Lunchtime— unarguably the best part of the school day. Nothing could beat the excitement of the lunch bell ringing, signalling that much-needed break when we’d finally get to open our tiffin boxes. Indian lunchboxes were always a delightful surprise, fluffy aloo parathas with achar, fragrant lemon rice, grilled sandwiches or the unbeatable rajma chawal. Some lucky ones even had a sneaky samosa or a sweet treat tucked in by a loving parent. That first bite? Pure bliss! But have you ever wondered what students in other countries get for lunch? Well, wonder no more! A video creator recently gave us a sneak peek into Japanese school lunches and let’s just say that we’re officially jealous.
In a public middle school in Saitama, Japan, lunchtime isn’t just a break; it’s an experience. In the now-viral clip on Instagram, we get to see the whole lunch preparation method in a Japanese school. The featured dish in the video was vegetable chicken meatball soup and everything—yes, everything—was made from scratch! The vegetables were washed, carefully hand-cut and cooked fresh. The meatballs? Lovingly shaped by hand. Even the broth was prepared the traditional way, simmered with chicken bones and vegetable scraps to extract deep, rich flavours. No shortcuts, no pre-packaged meals – just wholesome, home-style cooking right in the school kitchen. And let’s talk about hygiene—the recipe follows proper sanitary guidelines, ensuring every meal is not only nutritious but also impeccably clean. Everyone involved in the food preparation process wore clean kitchen gowns, aprons, chef hats and a pair of gloves.
Watch it here:
The attention to detail is unreal. The creator even mentioned that they had to take a specimen test and get official permission from the National School Lunch Organisation just to film inside. That’s how much care and thought goes into feeding students in Japan. Naturally, the internet had thoughts and a whole lot of envy.
“I would have loved to study in a Japanese school, the love for their students is incredible!” commented a user. “Maybe in another life, I’ll be born as a Japanese guy,” wrote another one. “Wish my school was like this. Hope college students get this too,” read a comment.
Imagine looking forward to lunch every day, knowing it’s going to be this fresh, warm and delicious. Watching this has officially made us crave a Japanese school lunch – where do we sign up for one of those bento boxes?
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