Photo Gallery: Kyushoku, School Lunch In Japan (給食)
Japan has granted me the opportunity to experience school lunch in a third country, on a third continent (depending on how you classify The Americas, that is).
Weekdays in Japan I eat lunch at one of two junior high schools – the Japanese know this lunch as kyushoku (給食).
I eat alongside Japanese students who are required to eat all of their lunch (literally, all of it), and drink a small bottle of milk (the penalty for not finishing your food is still a mystery, but my money is on a stern yelling at).
That being said, I too am expected to eat every last dried fish or mystery pickled vegetable on my plate(s).
I choose my lunches a month in advance (there are four options per day), and due to my poor Japanese, what I can expect for lunch is always a mystery (basically the same feeling you get when you order something at McDonald’s).
When I show up outside the lunchroom, 90% of the students will be in line for one of the lunch options – this is how I know whether or not I have chosen the correct lunch each day (I have yet to get a student to trade with me post-lunch-retrieval).
So what are the children of Japan (or more specifically the children of Fukui) being fed on a daily basis?
If you guessed, “Japanese food”, you aren’t racist, you’re correct!
See if you can figure out what everything (anything) is – I usually can’t (even after eating it), but that doesn’t mean it isn’t (sometimes) delicious.
I came here to learn to make some new Japanese dishes… but turns out maybe I could help clear up some food confusions! This is the first page of yours I stumbled upon so I’m going to assume you only spent a short time in Japan? Otherwise I’m a little scared as to what you are eating if you don’t know most of these ingredients…haha I thought your descriptions were hilarious but also I felt sad that you’re missing a great opportunity. And how to prepare some pretty outstanding meals at home! Unless your humor outwitted me, in which case I apologize! Haha.
Here are a few ingredients you were confused on and for anyone curious!
fried thing = croquettes
green thing = spinach
apple sauce = daikon (radish) soup
purple thing = egg plant or sweet potato
tiny hamburger = “hambagu” like a hamburger but it’s actually it’s own dish
white thing = annin tofu (apricot dessert, not actually tofu)
squishy thing = fish cake
brown stringy stuff = burdock root
pink and green stringy stuff = shredded ham and lettuce
Much appreciated! Most of this was in jest but there were legitimately some things I wasn’t sure of – again, appreciate you taking the time to sort me out 🙂
I lived in Japan for 4 years and love the food and like you have eaten many things to this day I do not know what it was. The only thing I really didn’t like ( I mean hate) was Natto. I’m sure you saw it, its that sticky fermented soy beans usually eaten at breakfast. Seriously worse thing I have ever tried to eat.
I share your feelings as far as natto is concerned. Fortunately, I have not found myself in many situations where I have needed to eat some.
I saw a post on tumblr w/ your pics and I was like… hey…. these look familiar
Found it. Obviously going to sue for everything she’s got. Good looking out.
The theme I see, reusable containers, food made fresh, limited processing, balanced meals that are not wasted. shh don’t tell americans their children are slowly being poisoned
The schools actually have nutritionists on staff. I am not entirely sure what they do, but to be fair, I am also not entirely sure what anyone at the school does (including me).