Unwrapping the Secret to Nostalgic Flavors: Masahiro Kasahara Reveals the Surprising Ingredient Behind Kanro Candy’s Irresistible Taste

Masahiro Kasahara, the chef and owner of the popular Japanese restaurant “Prons and Cons”, held a collaboration event with “Kanro Ame” of Kanro (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo) in Tokyo on the 2nd, “Kanro Ame Shokudo x Pros and Cons: Parent-Child Cooking Class Event”. Attended. In order to get rid of children’s dislike of Japanese food, he taught them how to make dishes that convey the appeal of Japanese food.

In order to get rid of children’s dislike of Japanese food, such as “When you serve Japanese food, children tend to leave rice behind,” Mr. Kasahara, a Japanese cooking professional, holds a cooking class to teach children how to make Japanese food that can be easily made at home.

Eight groups of 16 elementary school students and their parents were chosen by lottery from over 1,000 applications to attend the lecture by Mr. Kasahara from all over the country.

“When you go to a barber’s shop, they give you candy, usually Kanro Ame.If you give a Tupperware package to a friend’s house, it was Showa etiquette to get it back full of candy.” For Mr. Kasahara, Kanro candy is a “nostalgic taste.”

When I heard about the collaboration, I was skeptical, thinking, “Is it possible to cook with candy?” However, when I realized that Kanro candy is made from ingredients that are essential to Japanese cuisine, such as soy sauce and sugar, I thought, “Amashio.” Most crunchy, brown side dishes go well with rice, and that’s what Kanro candy can do. When Kanro candy is boiled down, it tastes like it’s been left to rest for a long time.”

Now, Mr. Kasahara boasts that he has about 20,000 recipes using Kanro candy! With a smile on his face, he said, “There are a lot of chefs who aren’t aware of the versatility of Kanro candy, so I thought I’d teach them about it.”

Mr. Kasahara demonstrated how to prepare “Chicken Soboro Sanshokudon” while explaining the key points. The venue was filled with the appetizing sweet-salty aroma of Kanro candy, and the experience was an embodiment of the joy of cooking with children.

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