Gaia Series 85: Ramen/Meat...Compete With Taste!
Watch how Japanese innovation is transforming plant-based meat into a sustainable, flavourful future food solution.
In a country renowned for culinary precision and devotion to umami, a quiet food revolution is taking root. This week's Japan Hour explores how Japanese ingenuity is driving the development of alternative meat; from sorghum-based gyoza in Tokushima to maitake mushroom 'meat' in Niigata, and a pork broth-style vegan ramen crafted for global tourists in snowy Hakuba.
The episode begins in a bustling yakiniku restaurant in Tokushima City, where the sizzling allure of Awaji beef is rivalled by an unlikely contender: The 'Supermeat' range of meatless dishes. Their deep-fried gyoza and bibimbap topped with a hamburg steak are entirely plant-based, made using locally grown sorghum instead of animal products.
'At our restaurant, the hamburg and gyoza of the 'Supermeat' series contain no meat,' a staff member explains. The response? Overwhelming surprise. 'What!? This isn't meat? It tastes just like meat,' says one diner. Even the children prefer it. 'If no one told you, you'd think it's real meat,' another customer adds.
Despite this promising feedback, plant-based food still battles perceptions in Japan. 'When I hear 'alternative meat', it just bothers me. I've never eaten it before. I won't eat it,' says one man bluntly, I just want to eat regular meat.' His sentiment reflects a wider challenge: while global trends show that by 2050, half of all meat is expected to be plant-based, Japan's domestic market has plateaued. The reasons, as the programme lays out, are straightforward: Price and taste.
Determined to reshape that narrative is Mr Masaharu Kato, R&D manager at Yukiguni Maitake in Niigata. His company, with over 50 per cent of Japan's maitake mushroom market share, embarked on a two-year journey to turn their mushrooms into an alternative meat. 'If we could turn them into food products, people might eat them all year round,' Mr Kato explains. 'I believed there was more potential to explore, and I communicated that to senior management.'
However, developing maitake meat proved technically complex. Initial attempts crumbled under pressure. Literally. 'It's very soft. It doesn't feel like it's cooked,' a tester observes. The culprit? An enzyme in the mushroom that breaks down protein, causing structural failure. 'The enjoyment of meat, after all, is in the chewiness, the flavour and the texture. This has none of that, so I'd say it's hardly like meat at all,' one participant admits.
But Mr Kato's persistence paid off. By steaming the mushrooms at over 90°C using proprietary technology, they neutralised the enzyme and dramatically improved texture. 'The unsteamed version just melted away, but this one retains a proper texture,' a team member confirms. Instrument testing showed chewiness levels 'close to actual meat'. Visibly delighted, the typically reserved Mr Kato is seen smiling: 'It's impressive. A great result.'
Still, taste alone doesn't guarantee success. 'Great taste doesn't always translate to strong sales,' remarks Sales Director Mr Shinji Morosawa. He points out a logistical problem: Alternative meat is often shelved in the dried goods section, away from fresh produce, where most shoppers roam. 'How it's sold is extremely important'.
This feedback prompted a rethink. Mr Kato pivoted toward a ready-made, vegetable-pairing product — 'a sauce you can chew on' — suitable for produce sections. After more trial and error, three retort pouch flavours were developed: tomato, sesame dan dan, and ajillo. At an in-house tasting, reactions were positive. 'Tastes great,' says one participant, while the company president sees bigger possibilities: 'By replacing meat with mushroom-based alternative meat, the range of cooking possibilities can significantly expand.'
Their product, branded as 'Mushroom Meat', launched in January 2025 in a Tokyo trial. Sales on the day were four times the target with official national rollout slated for February.
Meanwhile, in Hakuba Village, Nagano, one of the world's top ski destinations, the challenge was different. With inbound tourists increasingly avoiding meat and fish, the local tourism board enlisted Mr Toshiyuki Fukushima from Fuji Oil to develop a suitable menu. His team had previously crafted Kyoto's acclaimed soy-based 'chicken skewer', and now they were aiming higher: Pork broth-style ramen made entirely from plants.
Inspired by the birth of his child and Japan's declining catch of bonito and sardines, Mr Fukushima made it his mission to help future generations. 'It made me realise that we don't know what will happen in the future,' he reflects. 'The idea of passing things on to the next generation felt incredibly meaningful.'
Initial versions of the ramen lacked aroma, an essential sensory hook. 'What's missing is probably the aroma,' noted chef Takeshi Abe, a Hakuba local with international experience. The breakthrough came in the form of kuromoji, a fragrant mountain herb. 'When you pour boiling water over it, the aroma is released,' Mr Abe explains. 'That's amazing!' Mr Fukushima responds. 'It's a go.'
To mimic pork back fat, the team turned to freeze-dried tofu, sliced and fried. 'It does look like it. Visually, at least,' says Mr Abe, though they admitted the texture needed more work. Nonetheless, after four months of effort, the final product, ramen with wheat gluten char siu, kuromoji-scented broth and mushroom-based mince, debuted at a local event. 'It really does taste like pork broth,' a resident comments. 'There's even some minced 'meat'.' When told it was freeze-dried tofu, the reaction was: 'No way! It resembles pork back fat.'
Later, at Hakuba's ski resort, foreign tourists echo the sentiment. 'Tastes great,' one says. 'It's great Japanese food.' Another adds, 'Coming all the way from New Zealand, it's good to have this.'
Mr Fukushima, watching from the sidelines, summarises his vision: 'We want everyone to say, 'Yeah, this tastes great,' and if it just so happens to be plant-based, then people of all kinds can sit around the same table and eat together.'
In both rural kitchens and corporate labs, Japanese innovators are reimagining meat — not as a lesser substitute, but as a standalone culinary experience. Whether from mushrooms or soy, this is no longer just 'alternative' meat. It is food for the future, rooted in tradition, driven by technology and designed to bring everyone to the table.
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