Follow Adam Liaw on the road as he films a new food and travel show in Japan.

Japan holds more Michelin stars than any other country, but its love of food isn't limited to fine dining. The Japanese phrase B-kyuu gurume (B-grade gourmet) refers to an appreciation of food in its more common forms, where style and pretension take a back seat, and flavor is everything.

The concept of B-kyuu gurume covers a wide range of simple foods: everything from dumplings, rice bowls and street food to potato chips, canned coffee and instant noodles. I've seen B-kyuu gurume reviews where food critics weigh in on microwave-ready meals from Japanese convenience stores.

Taking a connoisseur's approach to simple foods is not unique to Japan. Gourmet hotdogs with artisanal pickles, burgers from dry-aged wagyu and the like can be found in almost any Western country. But the one point that sets B-kyuu gurume apart from its cousins abroad is that, as a culture, it doesn't seek to improve. Rather, the aim is to accept and appreciate the taste of simple foods for what they are, whether they may be handmade and organic, or out of a packet and loaded with additives.

At a time where our food allegiances have become badges of honor, the B-kyuu gurume approach is a refreshing contrast to the cynical and judgmental world of food snobbery.