The ceremony even included a gyoza cooking battle between models, because of course it did.

There are few foods in Japan that can bring instant satisfaction quite like gyoza (Japanese pot stickers) can. In fact, you’d be hard pushed to meet a single person who doesn’t love gyoza. Simple yet delicious, tucking into a plate of pan-fried gyoza feels like a comforting hug from a dear friend.

For some, there’s no better place to get your fix than Osaka Osho, a Chinese restaurant based in Osaka. Osaka Osho are famous for their cheap yet delicious dumplings, and in the past have come up with some unique recipes to help even the most stubborn gyoza cynic fall head over heels in love with the fried parcels of joy.

Some people don’t need the extra push, though. Some people are just born with a passion for gyoza deep in their soul, and these people are known as gyozanists.

The term ‘gyozanist‘, according to Osaka Osho, is used to denote a person who has an overwhelming love and passion for gyoza, and a ceremony was held in November to find the one person in all the world who could fit the bill. Who would it be, that one person who single-handedly embodied what it meant to be a gyoza fanatic? We here at SoraNews24 surely had some candidates who would be a perfect choice. Our own Mr. Sato, for example, has been known to polish off a plate or three of gyoza from time to time. Could this be his moment?

Sadly not, as the title was given to Japanese model and celebrity Nana Suzuki.

▼ Nana Suzuki (left) posing with fellow model Karina

Nana Suzuki is a former spokesperson for Osaka Osho and received her accolade at an event earlier this month, with the award presented by fellow model and face of Osaka Osho’s commercials Karina, who was wearing a red dress, representative of Osaka Osho’s signature red logo.

▼ Karina learned how to speak with an Osaka dialect for her role in the commercials.

As well as the prestigious title of being the world’s first Gyozanist, Nana was also awarded with a year’s supply of Osaka Osho’s frozen gyoza, and commented that she was thrilled to receive so much gyoza, adding “I’ve been stuck at home a lot recently, so I want to try having a gyoza party!”

The two models then competed in a ‘gyoza-off’ in which both Nana and Karina made their signature gyoza dishes. Nana made a fan shaped gyoza plate, whereas Karina made her gyoza in the shape of a heart. Nana was then awarded some flowers, thanking her for her hard work promoting gyoza to people all over the country.

While we are of course thrilled to bits for Nana and her year’s supply of gyoza, we can’t help but feel like we were snubbed here at SoraNews24. While our looks may not be to the level of professional models like Nana and Karina, we’re not too bad. Sadly, our passion for gyoza doesn’t quite extend to gyoza cider, which may be why we were overlooked.

Source: PR Times
Photos: PR Times (1, 2)
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