Smoke began to drift out of a box as the winner of Japan’s “dish of the year” was revealed.
But it wasn’t a beautifully plated mackerel or an immaculate dessert that took top honors. Instead, the hosts unveiled a variety of frozen meats and pizzas — still in their air-tight bags.
Every year, the Gurunavi Research Institute, which runs a popular website that allows users to search for the top restaurants across Japan, crowns a “dish of the year.”
The prize is intended to highlight evolving food trends in Japan.
Previous winners included “plant-based foods” and “Chinese cooking.” But this year’s winner highlights how much the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted Japanese people and their eating habits.
The institute says the pandemic has led more restaurants to freeze their dishes, mainly for takeout. Flash-freezing methods have allowed chefs to maintain the integrity of the dish, with some even giving frozen sushi a go.
I – Word Understanding
Flash freezing – a process in which food is very quickly frozen at extremely cold Temperature.
II – Have Your Say
1, What are the frozen foods that you consume? How is the quality compared to fresh ones?
2, Plant- based food was a previous winner of this award. What do you think of the plant-based food trend in Japan? Why do some people go plant-based?
3, How popular is Chinese cooking in Japan? What are some of your favorite Chinese foods?
