Akita's famous ekiben "Chicken rice" Challenge in Paris January 11, 18:17

"Isn't it a rice that doesn't need to be soy sauce like sushi? It's a great idea."

Japanese food that received such a compliment from a French person is now on sale in Paris, France.

It is a famous ekiben "Chicken rice" of JR Odate station in Akita prefecture.

Why did the popular ekiben in Japan aim overseas?

I followed the challenge in Paris, the city of food.

"EKIBEN" store at Gare de Lyon

Last November, an ekiben shop opened at Gare de Lyon station in Paris, France.

The store was opened by a long-established ekiben company in Odate City, Akita Prefecture, which has been in business for over 120 years.

"Chicken rice" sold by this company is a famous ekiben of JR Odate station.

Characterized by soy sauce and sweet and spicy chicken and Akitakomachi, it has won first place in the JR East Ekiben Contest.

"Chicken rice" was born more than 70 years ago, but it is still packed with side dishes and rice by hand, as it was at that time.

"Ekiben is a traditional Japanese fast food"

"Ekiben is a traditional Japanese fast food"

Shuichi Yagihashi, the 8th president who decided to open a store in Paris, describes ekiben as follows.

"Ekiben" is packed with local ingredients and dishes and has been eaten at travel destinations all over Japan.

According to the group made by the ekiben company, there are various theories about the first ekiben in Japan, but it is said that it was born more than 130 years ago when railways were constructed in various places in the Meiji era.

Ekiben can be served immediately after receiving an order and can be eaten anywhere.

Mr. Yagihashi himself has always cherished the words from his grandmother, "Make it something you can eat with one hand, or make it delicious even when it gets cold."

What is the desire to challenge the world?

Why did Mr. Yagihashi decide to expand overseas?

The opportunity was to interact with the children of Akita.

Since eight years ago, Mr. Yagihashi has been providing chicken rice lunch boxes to all elementary and junior high schools in Odate City as school lunches.

However, as I interacted with the children every year, I noticed something.

When asked about their dreams and goals for the future, children say, "I can't do anything if I'm in Akita" and "I have to go to Tokyo first."

It is said that Mr. Yagibashi decided to take on the challenge of going abroad because

he wanted to show his ability to play an active role in the world even from Akita and take pride in his hometown .

Where would you like to sell ekiben overseas?

Mr. Yagihashi chose Paris, France, which has a railway network that is indispensable for selling ekiben.

"Because it's an ekiben shop, sell it at the station" A long way to open a store

Mr. Shuichi Yagihashi

"We are not a bento shop but an ekiben shop. We want to stick to selling at the station."

When expanding overseas, Mr. Yagihashi has always aimed to open a store at a "station".

But the journey has never been straightforward.

Three years ago, in July, we first opened a roadside store in the city of Paris.

To open a store in a train station in Paris, you need to obtain permission from SNCF.

Using the roadside store as a foothold, I first thought of raising the profile locally.

However, it was not easy to reproduce the essential taste of chicken rice in France.

Due to import restrictions on meat and eggs in the EU, it was not possible to bring in Japanese chicken.

The difference in water quality also became a barrier.

Although I bought Akitakomachi from Akita, unlike Japan, which has soft water, France has hard water, so if I make it with the same recipe, the rice will inevitably become hard.

By fine-tuning the recipe according to the ingredients that can be procured locally and cooking rice by changing the amount of water, I managed to bring it closer to the taste in Akita.

Once rejected in the examination ...

Approximately three months after sales at the roadside store got off to a good start, I applied for the first time to open a store at Gare de Lyon station in Paris.

However, he was unsuccessful.

I think that lack of name is also a factor.

Furthermore, due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, roadside stores were forced to close.

However, the impact of the new Corona was an unexpected tailwind.

Due to the strong demand for nesting, take-out sales were strong, and we were able to increase sales more than twice as much as before the Corona disaster.

As a result of publicizing these achievements to SNCF and applying to open a store again, the store was finally approved in July last year.

Akita's taste What is the reaction of French people?

Last November, the long-awaited store opened in the Gare de Lyon station in Paris, France.

Gare de Lyon is one of the main stations in Paris.

Many long-distance trains run, including the SNCF high-speed train.

Many travelers use it as a departure and arrival point for their trips, so I thought it would be perfect for opening a store.

"I want to spread Japanese ekiben culture to the world."

The name of the store is "EKIBEN Tori Meshi Bento".

The store sells 6 types of bento such as "chicken rice".

Sales have been strong so far, with 200 prepared meals sold out for three days from the first day of opening.

Shuichi Yagihashi

"In France, the word" EKIBEN "was not known yet, and I was worried about the arrival of customers, but I'm glad that more people than I expected bought it from the first day."

Akita's taste is more popular than expected

The best-selling item is "Chicken Meshi," which is characterized by soy sauce-seasoned chicken and Akitakomachi.

14.5 euros per piece, about 1900 yen in Japanese yen.

It has been stable and popular since the days of roadside stores, and accounts for about half of all sales.

Sushi is the most familiar Japanese food in France.

He was once praised as saying, "Isn't it necessary to add soy sauce like sushi? It's a great idea."

"Akita Bento" is gaining more popularity than expected.

17 euros per piece, about 2200 yen in Japanese yen.

It is the most expensive of the six types of bento boxes on sale, but it is the second most popular product after "chicken rice".

Akita's traditional pickles such as "Iburigakko" and "Inaniwa udon" are packed in "Kiritanpo" coated with Miso Dengaku.

Speaking of "Kiritanpo" and "Iburigakko", it is exactly the "Japanese taste".

What is the reputation of the French people?

According to Mr. Yagihashi, Kiritanpo with Miso Dengaku was favorably regarded as a dessert-like food because of its sweetness and chewy texture.

And Iburi-gakko.

In fact, it has been a popular ingredient since the days of roadside stores.

According to Mr. Yagihashi, French people like smoked salmon like smoked foods, and many people take Iburi-gakko as one of those foods.

The person who bought the bento on the first day said,

"I bought it because it was new, appetizing, and hungry. I hope there are different options than sandwiches, so I want you to succeed."

The person who bought the bento on the first day said,

"It's very beautiful and sophisticated. The Japanese spirit is valid in France, so I think the store will definitely work."

The "cold wall" that stood up

On the other hand, unexpected issues have emerged when selling at stations.

This is the difference between French and Japanese food sales standards.

In Japan, ekiben is generally stored and sold at around 20 degrees Celsius.

However, in France, regulations on sandwiches are also applied to lunch boxes, and products must be stored and sold at temperatures that are 10 degrees or more lower than in Japan.

At roadside stores, this regulation was not applied because it was positioned as a take-out at a restaurant, but it is said that it became necessary to comply with this regulation because it is sold only at take-out inside the station.

Ekiben boasts "delicious even when cold", but if it is stored at such a low temperature, the rice will cool and lose water, making it harder.

At the store, we are looking for ways to deal with it, such as cooking rice with a large amount of water, or preparing a microwave oven in the store to have customers warm it.

"EKIBEN" "AKITA" to the world

The store opening at Gare de Lyon is limited to half a year until May.

Mr. Yagihashi wants to spread the ekiben culture in various parts of Europe based in Paris, aiming to open stores for a longer period of time.

Mr. Shuichi Yagihashi

"If you spread the taste of ekiben and Akita in Paris, which is connected to EU countries by rail, it is not a dream to expand into various parts of Europe. Someday, I want you to be able to eat the local food ekiben of each country while traveling, and I want you to come to Akita from each country. "

"EKIBEN" in Akita across the sea.

The challenge will continue.

Akita Broadcasting Station Reporter

Ryo Isojima

Joined Akita in 2017 Covering

food, tourism, history and culture,

currently in charge of medical care, etc.

Learn French philosophy during college