On September 1, 2008, SHOW LLC (Simple, Healthy, Organic, Wealthy) was established for the promotion and sale of Konnyaku. The first event for the company was held on October 9th, using konnyaku sourced from the Gunma prefecture of Japan. At the kitchen studio of a high-end Manhattan supermarket, a Japanese restaurant chef introduced many new konnyaku recipes, such as for pasta and hamburger, and even konnyaku cooked escargot style.
The event space was small, accommodating only a maximum of 20 attendees, but the seminar conducted in three sessions was a well-attended success, and the feedback was positive for business expansion. Participants included chefs from American restaurants who are in a position to contribute to konnyaku’s expansion.
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| Konnyaku Burger |
The event space was small, accommodating only a maximum of 20 attendees, but the seminar conducted in three sessions was a well-attended success, and the feedback was positive for business expansion. Participants included chefs from American restaurants who are in a position to contribute to konnyaku’s expansion.
Very low in calories and high in fiber, there are opportunities for konnyaku in the U.S. market, where health consciousness is growing. However, unlike tofu, which is accepted as a healthy food, Americans hardly know anything about konnyaku. Tofu, which is now sold in just about every supermarket and has been embraced by the American diet, was virtually unknown 20 years ago. The positioning that tofu enjoys today is thanks to the efforts of many who worked diligently for its acceptance. Unfortunately, no one has worked so hard over the past 10 to 20 years to promote konnyaku. A tremendous commitment is necessary to capture a market that is yet to be developed.
As a result The Tokyo Tapas Cafe was created to promote konnyaku in NYC to serve foods made with konnyaku, ultimately to introduce konnyaku products to the US.
