Smoking

[Rachel Perlow]

I was watching the Tokyo episode of "A Cook's Tour" last night. I've noticed that you smoke cigarettes in previous episodes, but smoking seemed really prominent in that one. Especially interesting was how the Traditional Master Sushi Chef was smoking right in the fish vendor hall, indeed his cigarette practically touched the prize piece of Toro for which he was negotiating, as did the vendor's cigarette.

Have you experienced any sensory loss due to smoking? Why do you think so many chefs are smokers?

In your voiceover you compared the Japanese reverance for their ingredients, versus the American disdain. Don't you think smoking a cigarette fractions of an inch from the top of the best piece of a fish indicates a lack of respect for that ingredient?

[bourdain]

It seems everyone smokes in Japan. Tsukiji market smells of seawater and cigarette smoke--with a hint of fresh fresh fish..Remember, the same culture that smokes likes chimneys also brings you kaiseki, edomae sushi and an appreciation of raw toro. It seems somehow inappropriate to criticize when our own relatively smoke free culture has no such tradition of maniacal appreciation of food and ingredients. It would be ludicrous to insist that the rest of the world conform to "our" values--when they often see us as pitiably without culture or appreciation. Ask for the non-smoking section in a Paris restaurant and you will often find yourself seated surrounded entirely by other Americans. Is that any way to live?

Most chefs I know smoke. Including a hell of a lot of famous ones. They just don't do it on camera. And yes. It does affect the palate. A lot of us underseason--erring on the side of safety  with customers as we ourselves love a lot of salt and crunchy black pepper and are afraid of blowing the patrons out.