Kikkoman Manga Returns With 8x8 Dish for India's Chinese-Food Boom

Many Chinese restaurants in India use dark soy sauce, which gives dishes a deep, dark hue. 8x8 uses Kikkoman's naturally brewed soy sauce instead, leaving the ingredients' original colors visible. The dish fits an Indian food culture that values visual appeal alongside taste, the company said.

Chef Vicky Ratnani said Chinese and Asian food is "the number one trending food category in India today," calling consumption levels "alarming." He described the manga as "an interesting tool to get more young chefs who avidly consume manga, to appreciate using Kikkoman naturally brewed soy sauce," adding that it should be "a successful new addition" to the promotional and awareness-building work Kikkoman India has done over the past five years. The series and the 8x8 dish, Kikkoman India said, are part of an effort to accelerate the evolution of Chinese cuisine in India.

The Kikkoman Centre for Chinese Cuisine, created to develop Chinese culinary culture in India, disseminates information, trains young chefs, organizes technical exchanges, and pioneers new menu items. Its founding members are Chef Joel Huang of Eau Chew restaurant, Kabir Advani of Berco's, Chef Manjit Gill, president of the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations, and Osamu Mogi, senior managing director of Kikkoman Corporation.

Kikkoman India, the local unit, is the sole importer of Kikkoman products and manages production, marketing, sales, and distribution in India. Its parent company, Tokyo-listed Kikkoman Corp. (TYO: 2801), traces its history in Japan back more than 350 years. The current corporate entity was formed in 1917 through a merger of eight families, and international expansion began about 70 years ago with entry into the U.S. market. Kikkoman sells in more than 100 countries and operates 11 soy sauce production sites worldwide.