There are two regular topics that students at SSE Katsura enjoy talking about. The amazing variety of Japanese food and the amazing variety of Japanese weather. As both are impactful parts of our daily life, it’s only natural that both come up in our conversations.
Today I’d like to leave weather aside and focus on food. And more specifically, I’d like focus on one particular aspect of Japanese food culture: Bento, a “Japanese lunch box”.
It is compact, it is cute and colourful, it is full of healthy nutritions and it’s delicious. It’s great!
I’ve started preparing bento lunches when my daughter was about 4 years old. Once in a while there would be a ‘bento day’ when children sit in a park or a school garden and eat their lunchboxes together. On some occasions, with parents. My daughter loved these events. She still does. Although she’s now much older, bento day with friends or family is still fun. I enjoy it too.
After watching my wife preparing numerous lunchboxes I’ve decided to pitch in and make one too. I like cooking so I was excited to try something new. It went quite well and I have been making them since. Although my efforts still lack on the variety side, I became able to switch with my wife regularly when a ‘bento day’ comes.
Once in a while I try to venture out of Japanese cuisine and make a lunch box with Western food. It’s quite fun and my family enjoys these western style lunchboxes too.
Another thing I truly enjoy is learning some new cooking tips and suggestions from my students. Nothing is better than having an English conversation lesson about real daily life activities that make our lives better. If you have some bento tips or some cooking advice for me, come see me and let’s talk about it.
Tom, SSE Katsura.
tom, your bento boxes look so beautiful .. filled with lots of variety and colour .. i think i’d rather eat one of your hot dogs than the ones we have here in canada, although there are some good varieties ..
Thank you for your kind words, Jane. I’m happy to hear that.