The chef carefully places a deep, warm ochre-colored Kasama-yaki bowl on the table. Inside are seasonal vegetables drizzled with a sauce that spreads slightly across the uneven glaze. The color of the pottery accentuates the greens and red accents, and the bowl itself seems like an extension of the dish.
In Ibaraki Prefecture, where Kasama clay has been mined for over three hundred years, local chefs and potters have begun a joint experiment. They are studying how the shape, color, and texture of ceramics influence the perception of taste and the visual impression of food. A group of chefs from the region meets with Kasama-yaki masters to select tableware for specific dishes—from light appetizers to hot soups.
Kasama clay gives the pottery a characteristic warm hue and slight porosity. In such a bowl, the temperature of the dish is maintained longer, and the sauce is absorbed more slowly into the walls. Potters note that traditional firing techniques allow for the creation of irregularities in the glaze that catch the light and create a play of shadows on the surface of the food.
One of the project participants is a chef who has been working with local farmers for several years. He says that he used to choose tableware based on convenience, but now he thinks about how the color of the ceramics changes the sensation of the freshness of vegetables or the richness of a broth. The potters, in turn, adjust the shape of handles and the depth of bowls to meet the chefs' requests.
The project shows how a traditional craft can become part of modern gastronomy without losing its identity. In Ibaraki, where tourism and agriculture are closely linked, such collaboration helps maintain interest in the craft while simultaneously drawing attention to local products.
Meetings and tastings take place in Kasama and the surrounding area. Visitors can see how a master shapes and fires the pottery, and then taste dishes served in these pieces. It is best to visit in the autumn, when the harvest season coincides with pottery festivals.
In this tableware, food ceases to be just food—it becomes part of the history of the clay, the fire, and the hands that created it.
