On my childhood in Japan, I used to eat tomato with ume dressing. So I'd say it's kinda 'typical' flavor profile in Japan. When I think ume, I must use the best butt buddy of him, shiso as I used on 'foie gras a la Japonne'. I mean it just so PERFECT flavor profile, hard to beat. Tomato, ume, shiso... and what else? I knew right away... garlic...... garlic chips? ..... '!' black garlic, that's it! so I came up basic flavor profile of 'T-bus'(Tomato-Black garlic, Ume, Shiso).
IPF(Ingredients profiling file)
Black garlic: I probably gonna say one of top 20 veges I love. This fermented garlic have one of the best savory sweet flavor and 'sort' of smokiness. The flavor is total bang. If I ask one thing, wish the color is total black... I mean it's more brown-ish color after tamis-ed.... I just love 'black' color in food, fashion, design.... except my hair color, because it's so METAL!
Pearl onion: the petite round ring look and stinky punchy flavor is a great supporting actor in flavor combination. Perfect for pickle.
Shiso: Possibly the best herb in the world! I love lemon verbena, but the clean refreshing 'sort' of minty flavor is SO stunning. Some people say 'kind' of Japanese mint, but shiso is shiso, original, nothing to compare. Again Ume's bestie.
Tomato Heirloom: It's one of the most watery vegetable and need some punch in seasoning, especially when it serves raw. Heating tomato drawing the completely different aspect of tomato, but as long as fresh heirloom tomato, I prefer raw with no heat. (say roma tomato should heat, not so dericious to eat raw)
Ume: How it tastes? "Salty as fuck, son!!" 'Salty' sounds negative to me in general, but in case of 'ume', it's NOT. we could get all year around, but it's matching the weather of sweaty summer. the hyper agressive flavor need bounce in flavor composition, could be some kind of sweetness, alcohol or freshness....
F.C.T.V. (flavor, concept, title, visuals)
Flavor: garlic, onion, shiso, tomato, ume.... kind of Japanese summer flavor profile from my childhood
Concept: I wanna make 'tomato stained glass'!! It has been on my concept wish list for a while. What's the hell it is? Was not certain just until I make this dish, kept on my file because it sounds so cool!
Title: Named after I composed the entire dish, I like the sound of it. Kinda inspired by the name t-bag from prison break!
Visuals: colorful, summer-icious, round/square/line/rectangle... all different shapes
Can you mergination & inspiration?