Chefs from the Old Guard of the Czech Association of Chefs and Confectioners brought old Czech cuisine to the Czech pavilion in Osaka.|Photo: Ondřej Vaňura, Czech Radio
At lunchtime, the kitchen of the Czech pavilion at EXPO is really busy. Normally, chefs prepare 500 meals here every day. But now they have some extra help, particularly chefs from the Czech Association of Chefs and Confectioners, who have arrived for a few days. Jiří Janeček on the move:
“We were asked if we could come here and showcase some traditional Czech cuisine that was already present in 1970 when the Expo was held. Based on that, we created our menu, using ingredients that are very appealing to Japanese people today.
“The Japanese love duck, so duck appeared on our menu. We developed a preparation that would be a bit interesting for them, so it’s partially confit. We also made cabbage, not the classic kind, but radish cabbage mixed with cream. It is accompanied by a delicate stuffing made from onions, chestnuts, liver, and bread.”
The food is cooked underground, and guests can then enjoy their meal one floor above. Jiří Janeček is pleased with the response:
“People ask what it’s made of. They’re very interested and even ask for recipes.”
Meatless tartare
This menu, which references the Czechoslovakian pavilion at the 1970 Osaka Expo, also features buckwheat tartare. Another member of the team, Zdeněk Šůla, on its success:
“It’s been a huge success. We came here for just a few days to show what the chefs can do or still remember. We knew our masters, who were here a few years ago and organized those exhibitions. We had to bring our own ingredients because they don’t have buckwheat here, so we couldn’t make tartare without it. We also had some problems finding dried yeast, so we brought that too. We’re also making pancakes, which are still in development.”
The menu, inspired by the Czechoslovakian menu from the 1970 Osaka Expo, includes a meatless buckwheat tartare.|Photo: Ondřej Vaňura, Czech Radio
Between the stove, grill, and deep fryer, Miroslav Prosa, head chef of the Czech restaurant at this year’s EXPO, keeps an eye on everyone and everything.
“It’s an honor for me. This isn’t my first EXPO, but my sixth. I did my first EXPO in 2005 in Nagoya, Aichi, where it was also a huge success. However, I feel that we are better prepared this time and have created better conditions for sales. I would say it’s much more successful.”
The kitchen will be open in the Czech national pavilion until the end of this year’s world exhibition in mid-October.