Age-old Japanese cuisine comes to Laos
The first ever Japanese Food Festival in Vientiane attracted hundreds of guests to the Lao Plaza hotel on Thursday evening, with guests seeking to sample some fine Japanese cuisine in Laos.
The festival featured a variety of the Japanese dishes, allowing hundreds of foreign diplomats to Laos, invited guests and media representatives to try the taste of a Japanese tuna or maguro, as well as Japanese beef, Bungo-gyu and sushi made with Japanese rice from Niigata and Hokkaido.
This event, also entitled ‘Enjo y Washoku (Japanese cuisine) Reception’ was hosted by Mr Tadaatsu Iwase, Deputy Director General of the Food Industry Affairs Bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan.
“ Washoku is an essential part of the Japanese culture with a very long history,” Japanese Ambassador to Laos, Mr Hiroyuki Kishino said at the gathering, noting that two of the characteristics of Japanese cuisine include the Japanese tradition to pay respect to nature and also ‘Washoku’, the preparation of a well rounded and comprehensive dish.
Based on the regions and four distinct seasons of the country, Japan enjoys the blessings of nature as the country has various local products from the sea and from the land.
The event was organised on the occasion of the 7th East Asia Plant Variety Protection Forum Meeting from August 6-8 in Vientiane, which welcomed delegates of Asean Plus Three (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea).
Director General of Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Planning and Cooperation Department, Mr Xaypradeth Chounlamany also gave a speech on behalf of the ministry to welcome the guests at the dinner reception.
Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Mr Chaleune Warinthrasak and other senior officials were also present at the event.
Source: Vientiane Times
Published on August 11, 2014
