What does it take to become a sumo wrestler? Turns out, a whole lot of soup. The traditional sumo diet includes an abundance of chanko nabe, a meat and vegetable soup of which wrestlers consume about 10 bowls per day. One Japanese chef is trying to make the general public more aware of this so-called "sumo soup," and this video tells his story.
"All sumo wrestlers eat this soup to build up their bodies and become big," Satoshi Kitayama, who operates Sumo Wrestler Cuisine Kotogaume in Tokyo, says in the video. "'Chan' means father and 'ko' means child, since a father and his children eat together. It is a very well-balanced soup that has both meat and vegetables."
Kitayama goes on to explain why he was inspired to open a restaurant that showcases sumo cuisine. Watch the video above for the full story.
• Sumo Soup: Living Large with Chanko Nabe [YouTube]
• All Video Interludes [E]