April 9th, 2026
Yamaki Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Iyo City, Ehime Prefecture; President: Yoshihiro Kido; hereinafter “Yamaki”) has supported dashi lectures as part of a Japanese cuisine program offered by the Culinary Institute of America (President: Michiel Bakker; hereinafter referred to as “CIA”), one of the world’s leading culinary schools.
In January 2026, Yamaki conducted a lecture at the CIA campus in Hyde Park, New York. In addition, in March, Yamaki supported a Japanese cuisine study tour for CIA students visiting Japan, where both the theory and practice of dashi were introduced. This initiative is part of Yamaki’s global efforts to promote dashi worldwide, supporting its long-term vision, “YAMAKI Vision 2035,” to become “Yamaki, the Katsuobushi & Dashi Company of the World.”
CIA students exploring traditional Japanese dashi ingredients
Global Expansion of Japanese Cuisine and Yamaki’s “YAMAKI Vision 2035”
In recent years, Japanese cuisine has gained widespread global popularity and continues to evolve through integration with local food cultures around the world. Yamaki believes that expanding the use of dashi beyond traditional Japanese cuisine—positioning it as a foundational element in diverse global culinary applications—will contribute to the further development of global food culture.
Under its long-term vision “YAMAKI Vision 2035,” established in January 2024, Yamaki aims to become “Yamaki, the Katsuobushi & Dashi Company of the World.” Through katsuobushi and dashi, Yamaki seeks to contribute to global culinary excellence and health, the preservation of food culture, and the sustainability of food resources.
In addition to expanding its overseas market, Yamaki envisions a future in which chefs around the world naturally incorporate traditional Japanese dashi into their culinary creations, allowing its potential to spread from restaurants into everyday households. A key to achieving this vision is creating opportunities for the next generation of culinary professionals to engage with dashi.
Rather than simply providing finished seasonings, Yamaki is committed to expanding the possibilities of future food culture by introducing the concept of dashi to chefs at an early stage—before they establish their own culinary styles.
Supporting Japanese Culinary Education Through Collaboration with the CIA
Founded in 1946, CIA is an independent, non-profit educational institution, widely considered the world's premier culinary college and a top authority in food education dedicated to developing leaders in the fields of food, beverage, and hospitality. With a network of approximately 60,000 alumni, the CIA has produced professionals who are active at the forefront of top restaurants and food businesses worldwide.
The CIA offers associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Within the bachelor’s degree program, students may select from a number of global cuisines concentrations—focused semester-long studies. One such opportunity is a semester-long concentration in Japanese cuisine and culture. This program combines culinary instruction with an experiential study tour to Japan, deepening students’ understanding of Japanese food culture.
Since 2022, Yamaki has been a proud Premier Member of the CIA’s Japanese Studies Leadership Council, and supporter of the CIA’s Japanese Studies program.
Yamaki’s Contributions to the 2026 Japanese Studies Program
1. “Dashi” Lecture at the CIA New York Campus (January 22)
At the CIA campus in Hyde Park, New York, Yamaki delivered a lecture on dashi to students specializing in Japanese cuisine.
Dashi lecture at the CIA campus
The lecture covered:
- Fundamental knowledge and scientific background of umami
- Production processes of katsuobushi and kombu
- Potential applications in Western cuisine
In addition, through live demonstrations of dashi cooking and tasting sessions, students were provided with a combined theoretical and experiential learning opportunity. The lecture emphasized dashi not merely as a technique unique to Japanese cuisine, but as a fundamental element supporting flavor development across all types of cooking.
2. Support for “Dashi” Lecture During CIA Japan Study Tour (March 11)
Yamaki also supported a dashi lecture held at the Yanagihara Cooking School in Akasaka, Tokyo, for CIA students visiting Japan. In addition to introducing the fundamentals of dashi and demonstrating preparation methods, the lecture also covered production regions and manufacturing backgrounds.
Through this experience, students deepened their understanding of dashi not simply as a seasoning component, but as a “food resource” deeply connected to Japan’s natural environment and culture.
Results and Expansion Through Ongoing Initiatives
The focused Japanese educational opportunity has been ongoing since 2017, with the number of participants increasing each year. At the CIA New York campus, attendance at the special dashi lecture grew from 16 students in 2022 to approximately 60 students in 2026.
Interest has expanded beyond students specializing in Japanese cuisine to include students from other disciplines as well as faculty members. Through these activities, the understanding of dashi within educational settings has evolved—from being viewed as a technique specific to Japanese cuisine to being recognized as a fundamental component that supports overall flavor development in cooking.
Positioning Within Global Strategy and Future Outlook
This initiative represents a medium- to long-term effort that goes beyond product promotion, focusing on exploring the potential of dashi together with the next generation of culinary professionals. Providing specialized knowledge to future chefs and contributing to the foundation of food culture are key responsibilities Yamaki embraces as “the katsuobushi and dashi company in the world.”
Moving forward, Yamaki will continue to expand opportunities for engagement between the global culinary community and dashi, working toward an environment where chefs around the world can naturally incorporate dashi into their creative processes.
Through these efforts, Yamaki aims to realize “YAMAKI Vision 2035” and contribute to the global dissemination and development of katsuobushi and dashi culture.
About The Culinary Institute of America
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is dedicated to developing leaders in food, beverage, and hospitality. The independent, not-for-profit CIA offers associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts; bachelor’s degrees with majors in culinary arts, baking & pastry arts, food business management, hospitality management, culinary science, and applied food studies; and master’s degrees in culinary arts, culinary therapeutics, food business, sustainable food systems, and wine and beverage management. The college also offers executive education, certificate programs, and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services are a valuable resource to industry professionals, and its worldwide network of nearly 60,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the food world. The CIA has locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore. For more information, visit www.ciachef.edu.
Yamaki, as “the katsuobushi and dashi company,” is committed to contributing to “deliciousness,” “health,” and “the preservation of food culture, and the sustainability of food resources” through katsuobushi and dashi.
https://www.yamaki.co.jp
For details on “YAMAKI Vision 2035,” please visit:
https://www.yamaki.co.jp/news_release/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/YAMAKI-Vision-2035.pdf
For a pdf version of this article, use the following link: PDF download
Contact Information
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