Interview Series: “Creating the Future of Seaweed” Vol. 8
Just as land vegetables vary in shape, color, and nutrients, seaweed—often called the "vegetables of the sea"—possesses a rich diversity of characteristics. At SEA VEGETABLE, our team is just as diverse as the seaweed we cultivate. From researchers and chefs to specialists in product development, production, and logistics, many hands work together to bring the potential of seaweed to life.
In this interview series, we speak with individuals both inside and outside of SEA VEGETABLE to explore the evolving landscape of seaweed and its future in food culture.
For our eighth interview, we sat down with Minami Tsukamoto, the leader of the newly reimagined SEAVEGE- Kitchen Lab i.e., previously known as Test Kitchen.
In the Summer of 2025, founding member Shui Ishizaka transitioned out to pursue new opportunities, and as new leader Tsukamoto, is now striving to create beautiful dishes that fit seamlessly into everyday life through daily prototyping and fermentation experiments. We explored her perspective.
Working with Seaweed Everyday. Tsukamoto’s Vision for the Future Dining.
― What inspired you to pursue a career in the culinary world?
After graduating from vocational school, my first job was in the kitchen of a global hotel brand. I had debated whether to work at a high-end restaurant in the city, but I’m glad I chose my path in the hotel because it allowed me to interact with colleagues with diverse backgrounds working in outside of culinary field. At the hotel, from prep work to plating to washing dishes, everything was a full of learning experience, and before I knew it, those five years flew by.
Since there were many chefs from overseas, I encountered countless combinations of ingredients and culinary philosophies I have never seen in Japan. For example, how to balance sweet and salty flavors, or the perspective of how to create a sense of surprise within a single dish. Witnessing this made me realize, Cooking is a dialogue that transcends culture. This experience became the foundation of my current approach to have a dialogue with ingredients.
― Can you elaborate on how experience at the hotel influenced your approach to cooking.
As I worked at the hotel and began to feel that “cooking is a dialogue between cultures,” I gradually became more and more convinced that I want to encounter the cooking styles of chefs from various countries rather than mastering French cuisine. At the same time, I became curious about where the ingredients I used every day come from. I visited several countries, but since the chef who influenced me the most was Australian, I chose Australia as my working holiday destination.
During my first year in Australia, I worked at a restaurant, and in my second year, I volunteered at an organic farm. In this organic farm, I have witnessed a self-sustaining lifestyle within a limited environment by my own eyes. They raised livestock, grew vegetables using livestock manure, and collected rainwater in tanks for use. Closely seeing this I came to realize that there is no real divide between growing food and eating it.
That experience is what led to my curiosity about the origins of the the ingredients. I no longer wanted to make delicious dishes. I wanted to know how these ingredients came to life before bringing them to the plate. Looking back, those two years in Australia had a profound influence on the way I interact with food today.
Discovering Seaweed: Learning from Ingredients
― What were your first impressions on SEA VEGETABLE’s dish?
It all started with an invitation in 2021 from Shui Ishizaka, who was head of the Test Kitchen at the time. He asked me, “Would you like to come and help for next pop-up” I had previously worked with Shui at the restaurant INUA. Having witnessed firsthand the care and sincerity with which he approach ingredients in INUA’s kitchen, that had garnered worldwide attention, I was genuinely curious to see what he was setting out to do in this new setting. At the time, I didn’t really know much about what SEA VEGETABLE, but since I knew Shui took a earness approach to new ingredients and the kitchen environment, I found it very interesting, so I decided to join.
On the day of the event, the first dish I tasted was one made with Suji Aonori. I remember being stunned the moment I caught its aroma. While sensing the nostalgy of INUA Shui had shaped, and I was also surprised to see seaweed, which I had always thought of as a supporting role, taking center stage. It was organic to finding myself thinking, “I want to learn more.”
After that, I officially joined the team, and as we worked together with Shui in the kitchen, I began to strongly resonate with his challenge of creating dishes where seaweed takes center stage. Day after day, as I observed the condition of the fresh seaweed, boiled it, dried it, and carefully checked each change one by one, I gradually began to understand it. It feels less like I’m the one cooking, more and so felt like ingredients are speaking to me. As I continued to work with it, I came to realize that seaweed, just like plants, needs photosynthesis and nutrients to grow. It actually breathes.
― What were your thoughts when you took over the former Test Kitchen (now SEAVEGE-Kitchen Lab) from Shui Ishizaka?
There was always something new to discover in Shui’s cooking. His combinations of ingredients and his approach to fermentation were completely fresh to me. Seeing his work from up close for nearly four years, I was constantly amazed, wondering, how does he come up with ideas that? But at the same time, I realized that I couldn’t adopt that kind of intuitive, flash-of-inspiration approach myself. I’m the type who checks things off one by one and gradually brings them to life.
That’s why, rather than imitating Shui’s methods, I wanted to lead the team in my own style. I wanted to transform SEAVEGE- Kitchen Lab from a personal space into a team space, a place where we all share our ideas and explore new flavours together. I believe that process itself is our way of creating.
Spending my days like this, SEAVEGE- Kitchen Lab feels like an extension of my daily life. When someone says, “That’s delicious,” I want to make it even better next time. That cycle is what keeps us moving forward. So perhaps my job isn’t about coordinating, but to help everyone’s instincts resonate with one another.
Connecting Marine Research and the Kitchen
― How do you collaborate with the seaweed cultivation bases and the research teams?
The work at SEAVEGE- Kitchen Lab isn’t just about preparing meals. It’s also a place where we use insights gained from the bases where seaweed is grown, along with data from our research team, to figure out how we can deliver it in the most delicious condition. We sometimes visit bases in person to hear directly from the production team. For instance, factors such as growth progress, water temperature, the presence of foreign matter, and maturity levels all inform our decisions regarding prototyping and processing methods at SEAVEGE- Kitchen Lab.
While mainly we focus on Aonori cultivated on land, when manufacturing Aonori Shoyu, we conduct extensive testing not only on the condition of the Suji-Aonori but also on other seaweeds such as Hijiki verifying. For example, that boiling at what temperature yields better color and texture or how long is the best drying time to preserve a more beautiful color.
While taking into account the unique characteristics of each type of seaweed, we are committed to developing more delicious processing methods and implementing rigorous quality control to ensure consistency. We engage in this process of trial and error every single day.
We take the discoveries made on the production bases and in the laboratory to our kitchen and apply them to select processing methods and creating recipes. And further, share them with our customers. We view the SEAVEGE- Kitchen Lab as a hub where connects the production bases, research, and the people who enjoy our products.
Working with seaweed everyday, you naturally become more attuned to subtle differences in its texture and aroma. The slightest changes in temperature and humidity during drying, or the aroma released the moment it’s blanched. It’s in these small variations that each seaweed reveals its own character.
The Laboratory Behind the Flavor
― Quality control is another key part of SEAVEGE- Kitchen Lab. What does that involve?
At SEAVEGE- Kitchen Lab, we conduct all kinds of prototyping to explore how to make seaweed taste its best, including developing new seaweed products, testing recipes, and experimenting with preservation and processing methods. Seaweed is a very delicate ingredient that changes in appearance depending on temperature and ocean currents. That’s precisely why both scientific observation and a chef’s intuition are essential here.
Since we’re bringing these products to market, we put utmost effort in maintain consistent quality and flavor, regardless of the growing condition. However, due to the nature of seaweed as natural being, its condition varies every time. From the degree of dryness to its salt content, aroma, and texture. Even the slightest difference can have a significant impact on its flavor.
That’s why we spend months verifying which processing methods will deliver the best taste to our customers, adjusting the conditions one by one. Our days feel just like science experiments, but we believe its careful accumulation of those small steps that leads to consistently great flavour.
When you handle seaweed every day, you become more in tuned to differences in texture and aroma, the subtle variations in temperature and humidity during drying, or the fragrance that wafts up the moment it’s boiled. It is within these small changes that the unique character of the seaweed lies.
©Nathalie Cantacuzino
― Is there a particular topic you're currently interested in exploring?
I’d like to expand our lineup of seasonings centered around fermentation. Following our Aonori Shoyu, I’m experimenting to see if I can create soy sauces with different umami profiles using other types of seaweed. I’ve been working on prototypes using kuronori, and I’ve found that even slight changes in fermentation temperature or salt concentration can result in surprisingly different flavors. I believe fermentation is a process that unlocks the inherent power of ingredients, and I’m completely captivated by its fascination.
Going forward, I also want to take on the challenge of creating new fermented condiments using seaweed, such as miso and shio-koji. It’s still in the experimental stage, but I find it fascinating to observe the changes in aroma and color. While there are high hurdles to commercialization—including hygiene and legal standards—to create a new food culture, we have no choice but to do what no one else has done before. I intend to continue cherishing that spirit of experimentation.
“Delicious” is the start of a dialogue
― What does “deliciousness” mean to you?
What I learned while working at a hotel is that taste is only part of what makes a dish delicious. The way a dish is plated, the balance of colors, the dining environment, and the service can all completely change how people perceive it. At SEAVEGE- Kitchen Lab, too, we focus not just on taste, but on creating dishes that people think, “that looks delicious!” at the very first glance.
Nonetheless, I also want to preserve a lightness that fits seamlessly into everyday life. I aim to create dishes that bridge the gap between the beauty of the extraordinary and the warmth of the ordinary. I put an intention on each plate as an opportunity to make seaweed feel familiar rather than special. In this way, I want to gradually shape a future where meals featuring seaweed become the norm.
Seaweed holds a wealth of flavors that are still largely unknown. That’s exactly why we want to be more free and have more fun with it. Through delicious food, we want to connect people with the ocean. The moment that brings us the most joy while cooking is when someone says, “This is delicious.” That’s what drives us to take our experiments forward.
Beautiful dishes that fit naturally into everyday life
The two dishes Tsukamoto served me that day.
〈Seaweed Pho〉
Chicken meatballs mixed with Suuna, known for its crunchy texture. This pho features the beautiful color of Tosakanori. We’ve added a secret ingredient, Aonori Shoyu to our homemade pho broth. The clear broth brings out the nuanced seaweed’s sweetness and natural saltiness. A healthy but also satisfying dish.
〈Pork Marinated in Aonori Shoyu Lees〉
We reuse the soy sauce lees from the production of Aonori Shoyu, a byproduct of the fermentation process. The subtle saltiness and umami seep deeply into the pork, and when grilled to a fragrant crisp, the aroma of aonori really comes through. This dish, which makes delicious use of a fermentation byproduct, is quintessentially Tsukamoto.
Effort to Bring Seaweed into Everyday Life
At SEAVEGE- Kitchen Lab, our daily prototyping and fermentation experiments have given rise to products that have made it to market. We want to bring the deliciousness that stems from our culinary development, not just for special occasions, but little by little to your everyday meals as well. Here, we’d like to introduce two products born from that vision.
A pound cake featuring a rich, moist texture infused with the flavor of Suji-Aonori. By mixing Suji-Aonori (Whole Form) into the batter, we’ve created a flavor with even greater depth. This pound cake, which has a taste reminiscent of matcha, envelops your palate the moment you take a bite with the rich, delicate aroma of Suji-Aonori.
Made primarily from fresh, Suji-Aonori, this product is fermented using mineral-rich natural salt derived from seawater, high-quality natural soft groundwater, and rice koji made from rice grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, resulting in an unprecedented soy-free seasoning.
*Thanks to the incredible response, this product is currently sold out. We plan to restock it 2026 fall.
Minami Tsukamoto (Leader, SEAVEGE- Kitchen Lab / SEA VEGETABLE COMPANY)
She began her career at a global, five-star hotel in Tokyo, and her exposure to a diverse range of ingredients in that cosmopolitan environment inspired her to seek experience abroad. While in Shanghai and Sydney, she was involved in agriculture and livestock farming, and through her interactions with producers, she came to appreciate the connection between nature and food culture. After returning to Japan, she took up home gardening and composting, discovering the joy of connecting nature and cooking. She then worked as a chef’s assistant at Le Cordon Bleu and as head chef at a small restaurant before joining INUA, a sister restaurant of noma. Afterward, she deepened her connection with nature while learning natural farming methods for rice cultivation. Through a connection with Shui Ishizaka (former leader at Test Kitchen and Product / Recipe Developer at SEA VEGETABLE), whom she met during her time at INUA, she developed an interest in seaweed. She began assisting Shui with his work in 2021, joined SEA VEGETABLE in 2022, and has been part of the team ever since.
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