Naoko Nishikawa-Anagnostou has spent years introducing Greek cuisine to Japan, using food to bridge the two cultures she calls home.
The Japanese author, who has lived in Greece for nearly three decades, began a food blog in 2005 and has since published three Greek cookbooks in Japan. Her latest focuses on meze adapted for ingredients available to Japanese home cooks.
Speaking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency as Japan prepares to take center stage as the honored country at the Thessaloniki International Fair, Nishikawa-Anagnostou highlighted surprising similarities between the two cuisines.
Both value seasonal ingredients and simple preparation, she said, while wild greens hold a special appeal. If introducing Japanese visitors to Greece through three foods, she would choose wild greens, pies and goat meat.
Stuffed tomatoes are another favorite, particularly because rice, vegetables, herbs and olive oil create flavors familiar and appealing to Japanese diners. Gyros and souvlaki, she believes, also have strong potential in Japan, where interest in Greek food is growing.
