I was enamored with at the moment.
Last week in San Francisco, I had a chance to relive the excitement of my early culinary revelation at a screening premier of a new documentary called “Make Haste Slowly: The Kikkoman Creed,” directed by two-time Academy Award nominee Lucy Walker, and dedicated to the 300-year-old Kikkoman brand. The film talks about the meticulous soy sauce brewing, tasting, and packing processes; the first Kikkoman plant opened in the U.S. almost 40 years ago; and highlights the Kikkoman family creed passed down for 19 generations.
The Kikkoman creed articles, such as “Approach all living beings with love,” “Politeness brings peace,” and “Strive to prosper together with the public” far exceed the notion of a production process and speak to a higher understanding of humanity, goals and responsibilities of a successful business enterprise.
The film debut in San Francisco was accentuated by a welcome speech delivered by Steven Teraoka, Corporate General Counsel of Kikkoman Sales USA, Inc.; a traditional sake ceremony, performed by Mr. Teraoka, Masanao Shimada, President, CEO & Secretary of Kikkoman Sales USA, Inc., and Yo Matsuzaki, Executive Chef of Ozumo restaurant with branches in San Francisco and Oakland; a documentary introduction by Dominic Whittles, President of DraftFCB; and a reception with live band, performing on traditional Japanese musical instruments.
For the reception, Chef Matsuzaki prepared Bacon of the Sea sushi with salmon skin, pickled daikon, bonito flakes, cucumber and lemon juice; anise and sesame beef served in lettuce cups; coconut-chicken dumplings; and Japanese eggplant fritters. Needless to say, all the tasty morsels were made irresistible by Kikkoman soy sauce present in every dish.
Chef Matsuzaki also provided a live demo on preparing scallop sashimi with Kikkoman Soy Sauce. The first Japanese company to set up a manufacturing facility in the United States, Kikkoman has been known to Americans for more than 50 years, and is the nation’s leading brand of soy sauce and other Asian seasonings today. To learn more about Kikkoman history, products and recipes, and to watch the documentary trailer, visit www.kikkomanusa.com. Photography: Steven Mullen and a film poster courtesy of Kikkoman.
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