Kyuushoku: Mabo Tofu

What is Kyuushoku ( 給食 )? Kyuushoku is school lunch, generally eaten by elementary and junior high students in Japan. Some schools have lunch made at a main kitchen, and then it is distributed to several schools. My school district is lucky to have individual kitchens at every school, so kyuushoku is made on site. Usually, school lunches incorporate local produce and products, and every meal follows a set nutritional standard. While the actual meal varies from day to day, it almost always come accompanied by a bottle or pack of 3.5% milk.

So starting this with this week, I’ll be posting my favorite lunch of the week.

This week’s Kyuushoku (school lunch) favorite is…

From the left going clockwise:

Mabo Tofu( 麻婆豆腐) over rice: firm tofu stir fried with ground beef and chili pepper. (spiciness toned down for school)

wakame soup with enoki mushrooms,

cucumber, carrot, and bean sprout salad : all vegetables cut into small pieces, then tossed with sesame oil and vinegar