Washoku, 和食
 

Washoku (和食, Japanese cuisine) has satisfied the criteria for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at UNESCO. What does this mean? To be honest with you, I do not know. But it sounds like UNESCO has recognized that Japanese cuisine has some importance of cultural value.

Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese, notably for the celebration of New Year

Does this mean MOS Rice Burger is recognized by UNCESCO? :D :p

I think you're mixing up your kechi-ryori with your osechi-ryori.

Not sure what it means either, but since it has also conferred the same status on my other preferred style of eating:

http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/in...00011&RL=00884

I can't complain of inconsistency.

I predict that traditional British cuisine, such as donner kebab, is next on the list.

Sore wa shokku da ne!

The Doner Kebab isn't British, it is now the representative cuisine for the whole of Europe.

This might be the real reason UNESCO picked up the Mediterranean cuisine of Cyprus, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Italy, Morocco and Portugal to preserve and save in its paperwork and filing vaults. I can't speak for the African country, but for the European side, youngsters in all those countries are more likely to be eating kebabs regularly than dumplings/balls simmered in chicken stock, sardines, olives brined with bitter mountain herbs (rather than the sweet, anchovy infused manzanilla variety) or any of the other traditional foods they turned their nose up at when at their grandparents' house - mama would be at hand with some jarred sludge from Nestlé so there was never a need to expand their palates with "real" food.

It's come to a point where regular tourists (some Brits and Germans have conscientiously managed to pull this off for years) are going to Spain and never eating any Spanish food. We have a fine example in these reviews left by a recent traveller in the Spain/Portugal forum:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/spain...rt-review.html
&
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/spain...rt-review.html

RichardInSF - you may have put your finger on the real reason why these cuisines are being recognised by UNESCO. They are in real danger of being usurped by kechi-ryori (skinflint food) in this era of young people raised with luxuries having to adapt to austerity measures and dual income households with long working hours.

That does make sense, LapLap. Many be UNESCO has observed that eating habit of Japanese is shifting more and more to American/European style that traditional Japanese cuisine (washoku, 和食) is enjoyed by Japanese less and less.

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Japan survey eating habits of Japanese and publish results. In 2011 for the first time average consumption of bread among Japanese household exceeded average consumption of rice among Japanese household. In 2011 Japanese household spent average of JPY 27428 per household per year for rice, where average of JPY 28318 per household per year for bread.

There is a common expression among Japanese “Pan matawa gohann?” (パン又はご飯。) which means “Are you bread or rice?” asking to each other if their everyday meals tends to be more of Western style meals or Japanese style meals. I understand that this expression may not be heard by non-Japanese in Japan (gaijin, 外人) because Japanese often assume that gaijin do not eat Japanese food every day. However “Pan matawa gohann?” is commonly asked question among Japanese.

Arrival of fast food and family restaurants in Japan had big influence and introduced hamburgers and pizza to everyday Japanese diet. Even for breakfast more Japanese are having eggs and toast rather than Japanese breakfast. When asked why they have eggs and toast then always number one answer is because it is easier to prepare. I think this is pretty mush same at many households around the world that on weekday mornings people do not have time to prepare meals. People want something quick and easy for breakfast.

Dokechi-ryori would rhyme stronger.
(Dokechi: super stingy)

Have a zabuton.