Shizuoka's food cultureKnow

Gibier is the French word for capturing wild birds and animals and eating the meat as a dish. Nowadays, it is necessary to have a licensed facility to sell meat, but Japan has had a culture of eating deer, wild boar, pheasant, duck, etc. since ancient times, and it was eaten in every household. . In particular, the number of deer and wild boar caught is high, and even within Shizuoka Prefecture, there are relatively more opportunities to see game meat made from deer and boar meat.

Fascinated by Shizuoka gibier, we asked Masayuki Yamaguchi, who runs Western European Cuisine Savaka (hereinafter referred to as Savaka) in Kikugawa and is also a ``Creator of the Fujinokuni Food Capital'', to talk about the appeal of gibier. Ta.

Roast the bones of wild animals and use the bones to make soup. Mr. Yamaguchi's Shizuoka gibier takes a lot of time and effort.

15 minutes by taxi from JR Kikugawa Station, 25 minutes by taxi from JR Kakegawa Station. When you drive there, you'll be surprised to find a restaurant in such a place, surrounded by mountains and fields.
The table settings are decorated with wild feathers and pheasant feathers, which will heighten your expectations for game cuisine.

"Savaka" always has about 20 types of game in stock, including deer, wild boar, pheasant, duck, starling, sparrow, Japanese serow, and rabbit, and for the evening course menu, you can choose from 7 to 10 or more types of game to suit your plan. We offer dishes that we use.

Having heard of Mr. Yamaguchi's reputation as a person with a deep knowledge of wild game, many customers come from not only within the prefecture but also from as far away as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto to try Savaka, and sometimes celebrities who are known as foodies visit incognito. Apparently there is.

Home to Japan's highest mountain, Mt. Fuji, and Japan's deepest bay, Shizuoka Prefecture has a wide range of elevations from the mountains to the sea, and is home to a wide variety of ingredients. Similarly, the types of wild birds and animals that live in the fields and mountains, and the types of food they eat, are also diverse.
In January, bulbuls eat a lot of mandarin oranges in preparation for hibernation. It is said that the fat of bulbuls that eat mandarin oranges turns yellow, and the taste is different from that of bulbuls that have grown up eating mountain nuts.

Mr. Yamaguchi prepares game dishes based on knowing where the animals were raised, how they were killed, and the conditions under which they were killed. Also, it takes about two to three weeks to make just one spoonful of game sauce.

For example, for the sauce for duck dishes, the bones of a large boar or deer are grilled and the stock is made with a gullet. Add shallots and white wine to adjust the taste. To bring out the best in the ingredients, the quality of the sauce is more important than anything else, so we carefully examine the condition of the catch and take the time to finish it.

Impressed by the taste of the wild game he encountered in Kikugawa, he decided to open a store in Kikugawa.

Mr. Yamaguchi was often transferred due to his father's work, so he moved around the country when he was a child.
``My father was originally from Shizuoka, and he was in charge of a cooking program on a TV station.As a result of that, my father would take me with him to pick wild vegetables and bamboo shoots on his days off.''
After graduating from high school, Mr. Yamaguchi chose to become a chef and steadily built up his status and skills as a chef in Japan and France. When he visited his father who had moved to Kikugawa, he was shocked by the taste of the rabbits and bulbuls that the hunters had fed him. He was drawn to Shizuoka's ingredients, including game meat, and decided to open a store in Kikugawa.

Even though it's the same deer meat, the taste is completely different if the deer is raised on a diet of kumazasa.

``When we opened, we had no intention of offering gibier,'' says Mr. Yamaguchi. Why did we start offering gibier?
``As you know, Kikugawa is also a tea-producing region.After the tea season ends, there is a tea ceremony held in the village, and when I was invited there, I was given deer from Kawane to eat. It was really my first time to taste the taste of deer that grew up eating kumazasa. Deer that grew up eating kumazasa were fragrant and delicious. Just as tamachimaki wrapped in bamboo skin and steamed is delicious, deer that grew up eating kumazasa are delicious. It has a bamboo-like aroma, is highly nutritious, and the meat itself has a delicious flavor.''
He says it was the moment when he realized once again the appeal of Shizuoka gibier.

There are three types of deer meat that Yamaguchi sells.
"Fuji deer have a good physique and are large, weighing between 80 and 200 kg. For those who are not used to eating wild game, we recommend Fuji deer, as they are soft and easy to eat. Misakubo (Tenryu, Hamamatsu City) The deer from Kawane are small in size but have a good taste.The deer from Kawane weigh about 100 to 120 kg, but I think they have the best taste.They have a strong aroma and a strong taste.Customers Even though we use the same deer meat, we use it differently depending on the region of origin, depending on the Samaya dish.”

Mr. Yamaguchi began to develop a strong interest in wild game, read a lot of books, listened to stories from hunters, and started visiting the mountains with hunters. If there are hunters who use hunting dogs, we also study about hunting dogs. ``I learned so much about hunting dogs that I could talk about them for two days,'' laughs Yamaguchi.

Mr. Yamaguchi has connections with around 50 hunters. We sometimes make requests for methods of finishing, and all of these are built on relationships of trust built up over many years.
Will you use a dog? What kind of gun will you use? Will you use a car? Will you be in a group or alone? Even if it's the same place or the same animal, Mr. Yamaguchi changes the way he cooks it depending on how he kills it.
``For example, if a duck that is on the water is shot, it will go into the water.During the cold winter months, the ducks that have been killed go into the water and are pulled out.It is very difficult for hunters. , I treat and cook wild game with care."

With an insatiable inquisitive mind, he continues to explore the possibilities of Shizuoka gibier.

“Fruit sauces go well with game meat.In order to make the game delicious, I go to the site to pick up fresh ingredients such as sour cherries, hazelnuts, and cassis. Deeply, I make new discoveries every year.I make several types of consommé alone.Of course, the cooking method differs depending on the type and condition of the game, but I think about what kind of dish I want to make in the end. The combinations are endless, and I enjoy preparing the food.To put it bluntly, I feel like I'm the conductor of an orchestra when I cook.I want to serve the food in its best condition using the latest technology.'' It seems like he is always studying hard.

As I listened to Mr. Yamaguchi's story, I became more and more interested in Shizuoka gibier. It is said that the richest variety of gibier is available in the winter, but recently there has been an increase in the number of gibier available throughout the year, so you can enjoy gibier regardless of the season. Please visit "Savaka" once and experience the charm of Shizuoka gibier.

Western European Cuisine Savaka
Address: 791-11 Sawamika, Kikugawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture
TEL: 0537-37-1820
https://cavak.jp/