Beverage and food pairings. They can be seen already in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, where we can see the refinement and evolution of the times. After the various changes in the world's culinary history, since the end of the 20th century, the evolution of science and the revaluation and belief in terroir have made the act of pairing on the world's gastronomic table a dynamic one. The Covid-19 influence has added to this, creating a new realm of pairing with non-alcoholic beverages. Japan, on the other hand, has been a land of seasons since ancient times.
Professional chefs and foodies who have visited Japan may have witnessed or overheard episodes of culinary expression, criteria for ingredient selection, and changing motifs in Japanese confectionery. The wording of letters changes, as do the patterns on kimonos. The fact that everything in daily life changes with the seasons is a major characteristic of Japanese culture. However, this is strangely not the case with beverages. Other than the superficial decoration of beer, which is the subject of intense marketing competition, beverages that reflect the seasons are rare. Only recently have we seen sake tuned to suit the season. Under these circumstances, there are only a few creators in the field of gastronomy, but there are some who are trying to combine alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage concoctions with food and to let people enjoy the delicate changes of the seasons.
Tatsuya Uesugi is one of them. Although originally from Tokyo, Uesugi is inspired by the rich sense of seasonality that Kyoto as a whole maintains even in this day and age, and by the seasonal lifestyle of its citizens when they come into contact with foodstuffs, and his creative activities continue to shine through in new and renovated hotels and restaurants. This is an area where we look forward to seeing what will happen in the future. We hope you enjoy this inspiring video.