vol.5 “BEYOND FREE” Aiming for a future where everyone can sit around the same dining table A roundtable discussion between 5 professional chefs to learn about the current state of plant-based foods has started! [Mitsui Fudosan ✕ Cooking Kingdom Academy ✕ BEYOND FREE]

&mog by Mitsui Fudosan is a one-stop platform that supports food business development, from concept design to urban implementation. The keyword for this project, which started in Nihonbashi this spring, is “Future food grown in the city.” Mitsui Fudosan is working with partner companies related to food to carry out a variety of activities to create new innovations.
“&mog Kingdom” introduces monthly project events and the latest news. We will report on the new food trends starting in Nihonbashi!

Chefs sample plant-based products at Culinary Kingdom Academy Experience “deliciousness” by actually tasting it
A tasting event for BEYOND FREE, a brand that also sells plant-based products, was held at the Culinary Kingdom Academy, which is sponsored by the food magazine, Ryori Kingdom. This academy is a practical project in which chefs and producers who are familiar with cooking and ingredients impart their skills and knowledge to cooks, and the participating cooks come up with recipes that make use of what they have learned. Once again, chefs participating in the academy gathered together to sample BEYOND FREE products and come up with recipes.


Five chefs gathered on this day. We sampled four products from BEYOND FREE, a newly launched brand by Table Mark Co., Ltd., known for its frozen foods, which also handles plant-based products. The plan is for participants to come up with recipes using the ingredients at a later date. The chefs who gathered seemed interested in the opportunity to learn more about plant-based ingredients, which are currently attracting attention.
Tomoko Komatsu, who works on milk and soy milk recipes, Yoko Citron, who specializes in French cuisine, Fumiko Narisawa, who is a registered dietitian, Yasuko Horiguchi, who is knowledgeable about athletes' food, and Yoko Mishima, who cooks both French and Japanese cuisine. Five chefs with different areas of expertise exchanged opinions and questions about the products they sampled from their respective perspectives.
"BEYOND FREE" is a brand of frozen foods made from plant materials from Table Mark Co., Ltd., which handles various foods including frozen foods. Yusuke Kunisada of the company's BEYOND FREE promotion office explains the brand concept as follows.
“First of all, let me tell you why we launched the BEYOND FREE brand.Nowadays, eating habits are complicated due to various reasons such as dietary restrictions, allergies, and lifestyle. That's why this brand was born from our desire to make food barrier-free so that people like that can sit around the same table and eat together.

The Promotion Office was established in September 2023, so it is still new. The aim of this article is to ask professional chefs for their opinions on product development. "BEYOND FREE" develops products that are free of specific ingredients and ingredients, such as eggs, dairy products, meat, salt, and carbohydrates. Also, because it is a frozen food that Table Mark Co., Ltd. specializes in, it is easy to stock and can be used in microwave ovens.
"It's something that's good for the body. It's kind to the earth. Both are important, but we also want to value the enjoyment and deliciousness of the meal, which is part of the BEYOND FREE philosophy. All of our products have taste, visuals, aroma, and texture. We are confident in the deliciousness of our products,” Kunisada said.


We sampled Karaage made with okara konnyaku'' (photo left) and
Katsu made with okara konjac”, both of which do not contain eggs or milk.
We immediately started tasting the four dishes. First up is “Karaage made with okara konjac,” which is the most popular item in the online shop.
“This product uses okara konjac®, a sustainable material that combines okara, a byproduct of soy milk, and konjac, a traditional Japanese food.When frozen, it becomes spongy and elastic, making it easier to eat meat. You can feel the texture,” Kunisada explains. When you take a bite, it has a chewy texture and a flavor reminiscent of fried chicken. The taste, which is similar to white rice, seems to be well-received by both adults and children.
"Compared to chicken, I felt it was a little softer. I guess it's made to be easy for people of all generations to eat. If you're going for chicken, I think it could be a little more filling," says Komatsu.
"It also contains dietary fiber, so displaying this will likely catch the attention of consumers," says Narisawa, who is a registered dietitian and looks at products from a nutritional perspective.
"The seasoning is such that it can be eaten as is, so it feels like it has a bit of a strong flavor.I think it would be a good idea to make the most of this flavor if you want to adapt it to another dish." Later, Mr. Horiguchi said, "Okara Konnyaku Karaage Fried Soup with Lots of Vegetables." "suggested a recipe. This is a beautiful colorful soup rice that takes advantage of the salty taste of "fried chicken made with okara konnyaku" and adds tomatoes, Western vegetables, etc. The key to "karaage made with okara konjac" is to not overcook it so that the texture of the batter remains.
"I also felt that the taste was a little strong, so how about a bowl or rice ball to eat with rice?" said Mr. Mishima. "I also imagined a bowl of rice. Karaage tempura and seaweed rolls also look good," says Komatsu.
"The seasoning is based on soy sauce, which is loved by everyone.Since we don't use any animal products, we add a good amount of flavor so that it doesn't become bland.When Okara Konnyaku® is frozen, it becomes spongy. It may be easier for the flavor to penetrate into the inside. Next is a cutlet made with okara konjac®. It's the same material, but please enjoy the difference in texture from fried chicken." Mr. Miss.



After each tasting, the participating chefs asked questions and opinions to the person in charge of development. I noticed various things not only about the taste, but also about the labeling on the package.
"Katsu made with okara konnyaku" is a rectangular cutlet with a golden brown coating that will whet your appetite. Although it was cut into pieces for tasting, it is not actually cut into pieces, so you can enjoy using it in various ways, such as in cutlet sandwiches, depending on your ideas.
"The texture is nice. Even though it's fried, it's easy to serve, so I think it's a great product for working mothers. However, I think it's a little lacking in volume for a side dish for dinner. It's a good product, so I'm not sure when to eat it. ," says Horiguchi. "If you think about the target, it might get better." "It's smaller than a loin cutlet. It's easy to prepare, so I think it's perfect for a lunch box. It also looks delicious as a salad sushi roll with vegetables," says Mishima. "For sushi rolls, you can use stick-shaped sushi, or for bento boxes, you can use oval-shaped sushi," Horiguchi continued.
"I think this size is just right for children.If you put it on a plate with vegetables, it will be more filling, but if it's bigger than this, it might be difficult for small children to eat."A student with children said. Mr. Narisawa, who has many students, says he would recommend this to his students as well. "The texture is good. I'm a little worried about the taste and oiliness of the batter, so how about "Katsu made with okara konjac, herbal soy milk yogurt sauce"? Pair it with a refreshing sauce made with yogurt and soy milk. "I wanted to add vegetables for salads to create a stylish menu," says Citron, who is good at French.

The third dish that appeared, and the one that the participants couldn't help but say was "cute," was "brown rice bread." Rather than being shaped like a loaf of bread, the cube-like shape of a dice caught the attention of chefs. The bread, which looks like a bakery product, is fun to look at, and has a fluffy, chewy texture that makes it hard to believe it's made from rice flour.
"This rice flour bread is made from whole brown rice, including the germ part, which has a high nutritional content.It is gluten-free and does not contain 28 ingredients that contain allergy-specific ingredients, and is certified by the GFCO (Gluten-Free Certification Organization), which is completely allergen-friendly. It's produced in a factory that has received approval, so even people with wheat allergies can eat it with peace of mind,'' says Kunisada.
"It's chewy and delicious. I think gluten-free is suitable for Japanese people, so rice flour bread is good. I'd like to make bread gratin with soy milk white sauce," says Mishima. "With this shape, you can hollow out the inside and fill it with something.Brown rice bread goes well with Japanese food, so we stuffed it with avocado and natto, finished it off with soy milk cheese, and baked it in the oven."Avocado Natto Soy Milk How about 'Cheese Fountain'? I think baking it in the oven will get rid of the sliminess caused by the rice flour,' says Citron, suggesting a recipe using Japanese ingredients.
"It has a good flavor and gives the impression that it's easy to eat.I thought it would be difficult to bake in a toaster in this shape, so I thought it would be nice to have a bread mold," said Komatsu, who focused on the baking method.
“Thank you. You can toast it in the toaster, but it’s also great that you can defrost it and eat it as is. The one I ate was plain, but there are other variations such as Amakusa Bankan and blueberry. It has been well received,” Kunisada said.

The last one is the “Soy Milk Cream Roll Cake”, which does not contain eggs or milk.
“This is a product we are proud of. Using Table Mark’s technology, we create a fluffy sponge-like texture without using flour or eggs. I’m told, but with our unique know-how, I think people will be able to eat it without any discomfort,” says Kunisada. It is said that it is quite difficult to make a cake that does not use eggs or milk, but this one is a masterpiece and has a high level of perfection. The soft and moist sponge cake is filled with smooth soy milk cream.
“This is great. If you have a child with allergies, you’ll be careful about snacks, but since you can freeze them, it’s easy to stock up, and it’s convenient to eat them immediately after thawing them. “It’s nice to be able to eat the same snack together,” said Narisawa, enjoying the experience.
“It’s perfect for children, but I thought it might be a little sweet for adults.If you’re concerned about sweetness, you could try adding some extra fruit to it,” says Horiguchi. In response, Mr. Komatsu said, “You can decorate it with strawberries and other things and make it into a decorative cake!”
“That’s true! It’s easy to arrange, so it looks like it could be used in restaurants,” said Mr. Narisawa. “You could also make it into a trifle. I’d recommend it to adults too,” said Mr. Mishima.

After tasting the four products, five people said their impressions of plant-based products had changed. There were many positive comments such as, “I’m glad I was able to participate in a place where people can eat delicious food,” “My image of the food as not being delicious has completely changed,” “I hope there will be more products like this in the future,” and “It’s a product that everyone can relate to and it’s approachable.” She also says that she would like to pass on the recipes she has devised to her students at her cooking classes, and is eager to work on them.
“&mog by Mitsui Fudosan” will serve as a hub where new food technology will be transmitted from cooks who hold cooking classes to consumers, and will become the basis for its implementation in daily life.
■Credit
text:Jun Okamoto
photo:Yukako Hiramatsu