THE PIONEER SPREADING THE PROFOUND
CHARM OF INDIAN SPICES IN JAPAN

Bringing out the best of the vegetables using spices, a gift from mother earth

Getting off the train at Gokurakuji Station on the Enoden line and a 5 minute walk through the calm streets of the neighborhood brings you to a 100 year old house also known as the Anan Corporation, a spice dealer. For over 40 years, they have established themselves in Japan by selling spices through wholesale to restaurants nationwide, collaborations, appearing at events and selling spices for home cooking.

When talking about Anan Corporation, one thing that cannot be overlooked is the release of their kit, “Curry book” in 1983. This kit included spices and recipes that made it possible to make authentic curry using ingredients available in Japan. This became the talk of the town and triggered a nationwide spice curry boom. The curiosity and the influence it had on the Indian culture and its cuisine among professional cooks was immeasurable. The idea from the Curry Book that “spices should be familiar and easy to use” has been passed on to the 3rd generation Bharat Mehta. He travels to India and its surrounding countries every year to learn more about the local food culture and gain more knowledge about spices as a spice blender. Over 200 recipes available on their website are the culmination of his culinary experience.

The Curry Book,that sparked the spice curry boom, remains a popular product at Anan Corporation

In April 2021, “Brinjal”, a small school to learn about spices was started. The name “Brinjal” meaning eggplant in English is based on the idea that similar to an eggplant that can absorb things, a student can absorb the information taught to them. The school combines both practical skills and classroom lectures to help the students unravel the composition of spice blends and eventually create their original blends.

In addition to spreading the knowledge of spices and how to use them, Bharat has also had a long desire to promote the appeal of Japans seasonal ingredients. He has been involved in the production of a curry paste using pesticide-free vegetables from neighboring famers that were meant to be discarded due to flaws or excess production. Combining the vegetables with spices adds value to them and also helps solve the problem of food loss.

The pesticide-free vegetable curry paste has lareday sold out. Everyone cannot wait for the next production

Curry Paste from the fields” a collaborative project between Bharat and the farmers

India is known to have a different food cultures in each region. Bharat’s father, Anan, is from West India, where there are overwhelmingly many vegetarians who eat beans and vegetables as their staple food. Due to the long history of vegetarianism and the fact that meat is not an option in this culture, there is a unique way of using spices that brings out the potential of the vegetables. By applying these spices, we should be able to bring out the potential of Japanese vegetables as well. One of the keys to enjoying plant-based cuisine lies in the 5,000 years of history from India and their use of spices.

Vegetable plate using Anan spices. The possibilities of vegetables and spices are endlress

An Indian dish called, Chora Nu Shaak

Lotus Root Sabji