The other day, we were invited by the sixth-grade students of Kikuna Elementary School, and members of Mama Café visited the school to listen to their presentation about miso.
This time, participants included people with connections to countries such as the Philippines, Italy, Nepal, South Korea, and France.
First, the students gave detailed presentations about the miso they had made, including where they sourced their ingredients and what went into them. Their presentations were very creative, incorporating quizzes and jokes.
After that, we split into groups, and the students served dishes made with miso and koji, such as miso soup, grilled rice balls (yaki onigiri), and koji ice cream. Some of the international participants seemed surprised by the appearance of the grilled rice balls at first, but after trying them hesitantly, they were pleasantly surprised by how delicious they were!
For the miso soup, we had the opportunity to taste and compare different types made with various kinds of dashi. Everyone was impressed by how much the flavors varied, gaining a deeper appreciation for the richness of miso soup.
The participants were deeply impressed to learn that Japanese schools teach not only academic subjects but also practical life skills, such as home economics, and that students even wash the dishes they use themselves.
To all the sixth-grade students of Kikuna Elementary School—thank you very much!
