José Antonio Lora with the Imperial Osaka Hotel chef
The Club

SEVILLA AND OSAKA, ALSO A CULINARY EXCHANGE

20/07/2017
Sevilla FC media chatted to José Antonio Lora, the Robles chef, who has accompanied the expedition to Japan

Amongst the numerous names on the Sevilla FC expedition to Japan, there is one person who has a specific and very important job. In a place so far from home and with a very different culture to that of Seville, food -even more so in summer- is a very important component to take into account. This is why in Osaka we have the Robles chef José Antonio Lora, charged with ensuring that everything the Sevilla players eat is good for their health and their sporting performance.

A team of the official club media wanted to know first hand what Lora's main tasks are and what he is learning from this experience. According to the cook, "when you go on a trip you have to be very careful with your food and water intake. We come to make sure that all the food preparation is as similar as possible to what the players are used to".

Logically there is a contrast between Japanese cuisine and that of Andalusia, but that also has an advantage: "Their way of cooking is different, but here they have every type of food. There's nothing that stands out more than the way in which they prepare fish here. They are methodical, everything is measured and it's a real experience watching them work".

At a time where Japanese food is internationally known, the players have at their disposition a small corner at the buffet to enjoy its goodness : "In Seville there is usually a demand for a touch of Japanese food, but here, with the variety that there is, we've had to increase the the amounts we anticipated. The players and coaching staff have really enjoyed it".

Of course, the exchange has worked in both directions:  "Our nutritionist Felipe del Valle asked us to prepare rice with milk, and we thought two kilograms would be a good quantity. Here they use rice for everything, but they didn't know this recipe and they ended up adding an extra kilo because everyone tried t. We've also prepared a type of salmorejo which is getting a lot of attention".

In the end, beyond a professional learning experience, the most important thing is personal experience: "Everything has gone well, everybody is happy and we'll definitely remember the great personal treatment that they've given us throughout the expedition. I only have kind words for them because they've always tried to help with everything".