Cooking Lessons Using note: A New Challenge for Culinary Expert Chizuru Ohara
While active in television appearances and magazine columns, culinary expert Chizuru Ohara also manages a monthly subscription community on note called "Real Meals at the Ohara Home".
Every month, she features the "simple and delicious home cooking" that she eats at home, and live-streams cooking lessons for membership subscribers.
We asked Ms. Ohara about the points she focuses on in her online cooking lessons and the benefits of a culinary expert using note.
I want to convey things that cannot be fully expressed on television
--What was your motivation for starting note?
Chizuru Ohara (hereinafter, Ohara):I usually show precise cooking processes on television cooking programs, but in reality, cooking is a bit loose. Knowing how to make adjustments is what is important for becoming a good cook.
Take eggplant, for example.
Every household has a different amount of eggplant they want to use up, and the size and material of the pots they use are also different, so it will never be exactly the same. The size of eggplants is also completely different between summer and winter. In summer, they can be twice as big as in winter.
So, if the amount of eggplant doubles, should the soy sauce, for example, also be doubled...? No. Good cooks will keep it to about 1.5 times in such cases.
I started this because I wanted to convey those tips on making adjustments that I can't convey on television in a more casual way.
I was super nervous when I started, but now I look forward to the reactions from everyone who has joined the membership.
Actually, it is my daughter who films the live streams with an iPhone. I usually can't teach her how to cook while giving her detailed instructions from the side, so this has become a valuable opportunity.
The fact that my daughter chimes in while filming, saying things like "Oh, I see" or "Why do you do that?", seems to resonate with everyone as the parts they "wanted to hear about."
Since she is a high school student who loves social media, she is good at filming, and she teaches me everything I don't know, so I am doing this with gratitude toward my daughter.
--Do you have any tips for conveying information in online cooking lessons?
Ohara:Since video just flows by, I prepare text for cooking tools and ingredients in advance to make it easy to understand, and I also transcribe all the cooking steps I explain in the lesson afterward.
By leaving it in writing, I hope people can review the parts they wanted to know more about.
Even though there is a lot of free information about cooking, I have a very strong sense of gratitude toward the approximately 280 people who have come to my membership, so I don't want to do it half-heartedly.
In my lessons, I try to convey as much as possible what I think everyone wants to know. For example, in the June lesson, I talked about how everyone thinks tomatoes are summer vegetables, but they are actually very delicious until the end of June, and after that, the flavor thins out and the color fades.
For example, if a cucumber is this green, you should peel it completely; depending on the season, if it has turned brown, it will be bitter and not good; or if it's dry and spongy, you should use it for cooked dishes.
I try to convey a lot of things—how to judge ingredients, how even the same ingredients can differ in state, and things I notice or feel concerned about while I'm cutting or touching them.
Because it's interactive, it's easy to understand what everyone wants to know. I'm very grateful for that, too. I get asked 'What kind of cooking utensils do you use?' many times in every session.
I show everything, including the kitchen area and inside the sink.
—Currently, over 280 people have joined. How do you feel about the response?
Ohara:I thought it would be great if I could start with about 100 people, but I've gathered more than I expected. Since the freedom of a subscription means it's easy to join and leave, I'm happy if those who feel 'this seems to suit me' enjoy it.
I think of my customers as 'comrades.' They are working hard raising children or managing a household, and they are somehow turning cooking and daily life into something to look forward to. I feel like I've met such companions.
When holding my own cooking classes at a physical venue, the price inevitably becomes high. It can even reach nearly 10,000 yen, and the capacity is only about 10 to 15 people. Of course, there is a joy in gathering there, too.
note is 2,000 yen per month. It's a more relaxed place, so you can participate in your pajamas and watch it anytime. Cooking is actually not an event, but a part of daily life. I hope that lowers the hurdle.
Also, even though I'm busy, I try to reply to comments as much as possible and provide additional information in writing after the one-hour lesson.
Knowing how to make dishes in about 5 minutes is useful for creating time for yourself. I hope to share such tips with everyone, help you create your own time, contribute to being eco-friendly without spending too much money, and cook together in a way that enriches your life.
—You started Twitter and Instagram about three years ago, and this year you started note. Are there any benefits to posting online?
Ohara:I can reach younger people, interact on Instagram, and get inspired while looking at wonderful designs and photos. I'm too busy to post photos of my private life very often, but thanks to online tools, I feel like the world I love is expanding.
SNS is flow-based information that keeps moving, but being able to write things down on note and provide a different quality of information has been good.
With Instagram, I sometimes feel hesitant because I worry if the photos aren't beautiful, but note is more real and more honest. In my cooking lessons, I show the whole kitchen area.
I make three dishes in an hour, and if I'm talking this much, I've even shown that the sink is messy, saying 'I'm already at my limit.' It's very real.
Customers might feel a sense of relief. I think there are many people who are tired of beautiful photos.
note membership is also efficient in terms of revenue
—Regarding the revenue earned through note, how is it as a business model for culinary experts, including yourself?
Ohara:Basically, I currently do television work, publish 4 to 5 books a year, have seasonal work like 'osechi' (New Year's dishes), and also sell original cooking utensils and seasonings.
When you consider the effort involved, note is actually very efficient. Of course, television might be good for gaining credibility, and books can be a big deal if they sell well.
On the day I do a live stream once a month, I'm busy with preparations from the evening on, but other than that, it doesn't take that much energy. When I look at the posts on note, there are some quite interesting ones, and everyone is an artist. I think it has become a fun community.
There are new encounters unique to the internet, and there are people who come to my cooking classes who also participate in the note community.
--There seems to be a lot of potential for culinary experts and people in the food and beverage industry to use note.
Oohara:Yes, I think so. After all, note is a place on the internet where the distance between yourself and your customers is close. I think the sense of empathy from customers is very strong.
So, even for those who think they don't have any material to offer, I think there is definitely empathy to be gained by honestly revealing things you have struggled with or found difficult in the past, and by being open about yourself.
A place where you can express such things without fear is very important right now, and as you continue to express yourself there, your own methods of expression will improve, and eventually, that may lead to financial rewards.
note is a place that connects your world with others. So, first, try writing. I think it would be good if you could naturally expand your group there and make it a place where your true value can be recognized.
I want you to try it first, and while not everyone can receive money, the seeds of happiness should be there. I want you to challenge yourself for your own sake.
Chizuru Oohara
note:https://note.com/ooharachizuru/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/oohara_chizuru