Menu for 2020

Graduation Celebration Lunch <br id="3"/>To celebrate the 3rd graders of junior high school and 6th graders of elementary school who are about to graduate, we had a graduation celebratory lunch today.
Sekihan, which is made by steaming sticky rice mixed with beans such as azuki beans and cowpeas, is often eaten during celebrations.
This is because red has long been believed to have the power to drive away bad things.
In addition to sekihan, we also prepared flower-shaped tofu hamburgers and celebratory desserts.
All of the staff at the kitchen pray from the bottom of our hearts that all of our graduates will continue to eat happily and stay healthy every day.

Grilled salmon with marinade
March's world cuisine is France.
France is a country located in Western Europe, officially known as the French Republic.
Agriculture is very popular and many crops are grown.
Also, like Japanese cuisine, French cuisine is also registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Marinade is a dish made by marinating meat, fish, vegetables, etc. in a seasoning liquid called a marinade made from wine, vinegar, oil, lemon juice, aromatic vegetables, spices, and seasonings.
For school lunch, we marinated salmon in a marinade and then grilled it.

Game stew
The local school lunch for March is Fukuoka Prefecture.
Gameni is a local dish of Fukuoka Prefecture, commonly called Chikuzenni or iritori.
The name Gameni comes from the Hakata dialect ``gamekurikomu,'' which means to gather together, and it is also said that the name came from the fact that in the past, it was eaten by boiling soft-shelled turtle, which was called dobugame, and vegetables. There is a theory.
Gameni uses a lot of chewy vegetables such as burdock and lotus, so be sure to chew them thoroughly.

Feijoada (bean and pork stew)
February's world cuisine is Brazil.
Brazil is a country located in South America, officially known as the Federal Republic of Brazil.
Feijoada is a stew of meat and beans and is one of Brazil's typical home-cooked dishes.
The name feijoada means a dish made with ``feijaon,'' which means beans.

Setsubun
February 3rd is Setsubun.
Setsubun refers to the day before the beginning of spring, which was thought to be the beginning of the year, and corresponds to New Year's Eve in the old days.
This event is held to drive away evil spirits and bring in good fortune so that one can start the new year in good health.
People scatter lucky beans (roasted soybeans) while chanting "Oni wa soto, fuku wa in" ("Demons out, good fortune in"), and set up a holly sardine tree in front of their gates, which is said to scare away demons with the smell of sardines and the stiff thorns of its leaves.

Chilindoron (chicken stew with tomatoes)
January's world cuisine is Spain.
Spain is located in southern Europe, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
Although cultures differ between northern, central, and southern regions, olive oil is commonly used in all regions.
Today's dish is chilindrón, a chicken stew with tomatoes that is a local dish from some regions of Spain.
The name chilindrone means playing cards, and the name comes from the colorful vegetables that look like cards lined up.
Stir-fried chicken with olive oil and stewed onions, tomatoes, green peppers, and yellow paprika.

whale ketchup sauce
January 24th to 30th is National School Lunch Week.
Whales are a rare ingredient these days, but in the past they were often used in school lunches as a valuable protein source.
It is said that whales were available at a low price and were highly nutritious, supporting people's diet.
In addition, it is said that whales have nowhere to throw away, so not only the meat but also the bones, beards, and other inedible parts are used.
Today's whale was seasoned with ginger and garlic, then coated with starch, deep-fried, and topped with homemade ketchup sauce.

Winter Solstice <br id="3"/>Today is the winter solstice.
The winter solstice is the day of the year when the day is the shortest and the night is the longest.
It is said that by eating pumpkin and taking a bath on this day, you will stay healthy and avoid catching a cold.
Pumpkin contains nutrients such as carotene and vitamin C that help your body fight off colds.
Yuzu hot water also has the effect of warming the body and improving blood circulation.
The sauce for ``Sawara no Yuzu Soy Sauce'' uses yuzu produced in Inagi City.

Salmon Chan-chan-yaki sauce <br id="3"/>Chan-chan-yaki is a local Hokkaido dish made with vegetables such as onions, cabbage, and carrots, and fish such as salmon, grilled on a griddle and seasoned with miso.
There are various theories about the origin of the name chanchanyaki, including ``because it's quick and easy to make'' and ``when the iron plate and spatula hit, it makes a clicking sound.''
Today, I topped the grilled salmon with a Chanchan-yaki-style sauce made with onions and cabbage seasoned with miso.

Japanese food day
November 24th is known as ``Japanese Food Day'' due to the word combination ``ii (11), nihon (2), and shoku (4)''.
Japanese cuisine is a culture centered on cuisine that has been passed down by the Japanese people since ancient times, and at its root is the idea of ​​``respect for nature.''
The menu is characterized by ingredients grown in the rich nature of the sea, mountains, and villages, cooking that brings out the flavor, and a menu centered on rice, which is also excellent in nutritional balance.
Today's school lunch was a Japanese menu that incorporated umami-rich soup stock and traditional seasonings such as soy sauce and miso.
Let's think about Japanese food culture again while eating.

Pig kimchi bowl
The world cuisine of November is Korean.
South Korea is a country located in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, which protrudes south-southeast from the eastern part of the Asian continent.
Korean food consists of rice as the staple food, along with meat, fish and vegetable dishes.
Among these, kimchi is a traditional dish that is indispensable on the Korean dining table, and is a fermented food made by soaking Chinese cabbage, radish, cucumber, etc. in a seasoned sauce called yangnyeom.
The lactic acid bacteria produced during the fermentation of kimchi aids in food digestion.
Lactic acid bacteria are also known to boost immunity and have cancer prevention effects.

Potatoes from Ozora Town <br id="3"/>Oozora Town and Inagi City, Hokkaido are sister cities, and they exchange each other's specialty vegetables and fruits.
Pears are sent from Inagi City, and freshly dug potatoes are delivered from Ozora Town.
Ozora Town is a town rich in nature, famous for Lake Abashiri, sunflower fields, and Shibazakura Park. It is also a town with many people engaged in farming.
Mustard potatoes were made using potatoes delivered from Ozora Town.
Enjoy the potatoes that have just arrived from Ozora Town.

Fresh rice from Nozawa Onsen Village cooked in the kitchen <br id="3"/>For school lunches, we provide each school with rice cooked using the rice cooking equipment in the first kitchen about once a month. (Note)
This month, we will be serving freshly harvested rice harvested in Nozawa Onsen Village, Nagano Prefecture, a friendship city of Inagi City, cooked in the rice cooking equipment of the Daiichi Cooking Area.
Nozawa Onsen Village in Nagano Prefecture grows delicious rice thanks to the abundant snowmelt water that flows into Nozawa Onsen Village from the nearby mountains.
Chew the rice well and feel the sweetness of the rice.

　　　　
(Note) The 18 elementary and junior high schools in Inagi City are divided into three groups according to the rice cooking capacity of the rice cooking equipment in the No. 1 kitchen, and meals are provided on separate days.
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Group A : Inagi Daiichi Elementary School, Inagi Daiichi Elementary School, Inagi Daiichi Elementary School, Inagi Daiichi Elementary School, Inagi Daiichi Elementary School, Inagi Daiichi Elementary School, Nanzan Elementary School.
Date of provision : Tuesday, November 8, 2020
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Group B : Inagi Daini Elementary School, Koyodai Elementary School, Shiroyama Elementary School, Nagamine Elementary School, Wakabadai Elementary School, Hirao Elementary School
Date of provision : Friday, November 11, 2020
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Group C : Inagi Daiichi Junior High School, Inagi Daini Junior High School, Inagi Daiichi Junior High School, Inagi Daiichi Junior High School, Inagi Daiichi Junior High School, Inagi Daiichi Junior High School
Date of provision : Wednesday, November 9, 2020
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Urakami Soboro (Stir-fried pork and burdock)
October's local school lunch is from Nagasaki Prefecture.
Nagasaki Prefecture is located in the Kyushu region and has flourished as a place for trade with overseas countries since ancient times.
It is said that castella and sugar, which are commonly eaten today, entered Japan through the port of Nagasaki.
Urakami Soboro was created by a Portuguese missionary who was spreading Christianity in the Urakami area of ​​Nagasaki Prefecture, and tried to feed pork as a healthy food to Japanese believers who were not accustomed to eating meat at the time. It seems like it's just the beginning.
Urakami Soboro, made by stir-frying plenty of vegetables with pork, has been a popular local dish for many years.

eye protection day
October 10th is "Eye Protection Day".
Do you feel tired from using your eyes too much when studying, using your smartphone, or playing games?
Nutrients that are said to be good for maintaining eye health include vitamin A, which is found in large amounts in green and yellow vegetables, and anthocyanins, which are found in blueberries and other foods.
Blueberry jelly is Inagi City's original jelly, made using blueberries grown by farmers in Inagi City.

Niitakanashi from Inagi City <br id="3"/>Today's fruit is "Nitakanashi" which was harvested in Inagi City.
Niitaka pears, which are in season from late September to mid-October, are larger than other varieties and have a very sweet flavor.
In Inagi City, where farmland is small, in order to be able to harvest high-quality pears from the limited area of ​​the fields, producers carefully adjust the mix of fertilizer and make sure that they are not eaten by insects and animals. I'm growing it.
Enjoy the local seasonal bounty.

Fifteenth Night
September 10th is the fifteenth night of the month.
The fifteenth night of the month is held during the season when abundant crops are harvested. People decorate the house with silver grass to represent ears of rice, and while gazing at the moon, they give thanks for the blessings of heaven.
People also prayed for health and happiness by offering and eating moon-shaped round tsukimi dango (rice dumplings).
Today's school lunch is moon viewing soup with rabbit-patterned kamaboko floating in it, and moon viewing jelly.
Let's eat and be grateful for the blessings of nature.

Takao grapes produced in Inagi City <br id="3"/>Takao grapes, one of Inagi City's special products, are large seeds grown in Tokyo about 60 years ago and whose parent is Kyoho grapes. It's a pear grape.
It is shaped like a rugby ball.
It was named after Mt. Takao in Tokyo.
It is a delicious grape with a strong sweetness, a faint aroma, and a very strong flavor that can be eaten with the skin on.
The best time to eat them is from late August to early September.
Although production has been decreasing year by year, we were able to serve school lunches again this year with grapes grown with care through the efforts of the farmers.
Please accept it with gratitude.

Tomato <br id="3"/>Tomato is a typical summer vegetable that turns bright red when exposed to the summer sun.
Tomatoes contain a lot of glutamic acid, the same umami ingredient as kelp, which makes dishes even more delicious.
The more ripe a tomato, the more glutamic acid there will be.
Today's soup uses tomatoes harvested in Inagi City.
Enjoy the tomato flavor and enjoy it.

Tanabata
July 7th is Tanabata.
Tanabata is an event that was introduced from China during the Nara period, and is said to be the day when Orihime and Hikoboshi cross the Milky Way and can meet only once a year.
The custom of decorating bamboo leaves with strips of paper with wishes written on them is said to have started in the Edo period, and is a uniquely Japanese culture that is still practiced in various parts of Japan.
Today's school lunch is in honor of Tanabata, so we made star-shaped minced meat cutlets, and Tanabata soup that resembles the Milky Way using fish noodles (noodles made from minced fish) and star-shaped kamaboko.

Irish stew (meat and vegetable soup)
July's World Cuisine is Irish.
Ireland is an island nation located in western Europe, close to the United Kingdom.
Irish cuisine has a lot of dishes that use potatoes.
Today's school lunch, Irish stew, is a soup made by slowly simmering meat, potatoes, vegetables, etc., and is one of Irish home-cooked dishes.
Since it does not use milk or flour, it looks similar to pot-au-feu.
It is usually made with lamb, but the school lunch version was made with pork.

Locally Produced School Lunch in Tokyo <br id="3"/>June every year is "Shokuiku Month" and the 19th of every month is "Shokuiku Day."
In the kitchen, we try to incorporate menus that convey nutritional balance, Japanese food culture, and the appeal of local products.
Today, in honor of Shokuiku Day on the 19th, we will be serving a school lunch using ingredients related to Tokyo.
The potatoes and onions in the curry meat and potatoes were grown in Inagi City, where we live.
Also, the komatsuna used in Komatsuna with Jakooroshi is a vegetable that got its name from the fact that its cultivation began near Komatsugawa, Edogawa Ward, Tokyo.
Ingredients used in school lunches arrive from all over Japan, but locally produced ingredients require less distance and time to transport to the communal kitchen, so they arrive fresher.
Let's taste it and enjoy it.

Sardine fishball soup <br id="3"/>This month's local school lunch is from Chiba Prefecture.
Choshi Port, located in Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture, is known for its large volume of sardines landed.
The area off the coast of Choshi Port is rich in plankton, which is the food for sardines, so fatty sardines are landed here.
In particular, the sardines that are caught during the spring season in June are called ``sardines,'' and are said to be the fattiest and most delicious of the year.
Sardines contain calcium, which is necessary for bone growth, and vitamin D, which aids in its absorption.
You can also get fats that are good for your body, such as DHA and EPA, which improve blood flow.

Vienna sausage with tomato sauce
June's World Cuisine is Argentinian.
Argentina is a country located in the southeastern part of South America.
Blessed with abundant nature, including jungles and grasslands, the area has become a thriving agricultural and livestock industry.
The food culture is particularly meat-heavy, with per capita meat consumption among the highest in the world.
Choripan is a bread dish stuffed with a thick sausage called chorizo.
It is sometimes eaten with a sauce made from vinegar and spices called chimichurri.
The rolled bread has slits in it, so you can put sausages coated in tomato sauce in between and eat it choripan style.

Kaminari soup
The local school lunch in May is Tochigi Prefecture.
Tochigi Prefecture is located in the north of the Kanto region.
It is famous as a tourist destination with Nikko Toshogu Shrine and Kinugawa Onsen, but it also has a thriving agricultural industry, with special products such as kanpyo and strawberries.
Due to the topography, it is also known for frequent thunderstorms in the summer.
Kaminarijiru, a local dish of Tochigi Prefecture, is a soup made by breaking tofu, frying it in oil, and adding dashi and other ingredients.
It got its name because of the loud crunching sound it makes when frying tofu in hot oil, similar to thunder.

hoki fry
May's world cuisine is New Zealand.
New Zealand, like Japan, is a long and narrow island nation running north to south, and has four seasons.
Because the country is surrounded by the sea, it has a food culture of eating seafood, which is very similar to Japan.
Today, I made fried hoki using hoki from New Zealand.
Hoki is a member of the same white fish family as cod.
Because of its light taste and soft flesh, it is often eaten as fried foods.
It is said to be a popular fish overseas as well, and can be eaten in fish and chips.

chicken miso cutlet
The local school lunch in April is from Aichi Prefecture.
Misokatsu is a local dish from Aichi Prefecture, where pork cutlets are eaten with miso sauce made by adding Hatcho miso, bonito stock, and sugar.
Hatcho miso is a dark brown miso made from soybeans, salt, water, and koji, and has a rich umami flavor and a unique astringency.
It was made in Hatcho Village (now Hatcho Town) in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture, hence the name Hatcho Miso.
For school lunch, we served crispy fried chicken cutlets with sweet and spicy miso sauce made from Hatcho miso.

Wakatake soup (dashi)
April's world cuisine is Japan.
Japanese cuisine, registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, is a product of Japan's four seasons and rich natural environment.
Dashi is an essential ingredient in Japanese cuisine.
Dashi made from bonito flakes and kelp contains umami ingredients such as inosinic acid and glutamic acid.
Today's Wakatake soup uses dashi made from bonito flakes.