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School Lunch of The Year 2012 in Japan

Dear Martha, and all friends,

Long time no see. Doni is back here. How are you doing?

There is school lunch news from Japan.
Do you remember I tell you before about school lunch cooking contest?

The competition namely "Kyushoku Koshien" (学校給食甲子園) was held in Tokyo last Sunday (2nd of December).

Winter is really here. I find it hard to get up early on cold mornings. But Totally 12 schools and central kitchens cooked exciting at the competition. 2271 schools and central kitchens from all over the country applied for the contest. And 12 schools and kitchens passed the preliminary screening for finalist.

Now, let me just run over some criteria and rules for this competition;

-Menu what you have previously provided as school meals before the date of the finals.
-That according to the Ministry of Education Reference Intakes for school meals.
-Local products to be a menu that uses local products, taking advantage of the features that.
-It has been used as a teaching tool live food and dietary education.
-Nutrients and amount (in the case of elementary school students and volume for middle grade) that is correct.
-It is the menu that nurture children love joy regional
-Cook 6 meals servings within 60 minutes
-Cooking and sanitation management process to follow standards of school meals and health management
-The application form attached a picture of the menu.

Guess what they are doing. They are washing their hands. Yes. It is normal. We should wash our hands before cooking and eating. And then, how long does it take to wash hands? They should take 2 minutes. I worry that washing will chap their hands.

You can see there are four colored Aprons hung on the wall. Each colored apron is used separately depending on the cooking process.

And also you see some thermometer on the table. That is inserted into the center of a roast. It should be checked once the required temperature in food has been obtained.

Sometimes, they also change gloves depending on the process.

It is our standard sanitation management process for school meals based on HACCP（Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point). And all things of the above are in order to avoid food poisoning.

As you might know, every children must eat same menu and plates in average public schools. It means there is no other alternative for their lunch. Therefore, to prepare school lunch , the most important thing is to prevent food poisoning.


Have I kept you waiting? Let’s see school lunches of finalist for School lunch of The Year 2012 in Japan.

1) Iwate

2) Fukushima

3) Tochigi

4) Saitama (My Place, I cheered.) ;-)

5) Niigata

6) Nagano

7) Aichi

8) Wakayama (Defending champion of 2011)

9) Hiroshima

10) Ehime

11) Kagoshima

12) Okinawa

Please guess who won for this Year. ;-)