Taking Tokachi Cheese Global: Nagahara Chisato / Fromager

"Direct Talk"

Our guest today is fromager Nagahara Chisato.

A fromager is a cheesemonger, a professional with extensive knowledge

not only of cheese production and nutrition,

but also the foods and beverages that it pairs well with.

It's the sommelier equivalent for cheese.

Every other year, an international contest is held in France

to name the best cheesemonger in the world.

In 2021, Nagahara won third prize.

Her rise to the top ranks has been driven by her desire

to revitalize her hometown of Tokachi

in Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.

She shares her passion for cheese and how she achieved recognition

on the international stage.

For me, cheese is packed with the hopes of the region in which it was made.

It's full of the unique character of the land.

It's full of heart.

That's what I hope to convey.

September 2021.

The International Contest of The Best Cheesemonger

is made up of several events.

It includes a written test that covers cheese knowledge and history,

a blind taste test where contestants determine the type

and age of cheese that's had the rind removed,

a test to propose a cheese pairing with food,

and a test of artistic sensibilities.

Nagahara faced off against some of the best cheesemongers in the world,

and won third prize.

This was France, the land of cheese,

so just being there competing was an honor.

So I tried to compete with a smile on my face even though I was nervous.

I'd barely slept for three days because I was so busy preparing.

When they called my name, I was like, "Me?"

My memory is a bit fuzzy.

I was just so nervous and I couldn't believe what was happening.

Nagahara had achieved industry recognition

just six years after getting into the cheese business.

What's the story behind her success?

She was born in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido.

Her parents separated when she was young,

and she was raised by her mother.

She didn't go on to college after graduating from high school.

Instead, she got an office job at a local car sales company.

I didn't really have any life goals or dreams of what I wanted to become.

And I felt like it was my parents' fault.

I blamed their divorce, I'd agonize about money,

about my surroundings, about the fact that I wasn't in college.

It was like I had to give up on my future.

Nagahara was adrift.

Then in 2013, at 36,

she found herself at a crossroads.

She got married and started a family.

Her husband Satoru was the second-generation president of a company

that manufactured paper bags for storing Tokachi's agricultural bounty

which includes wheat and soybeans.

At the time, the paper bag business was in decline.

The industry was shifting to other materials

with fewer people using paper bags.

My husband wanted to diversify

and lay the groundwork for the next hundred years of his company.

As part of that, he decided to get into the cheese business.

The Tokachi region where Nagahara lives is known for its vast plains,

low humidity, and extreme temperature differences.

The environment is ideal for raising dairy cows,

and boasts the highest raw milk production in Japan.

About 70% of the natural cheese produced in Japan is made in Tokachi.

Nagahara's husband saw a business opportunity in Tokachi cheese.

He recruited a relative who was a cheesemaker,

and set out to start a cheese factory.

Knowing that someone with in-depth knowledge of cheese would be a great asset,

he asked Nagahara to get certified as a "Cheese Professional"

by a Japanese industry group.

What? Me?

I was taken aback.

But then I felt this sense of duty like I had to be the one to do it.

Meanwhile, the Tokachi cheese industry was facing a crisis.

The Japanese government had been promoting the Trans-Pacific Partnership,

or TPP for short, since around 2010.

It was a free trade agreement that aimed to eliminate tariffs

and other trade barriers among Pacific Rim nations.

I think the local industry felt like they were in trouble.

With inexpensive cheeses coming in from overseas,

they wouldn't be able to compete

because their own cheeses were labor-intensive

Small and medium-sized cheese producers in Tokachi feared for the worst.

Rival companies joined forces

to form the High-Quality Food Association of Tokachi.

They set out to create a raclette

that was completely unique to the Tokachi region.

To do so, they turned to Tokachi's so-called moor hot springs

which are fed by groundwater that rises hundreds of meters

through layers of ancient plant remains.

The resulting water is rich in organic matter,

low in minerals, and slightly alkaline.

They built a shared aging room

to jointly manage the cheeses made by each producer.

During the aging process,

raclette cheese is usually washed and polished with a saltwater solution.

The Tokachi cheese producers used the moor spring water instead.

In 2017, they created Tokachi Raclette Moor Wash,

which has a distinctive mild and mellow aroma.

As the cheese is warmed, it develops a deep, rich flavor.

In my mind, raclette cheese had a strong, pungent smell.

But Tokachi Raclette Moor Wash has a mild aroma

and has a rich umami flavor.

I felt strongly that this was something

that the Tokachi community could be proud of,

something to nurture.

Tokachi Raclette Moor Wash inspired Nagahara

to redouble her efforts to study cheese.

After obtaining the Cheese Professional certification,

she set her sights on becoming a fromager,

the most difficult certification in the Japanese cheese industry.

Classes for becoming a fromager were only being offered in Tokyo,

so I flew in every week.

I think cheese has been the first thing in my life

that I've gotten truly serious about.

After intense study,

Nagahara became a certified fromager in 2019.

In 2020, she and her husband opened up their cheese factory

and joined the High-Quality Food Association of Tokachi.

They began producing Tokachi Raclette Moor Wash

and a variety of other natural cheeses.

Tokachi raclette is unlike any other cheese in the world

because it's washed with local moor spring water.

It's a flagship product.

So we hope to introduce our raclette cheese to more and more people

across Japan and around the world.

In April 2021,

Nagahara won a contest to determine the best fromager in Japan.

Then in September, she packed some Tokachi raclette

and headed off to the world championships.

She and eight others who'd also won preliminary contests

competed for the title of world's best cheesemonger.

There was a written test on cheese knowledge,

a test where contestants had to eyeball a cut of cheese

as close to 250 grams as possible,

and a test of cheese plating and presentation.

The theme they were given was "cheese perfume."

Nagahara took inspiration from the iconic French perfume Chanel No. 5.

A gorgeous display of cheeses arranged on a black,

multi-tier display stand that was custom-made in Japan,

an homage to French culture.

In another test, contestants had to suggest a cheese pairing.

The cheese was Brillat-Savarin,

a creamy cheese that is faintly sour.

Nagahara had brought with her a traditional sweet jelly dessert

made from adzuki red beans grown in Tokachi.

She layered the cheese and the bean jelly to create a cake.

I brought it with me because I thought that combining sweetness and acidity

would make for something perfectly balanced.

There was also a taste test

where contestants were given pieces of cheese and had to identify them.

We had to give the name of the cheese and the country of origin.

And the most challenging part was answering precisely

how many days the cheese had been aged.

Leading up to the contest,

I was eating nothing but cheese three meals a day.

My fridge was packed with cheese.

Another test involved creating a cheese sculpture.

Nagahara went with a Japanese motif, the origami crane.

It was her way to express her hope for an end to the pandemic.

The contest also includes a time for each contestant

to present the judges with a cheese of their choice

and give a speech about what makes it special.

This was a highlight for Nagahara.

Naturally, she chose Tokachi Raclette Moor Wash.

It is my great pleasure to introduce to you

our Tokachi Raclette Moor Wash.

It is produced by the TOKACHI PRIDE cooperative,

a union of ten independent cheesemakers.

The green cheese made with pasteurized milk

is washed and polished in alkaline

Tokachi River moor hot spring.

Washing the raclette improves maturation

and creates umami-rich flavor.

The judges recognized that the cheese had a mild aroma

but was full of umami flavor.

They wanted to know if these qualities

were due to the use of "onsen" hot spring water.

I could tell that they were intrigued by how Japanese cheese was made.

And then it was time for the winners to be announced.

Nagahara beat out much of the competition to win third prize.

She credits Tokachi cheese for the achievement.

I believe I won third because of my regional ingredients,

because I was there carrying the hopes of a region, my home.

It was in the middle of the night in Japan,

but I called the association back home to tell them

and they were just overjoyed.

The producers back home said to me,

"Thank you for taking Moor Wash to the international stage."

That really meant a lot to me.

I felt like I was carrying the hopes of the people of Tokachi,

and I wanted to convey their passion.

(Do you have any words to live by?)

"Love your hometown."

The Tokachi region and its environment is what shaped my life.

Through cheese, I've fallen back in love with my hometown

and found something I could be proud of.

My hometown is the place where I feel most comfortable,

where I feel the warmth of the people

through their smiles and their gentle nature.

I just love Tokachi.