B-kyu Gourmet (Part 1) - Food Trend For a Burst Bubble

There was a time some years ago when Japan was enjoying a very good economy. They called it the bubble (バブル). During that time I was living in Japan. One evening while talking with a friend of mine, he explained to me how hard he was working to achieve a special objective: to book a top brand hotel for Christmas Eve night after a helicopter tour over Tokyo-- all for a date. (By the way, in the non-Christian nation of Japan, Christmas, especially the eve is a day for big romantic events like you'd plan for Valentine's Day. Hotel rates are far more expensive on that night.)

It seemed like it should be a big deal, but he even didn't even seem to be that in love with the girl. He worked at a job similar to one I used to have, so I pretty much knew his budget. For what reason would he want to do that? I had no idea. But obviously he was participating in what was a big trend at that time.

Another time, I went to one of those "fabulously well known" restaurants in the city with my female friend. The food was just okay but the price was not--it was ridiculously high. We paid good money for diner level service and servers with a stuck up attitude. We simply decided it was a well publicized rip off. A business taking advantage of a popular social trend.

At the same time, here in the States it was happening too! Japanese corporate businessmen, mainly in the financial field, spent tremendous amount of money every night in Japanese restaurants and bars on lavish meals and business entertaining. Yes. The wasteful trend to look and feel important was thriving inside and outside Japan.

That good economy ruined Japan, I concluded.

The good news is that what some might call the worst period of Japanese recent history was blown away when the economic bubble burst. All that marketing to encourage big spending, all the nonsense deals and rip off promotions, came to an end. The weaker economy that followed brought hard working, humble and smart Japanese back on track.

Here is a success story under the category of cuisine called "B級グルメ or B-kyu Gourmet." It is a case of reasonable good food replacing those rip off dining experiences.

B-kyu means Class B, Grade B, not the best, not of world-known class. And, people who don't care the world renown quality love it. It also means low budget. You could equate it to a low budget Hollywood B-movie. There is a similar term in Japan, actually: B-kyu eiga (B movie). B-kyu Gourmet basically means local dishes for a low budget. It is often an arrangement of a traditional dish with original twists. Lots of them use locally produced ingredients. These B Class dishes are a big trend now in Japan. Their U.S. counterparts would be, for instance, the Philly Cheesesteak, the Cincy chili dog, or New York thin crust pizza. In Japan though, there are even more varieties.

B-kyu Gourmet is may be the new catchphrase, but the food is usually quite traditional. For a long time, there have been many local, original dishes all over Japan. Take for example, ramen noodle soup. From the basic soup a city, town or region will put its own spin on it, and it becomes the original or traditional version of the soup in that place. In Tokyo, the base is soy sauce, but the base is salt and butter or miso in Hokkaido, pork bone base in Hakata, etc. Some places have a long standing reputation for such an original stamp on a dish, but the internet has introduced original arrangements elsewhere more and more. In the beginning it might have sounded weird to the people in other areas. But when they tried another region's version, they found it good.. People talked about such dishes more and more, and soon this category of food became known as B-kyu Gourmet. Some dishes have been served for a long time, some of them are just created; it depends. But now such local specialties are all over Japan. This is B-kyu Gourmet. The biggest contest festival is called B-1 Grand Prix. It has drawn over a half million visitors.

B-kyu Gourmet is now a big part of tourism and has given a boost to local economies. Because, from the visitors' point of view, they are not pricy fancy dishes. Even if they don't like it, it is still okay because they could enjoy trying something new.. From the producers' point of view, it's a low risk business venture but that can generate a big return.

Most B-kyu Gourmet do not refer to a dish in a particular restaurant. It is rather a particular dish of the local area. Most of the restaurants in the area serve the same dish. Instead of a chef of a top notch restaurant competing in an Iron Chef competition, local chefs of an area form a team and go compete in a B-kyu Gourmet contest. Therefore, a local government and tourism organization can easily tie in these events with their own promotional efforts. Because it brings visitors, the whole economy of the area also receives benefit.

Information about the food comes from individual people. If any large scale food producers or promoters try to sell an empty value, people spread the word about that right away, too. No cheaters can survive. Honest good food gets honest good reviews. The control has left the hands of impersonal large producers. Honest good businesses are creating a new, real atmosphere and people like it. It is no frills but doesn't pretend to be something it's not. It is a free and open competition to be original and serve really good food. A chef can add a new twist to the taste. A restaurant owner can make the restaurant interior charming and inviting. A manager can come up with a combination plate. Each can apply their own imagination and smartness to improve. The customers appreciate such a variety.

Also, because B-kyu Gourmet are local specialties, of course they like to use local groceries and vendors. They don't need to transport the raw materials a long distance. They do not have to use certain chemicals to preserve freshness. People can eat fresh and safe food as well.

There is the same kind of movement going in the States too. Here it is called "slow food." No more raking in absurdly high profits but no big losses either. It is the way we should be heading, shouldn't it? It is the way of the new world economy.

Well, even though you may like 20th century economy better, B-kyu Gourmet is fun to try. Anywhere you go in Japan, someone nearby will be offering their own B-kyu Gourmet. I'm not sure if Americans will like some of these dishes because Japanese are big fans of eating carbs. But just for fun, why not try some simple, innovative dishes and local dining experiences during your next visit to Japan!

I'll give you examples of B-kyu Gourmet in the next post.