WASHOKU - STOP PRESS

I watched the news this morning, in Japanese as usual, and heard the UN - UNESCO decision to list Washoku, the traditional cuisine of Japan as one of the World's Priceless Cultural Heritage. This is, without any doubt, a well deserved  award and the Nation is elated from the news report. To this small minion from Hong Kong, this cannot come at a more timely juncture.

I subsequently retrieved this from an ABC News report : ' ... Washoku embraces seasonal ingredients, a unique taste, time consuming preparation and a style of eating steeped in centuries of tradition. At its heart is Umami, recognized as the fundamental taste of sweet, sour, salted and bitter ...' For more you can Google Japan food world heritage for this well written report.

It went on to say that not unlike other cultures, home cooking or 'the taste of Mom's' is linked to family relations, known as 'ofukuro no aji' to the Japanese.

As an aside Sensei has, in no small ways, played her part in this honor having taught visitors from 40+ foreign countries the art of home cooking, literally at her home kitchen. I am blessed to be part of this.

Well done, Japan!