Soma Yukihira’s father Joichiro is a journeyman chef full of mystery and talent, but the one person in Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma who rivals him in secrecy is Soma’s long-hidden mother. Season 5 of the anime finally debuted Tamako Yukihira, who bears a striking resemblance to her son in both appearance and personality.
Much of Soma's infectious love for cooking comes from his mother, and the rivalry he has with his father proves to be more sentimental with added context. Here's a look at Tamako’s history in Food Wars!, and how her impact on Soma’s culinary life has paved the road for him to become a remarkable chef.
During his travels, Joichiro came across a small family diner that was struggling to keep up with customers' orders. He decides to help out the owner, Kazusato Yukihira, and this is where he first meets Tamako. At first the two don’t see eye-to-eye, but Joichiro gradually succumbs to Tamako’s love for helping customers, while she begins to acknowledge his culinary skill set. Her love for cooking and building relationships reminds Joichiro of why cooking is much more than creating tasty dishes. The two eventually start to learn from one another and fall in love.
Tamako was a terrible chef but loved being in the kitchen, and that same love was passed on to Soma. The earliest memories he has of his mother are of her looking extremely happy in the kitchen environment. Seeing Tamako so joyous kindles his love for cooking and making others feel good by simply eating food. This is why Soma is so comfortable around the kitchen in Food Wars!, never stressing about what dish he’s going to create.
One day when Soma was coming home from school at the age of 12, he found his mother grasping her chest while on the floor of the restaurant. The doctors later discovered that Tamako had a congenital heart valve, and she only lived for about a month afterward. Both Joichiro and Soma suffered greatly from Tamako’s tragic death, but it didn’t stop them from doing what they love. Instead of moping in grief, Soma takes up his apron and challenges his dad to a cooking contest.
Tamako loved eating Joichiro’s food, which is what sparked the rivalry between Soma and his father. Soma’s jealousy gets the best of him, and he wanted to make his mom smile the same way she did when eating Joichiro’s food. Even after Tamako’s passing, Soma continues to challenge his father. Their cooking battles continue for many years, being their way of honoring and remembering Tamako’s memory.
Soma’s optimistic spirit also resembles his mother's, hence why he can cook anything without fearing rejection. Tamako always claimed each failure was a stepping stone to creating a masterpiece, and Soma is the living example of that logic. She served many failed dishes to customers, but every now and then she would create something that blew their minds. Before Tamako’s passing, regular customers would playfully bet on whether or not her chef’s special dish would be good or bad.
In the end, Tamako was the person Joichiro and Soma loved to cook for, and now Soma has found another reason to continue his passion. Joichiro was the guide Soma needed to fully utilize the passion Tamako passed on to him, and he would not be the chef he became without the inspiration instilled by his mom. Tamako may have had the shortest screen time in Food Wars!, but she made the biggest impact on Soma’s story. He embodies his mother’s greatest characteristics, and it’s no surprise that he was destined to become one of the diamond generation's best chefs.
