We went to the Sango School Lunch Center for a cooking practical session✨

On Monday, we had a preparatory lesson, and after listening to the thorough explanation, we eagerly participated in today’s practice. During the preparatory session, we were given recipe handouts with furigana (pronunciation guides) and many pictures. Some students carefully filed them and marked important sections.

Now, for the cooking practice! The menu included tofu miso soup, grilled salmon, spinach with sesame dressing, and rice balls.

The miso soup required making the dashi from scratch, and everyone was very interested in this new task. Some students had never seen kombu (kelp) or bonito flakes before, and they were excited to taste the results, nervously trying a sample.

The grilled salmon went smoothly; it was placed skin-side up on the grill, and it turned out beautifully.

For the spinach, after boiling, the students placed it in cold water and carefully squeezed out the excess moisture. After watching the teacher’s demonstration, they realized it was okay to squeeze tightly, and then they did it with full strength.

Finally, it was time to make rice balls. The first one turned out in a very creative shape, but as they made more, the students became better at forming perfect triangular rice balls.

After saying “Itadakimasu” (a Japanese expression of gratitude before meals), everyone enjoyed their food while chatting happily. The Japanese food they made themselves seemed especially delicious, and every student had a big smile on their face.

I hope they will try making these dishes at home as well.

A big thank you to everyone at the Lunch Center for this valuable experience.