Culinary Education

Before I left Japan there were recent endeavours by Jamie Oliver to improve the quality of school meals. After living in a nation which in terms of cuisine as a whole is arguably the best in the world, I have come to realise more and more the importance of good and healthy eating.

I have been very fortunate to have parents who have indulged me with fine and healthy cuisine throughout my childhood, I think this has definitely made me appreciate cooking and has given me a relatively sophisticated palate. I love all Japanese food save umeboshi which is pickled plum although rather strangley I absolutely love umeshu which is the liquor varaiant.

But when I think back to what influence school food had on my palate I am surprised I am not anorexic! My endearing memory of eating at school is the sight of manicdepressive grey looking coloured vegetables mixed with flabby flatulent meats sunk in a pool of dark oozy juices. Basically it looked like shit. Perhaps one of my worst culinary school memories was the whole debacle over pudding, would it be yummy flapjacks or the very evil cherry crumble, it was like russian roulette every lunchtime. Even to this day I wince and cringe at the image of that purple glunk covered in what looked like whale sperm. I have actually had nightmares about people being tortured that have resembled cherry crumble.

So in short the school meal is almost a lesson in culinary anarchy. When you ask what an english Kid what their favourite food is they will most probably answer with Chips. If you ask a Japanese kidn they will probably say raw fish, fermented soya beans, noodles. Im not suggesting that all english kids should go out and eat raw fish (for one thing its too expensive in england) But the Uk should look to Japan in terms of culinary education.