TOKYO — Japan said
Friday it was applying to UNESCO to have its cuisine listed as a global cultural treasure as part of a bid to restore
global confidence in its food after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Tokyo is to ask the
UN's educational, scientific and cultural arm to register "Washoku:
Traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese" as part of the intangible heritage of humanity, the
foreign and agriculture ministries said. "Washoku" or the Japanese
diet, is traditionally based on rice, fish and vegetables, but the varied and
highly seasonal cuisine of the country has won it plaudits around the world.
The government said
washoku was characterised by
respect for nature and the importance placed on the way in which dishes are
served as well as the quality of ingredients used. The nation also
"needs to restore confidence in Japanese food, which has been adversely
affected by rumours due to the
nuclear accident" at Fukushima, the government said.
The application will be filed with UNESCO by
the end of March, with a decision expected by late 2013.
Certain kinds of
traditional theatre and music, as well as the gastronomy of France, are
recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
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VOCABULARY
1.
Cuisine
(n) - a particular style of cooking
2.
Treasure
(n) - a very valuable and important
3.
Restore
(v) - to make something return to its former state or condition
4.
Intangible
(adj.) - have value but do not exist physically
5.
Plaudits (n)
- have value but do not exist physically
6.
Characterised
(v) - to describe the qualities of someone or something
7.
Rumours(n)-
information or a story that is passed from one person to another and which may
or may not be true
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.
What is “Washoku”? Describe this traditional
dish.
2.
Name and explain other Japanese dishes /food /
cuisine.
3.
What do you think is the advantage of listing
this cuisine as UNESCO heritage?
4.
What do you usually eat for
breakfast/lunch/dinner?
5.
What is your opinion of Chinese food? American
food?
British food?
