100% locally sourced ingredients – Japanese cuisine Xiangyun Ryugin that exists only in Taiwan

▲The grilled sweetfish at Xiangyun Ryugin is made with Taiwanese sweetfish. (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

Reporter Huang Shiyuan / Taipei Report

In Taiwan, many Japanese restaurants or sushi eateries boast that their ingredients come from Japan. But does Japanese cuisine have to use Japanese ingredients? Can it not be called Japanese cuisine without them? Ryugin’s chef de cuisine, Ryohei Hieda, doesn’t think so. Carrying on the unique culinary worldview of head chef Yoshihiro Nakamura, he believes that no matter where you are, Japanese cuisine can be expressed through local ingredients and seasonal cooking to showcase the beauty of the region.

The purpose of Xiangyun Ryugin opening a branch in Taiwan was to explore a type of Japanese cuisine that doesn’t exist in Japan but is unique to Taiwan. Ryohei Hieda stated that they wanted to prove that Japanese cuisine is not confined to Japan—it can adapt its form based on the country and land it’s in, becoming a more versatile version of itself. He also believes they can discover an original style of Japanese cuisine that belongs to Taiwan.


▲Ryohei Hieda, chef de cuisine at Xiangyun Ryugin. (Photo provided by Xiangyun Ryugin)

Since arriving in Taiwan three years ago, Ryohei Hieda has been dedicated to exploring and using local Taiwanese ingredients—such as sweet potato leaves, century eggs, and Nantou squab. Even the restaurant’s signature summer dish, grilled sweetfish, traditionally served at Ryugin in Japan, now uses sweetfish farmed locally in Taiwan. After numerous persuasions, he convinced the owner of the Bajia Fish Farm to supply him with sweetfish of the specific size he desired. In his search for quality ingredients, Hieda traveled across Taiwan, sourcing produce from all over the island—even using sea urchins from Penghu.

And at the recently held Asian Chefs’ Summit, Hieda once again highlighted the excellence of Taiwanese ingredients, specifically showcasing the year-round available Indian mackerel in a demonstration dish. The rich fat content and tender texture of the mackerel closely resemble kohada, a premium fish commonly used in Japanese sushi. He pan-fried the fish to open up the gaps between its scales, layering them upright, then smoked the body with charcoal to enhance the aroma. It was paired with a sauce made from Taiwanese summer melons, delivering a uniquely refreshing taste of Taiwan’s summer season.


▲Ryohei Hieda’s demonstration dish at the Asian Chefs’ Summit: Summer–Autumn Indian Mackerel with Melons. (Photo provided by Xiangyun Ryugin)

Hieda believes that the spirit of Japanese cuisine lies in highlighting the beauty of local ingredients. Therefore, as a Japanese chef abroad, it is only right to use local ingredients and apply techniques to showcase the unique terroir of the region, allowing the essence of Japanese cuisine to continue overseas. Moreover, with Japan’s recent decline in fish catch, he deeply feels the importance and urgency of the issue of sustainable marine resources. As a chef, Hieda hopes to do his part starting with himself and to continuously pass on the Ryugin spirit.