So nostalgic! A lively school lunch quiz. Let’s look back on those memories from back then.

About 3,000 grains

A single bowl of cooked rice actually contains about 3,000 grains. This figure is based on the approximate number of grains in one gō of uncooked rice after it’s cooked. We don’t usually think about each grain individually, but realizing the care that goes into producing rice can inspire us to appreciate it more. Knowing that the rice we eat in everyday meals is made up of countless grains may make it feel even more flavorful.

Because I imitated a shortcake

It’s said that the reason green peas started being placed on shumai was inspired by the strawberries on shortcakes. To add a visual accent—like a cake topped with strawberries—someone involved in school lunches came up with the idea to add colorful decorations to shumai as well. It’s a thoughtful touch that shows a desire to make children happy.

school lunch cook

Fried bread is said to be a menu item devised by Tokikichi Shinohara, a school lunch cook, around the time postwar school lunches began, when food supplies were scarce, as a way to adapt plain bread. It is said to have originated from the idea of deep-frying surplus school lunch rolls and coating them with sugar during an influenza outbreak, so that the cold bread could be enjoyed more deliciously.

For improving the nutrition of children living in poverty

School lunches began in the Meiji era because children from economically disadvantaged families had difficulty getting sufficient nutrition. Concerns grew about children’s health, and malnutrition was affecting their academic performance and physical strength, leading various support groups and local governments to launch school lunch programs. As a result, children were able to have well-balanced meals at school, which not only improved their health but also helped create an environment where they could focus on learning with peace of mind.

Because it is mandated by law

Milk served with school lunches is a menu item mandated by the School Lunch Act. This law requires schools to provide lunches with balanced nutrition so that children and students can grow healthily. Because milk is rich in calcium and protein and is an important source of nutrients for children during their growth period, it has been stipulated that milk be included in daily school lunches.

whale meat

Tatsuta-age made with whale meat used to be a menu item served in many Japanese school lunches until around the 1970s. At the time, whale was considered an important source of protein and was enjoyed with its own distinctive cooking methods. As the distribution of whale meat declined over the years, whale-meat tatsuta-age also disappeared from menus, but it remains a nostalgic flavor that colors the memories of the generation from that era.

okara (soy pulp)

Jelly-fry is known as a local specialty of Saitama Prefecture and even appears on school lunch menus. Despite the name including “jelly,” it’s often noted that it doesn’t contain any jelly-like ingredients such as agar. Its main ingredients are potatoes and okara (soy pulp), and because it’s nutritious and healthy, it has long been cherished in school lunches for its familiar, comforting flavor.