Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is to introduce a system to help chefs overseas improve the quality of the Japanese cuisine they offer, The Telegraph reported on 24 January.
The voluntary scheme will provide training in Japan to remedy common mistakes regarding handling of raw fish, use of cooking implements, and presentation. Chefs will then be issued gold, silver or bronze status.
Eriko Sekiya, department chief at the ministry, said that, in addition to learning correct cooking methods, “hospitality towards your customers is another really important aspect of washoku [Japanese cuisine]”.