Eat Dirt!
It may not be quite what you would expect in a restaurant, but the practice of eating dirt is actually widespread. Lots of animals do it – probably to access scarce nutrients or flush out poisons – and it is a traditional activity in many human cultures; however, it is only in the past year that it has become a celebrated part of haute cuisine, and it is all thanks to one man – charismatic Tokyo chef Toshio Tanabe.
A former boxer who went on to study culinary and restaurant management in France, Tanabe now works at the appropriately-named Ne Quittez Pas. The restaurant won its glowing reputation on the strength of its French-style seafood but throughout this period its chef was dreaming of a more unusual menu. Eight years ago he took the plunge and started serving literally earthy cuisine on the side. His reputation has grown as more and more customers have tried it, and now he finds himself at the center of international attention.
Like any restaurant, Ne Quittez Pas is subject to health and safety laws. The last thing Tanabe wants is for a customer to become ill, so he is very careful about how he sources the soil in his soups and sauces. The soil originates in wild land north of Tokyo and is subject to several purification processes, being baked, boiled and triple-filtered before it is mixed with gelatine to make a suitable base ingredient for cooking with. “I use black soil for most dishes and white soil – normally used for bonsai plants – for lighter food,” Tanabe explained in an interview with Modern Farmer. He also noted that he takes the soil from deep underground where it is less likely to have been damaged – polluted or irradiated – by people.
General reactions to the idea of cooking with soil have been mixed, with some expressing similar sentiments to those raised 30 years ago when mineral water began to get mainstream attention; however, diners are prepared to pay more than $100 a time for it at Ne Quittez Pas. The full menu begins with soil soup and runs all the way through to soil sorbet, with a particularly earthy mashed potato en route that is said to contain a hidden truffle in the center. He may be dishing the dirt, but Tanabe certainly has his admirers.
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