Chefs arrive in Japan for their own ‘G9’ summit
TOKYO, Sept 22 — A coalition of some of the top chefs in the world who call themselves the G9 are in Japan this weekend at a summit where they’ll discuss their role in social responsibility and how to train the chefs of tomorrow.
Last year, the group of chefs dubbed the G9 gathered in Lima, Peru.©APEGA Sociedad Peruana de GastronomíaAfter gathering in Lima last year to inaugurate the group, the G9, headed by Spanish chef Ferran Adrià, is in Tokyo where members will tour areas affected by the earthquake that struck the country last year, and discuss the “contemporary definition of the kitchen professional”, reports food blog Eater.com.
The participants this year include Alex Atala (Brazil), Dan Barber (US),
Ferran Adrià (Spain), Massimo Bottura (Italy), Yukio Hattori (Japan), Gastón Acurio (Peru), Joan Roca (Spain), Sven Elverfeld (Germany) and Harold McGee (US).
Last year, the group wrote an open letter to the “chefs of tomorrow” to blaze a trail that goes beyond cookery and change the way the world eats.
Young chefs were urged to adopt culinary tenets that included cooking sustainably, respecting ingredients, preserving and passing on their culinary heritage, and supporting local artisans and their regional economy.
This year, the group is expected to draft another manifesto on how to train the next generation of chefs, says Eater.
Bringing together the world’s chefs to discuss their importance in changing the way the world eats did not escape the attention of high-profile food writers, notably British Guardian critic Jay Rayner, who called the concept an act of self-importance that smacked of ludicrous self-regard.
That’s not stopped chef Bottura tweeting regularly since arriving in Japan. Follow him at @massimobottura. — AFP/Relaxnews
