Link: http://caitlinomara.com/2008/10/how-...nch-is-served/

How Japanese School Lunch is Served

2008.10.24 • Japanese School Lunch

For a little over half a year, I’ve cataloged Japanese school lunches. I’ve covered the history but I’ve never really given an in-depth explanation of how these lunches are set up. Part of this has been due to my unofficial image policy1 but after realizing the kids at this particular school generally stay masked for the entire time, I figured it would be okay.
Just a quick disclaimer: I can only write about from observation so this should not be considered the nation-wide standard. Schools also vary in their routine based on school size and grade level. Everything written is a compilation of the various schools I work at.

Step 1: Organizing the students


At the beginning of the day, students decide which groups will be responsible for what. For school lunch, there are generally 2 groups. The first group is responsible for carrying/distributing the lunch. They are required to wear clean white coats, hats to keep their hair back, and a face mask. The second group is responsible for setting up the lunch distribution tables and wiping down the desks. The students usually eat in their classroom groups (4-6, depending on the size of the class) and make a table by turn their desks to face each other.

Step 2: Carrying the lunch back


The lunch is carried back in its separate containers:

• The basket, containing all the dishes and chopsticks
• The rice or the bread container, metal, depending on the day
• The soup bucket, the heaviest of all the containers
• The main course container, metal
• The side dish container, metal
• The milk container
• A plastic bag containing containers of jam, furikake, fruit, or dessert, depending on the menu

Most elementary kids need 2 kids to carry them, particularly the soup bucket. They sometimes make the basket easier to carry by carrying the trays separately.

Step 3: Setting up the distribution line


The containers are laid out in the following order: trays, chopsticks, main dish, side dish, and soup. The milk and rice, which come in their own containers, are distributed to the desk-tables. Straws are also distributed with the milk.
If the kids are in elementary school, particularly grades 1-3, the teacher may help them set up and distribute the lunch. This ensures that the students get the portions right and don’t make a mess.

Step 4: Learning about portion control


With the exception of meat, the school lunch center generally doesn’t create the portions. The students are responsible for measuring out the side dish (usually vegetable) and the soup. The hardest thing is the soup because if there are special ingredients in it, like shrimp or quail eggs, the student has to try to give everyone the same number.

Step 5: Serving it up!


After the serving line is ready, the remaining students line up and start receiving their lunches. There’s a precise way of placing the various dishes on the tray, which the students learn in their first year. Typically, the rice goes on the lower left, the soup on the lower right, the side dish to the upper left, and the main dish on the upper right. The milk and any other extras, like jam or fruit, go wherever there’s space.
If there isn’t enough food or the portions were not dished out properly, one of the students will go around and take a little bit from any tray that looks like it received too much. Teachers will often volunteer their lunches first. However, the lunch center is pretty good about sending the right amount of food to each school.

Thank you so much for the article

It may seem very strange

But when you think about it

It show the reason why Japan is one of the most developed countries

No petrol ...No proper natural resources

But they have proper BRAINS

Responsibility is the most important thing in a child's life...as it prepares him for the future life..

Regards