Ajinomoto’s recipe for global success

JAPANESE food giant Ajinomoto took to the Cannes Lions stage yesterday — the first ever Jap- anese manufacturer to host an official Festival session — to explain how its scientists are working to blend the taste of Japan with local food cultures to create a new gastronomic experience for global consumers.

Maiko Mori and Tetsuya Honda

“We’re not a big producer that exports the same product to every market,” said Maiko Mori, executive officer and general manager of Ajinomoto’s Europe and Africa division and president of Ajinomoto Europe, speaking exclusively to the Lions Daily News after the seminar. “Instead, when we go into a target country, we really observe and analyse its food culture. We then marry local preferences with Japanese products using our Deliciousness Technology, which combines three elements: taste, aroma and texture.” The result, she added, is a customised “fusion” of Japanese and local tastes that is proving a hit with European consumers.

A case in point is Ajinomoto’s range of gyoza dumplings for the French market. The much-loved Japanese delicacy has been reinvented for France as a finger food that can be either pan- or deep-fried. Whereas Japanese gyoza tends to contain pork, the French version comes in chicken or vegetable flavours, reflecting the growing popularity of vegetarian food in Europe. Also doing well in Italy is a colourful range of gyoza dumplings which can be used in lasagne.

In addition to sharing Ajinomoto’s “inspire, reinvent, globalise” philosophy with the Lions audience, Mori is also is seeking inspiration as to “how to tell our narrative to the world through creativity”. There’s no question that Europeans love Japanese food — it’s estimated that, in 2023, the number of Japanese restaurants in Europe surged to 16,200, representing a 20% increase over 2022. However, Japanese food is perceived as being expensive to buy and hard to cook. Recognising this, Ajinomoto is committed to offering affordable, easy-to-pre- pare solutions that “you can grab at supermarkets”, Mori said. She added: “We call this strategy the three As, which stands for affordable, available and appreciable.” Tetsuya Honda, PR strategist and CEO of consultancy Honda Office, added:

“What’s different about Ajinomoto’s approach is that it doesn’t just export the same perfect Japanese food into each market. It works hard to understand local food culture and how local people eat and cook. With this knowledge, it then creates innovative solutions that redefine Japanese cuisine for consumers around the world.”