Japanese Athletes Fear No Chopsticks In China

[Mulboyne]

Reuters: Japanese athletes begin chopstick-less 'food camp'
Japanese athletes have begun a spartan, chopstick-free Chinese food training programme to help them acclimatise for this year's Beijing Olympics. Japan's National Training Centre will offer basic Chinese dishes such as noodles, cold spring rolls and fried catfish once a week in a dry run for the Aug. 8-24 Games. None of the Chinese food on offer will be diluted for Japanese taste buds, chefs even being ordered to make Japan's staple miso soup without traditional stock, local media reported on Thursday. In an attempt to simulate culinary conditions at the athletes' village in Beijing, Japanese athletes will eat from paper plates using plastic knives, forks and spoons. Peking Duck was a clear favourite in Wednesday's first official "Olympic Menu Fair" although some athletes were less than impressed with the alternatives. Weightlifter Hiromi Miyake complained of a lack of taste while her father and coach Yoshiyuki said: "We'll have to pack some soy sauce and chopsticks when we go to Beijing!"...more...

[Midwinter]

Those poor darlings...

[canman]

WTF! I heard the US is shipping most of its own food, as they don't trust the Chinese. Why doesn't the JOC do the same. Or is this an excuse in the making. We didn't win any gold medals because we didn't have our own miso soup!

[Mulboyne]

The Chinese had said that they wanted all food to be sourced within China. In Australia, this was picked up as "the vegemite ban". The IOC has been supporting China to date but it's difficult to see how they can stop athletes preparing in the way they feel comfortable.

...International Olympics Committee previously stated competitors are banned from bringing their own food to the athletes' village to protect the rights of sponsors like McDonalds and to police the use of illegal substances. The Australian ban comes after American athletes caused a furore in China by boycotting local food. The US Olympic Committee plans to transport its own produce because of fears about China's public health and food standards...

[Takechanpoo]

I am sure China make specially welcome Japan more than any other countries in Beijing Olympic. Because China start taking in Japan before Uncle Sam withdraw himself from Japan and East Asia.

[Choeki]

Aren't most of the packaged foods in Japanese supermarkets already from China anyway? Hell, I was under the impression that most of the matsutake available is from North Korea...

[Greji]

I am sure China make specially welcome Japan more than any other countries in Beijing Olympic. Because China start taking in Japan before Uncle Sam withdraw himself from Japan and East Asia.

Better start studying Chinese Take. You want US and we smelly whites gone, you might be getting your wish, but you might also be getting more than you bargained for.

[xenomorph42]

WTF! I heard the US is shipping most of its own food, as they don't trust the Chinese. Why doesn't the JOC do the same. Or is this an excuse in the making. We didn't win any gold medals because we didn't have our own miso soup!

I want to know is why is it so important to accommodate and to worry about the Japanese and their "taste-buds" just sit down, eat and shut the heck up...that's what my folks would say. But Italian pasta has to much "Sage" in it. French food is too "rich." American hamburgers are too "big" to chew, Korean food is too "spicy." western sweets are "too sweet." and on and on...
So we have to change the tastes, because our palettes are slightly finer and sensitively subtly tuned than Western people. Give me a break already!!

[GomiGirl]

McDonalds as a sponsor - any athlete wouldn't touch that stuff I am certain.

Now if everybody was allowed to eat vegemite that would be awesome - talk about a performance enhancing food - but as it is only the Australians have this unfair advantage.

[Kanchou]

I find it amusing that these people can dedicate years of their lives to training for this event, and can push the limits of human performance, yet they can't chow down on some authentic Chinese food without weeks of training

[Luciddreamer]

All right,no offense or anything but this has got to be the silliest thing I have ever heard( but understandable for folks haven't traveled this side yet).I live in China right now and let me assure you,chopsticks are the order of the day when it comes to food consumption ( unless you're in a Hong Kong restaurant).Chinese food is sort of 80/20 from my experience, 80 % awesome and tasty as hell and about 20% dodgy or bland ( Cantonese food being a good 10% percent of that dogy and bland rating ;P ).The state has really been going all out for these Olympics and for an international event like this I bet my left nut that the food will be absolutely awesome ^_^

[Luciddreamer]

- Take
not to their credit most Chinese blindly hate the Japanese because of that whole Nanjing mess,they get brainwashed about it from when they're in primary school(if you ask them why they'll tell you, "thats what we were told in school"),so I wouldn't be so confident about that statement you made.Although Chinese people are slowly waking up to the truth that today's Japanese people are far removed from the people who took part in that event.
Personally I love the Japanese,especially for their best and worst moments :P
P.S: I'm a Brit ;P

[Visitor K]

McDonalds as a sponsor - any athlete wouldn't touch that stuff I am certain.

yah, i thought that was pretty odd as well.

[xenomorph42]

McDonalds as a sponsor - any athlete wouldn't touch that stuff I am certain.

Now if everybody was allowed to eat vegemite that would be awesome - talk about a performance enhancing food - but as it is only the Australians have this unfair advantage.

Please tell me you're joking, right? Vegemite?? I know Miki-Dee's ain't the creme de la creme of gourmet elitism, but Vegemite....

[CrankyBastard]

Please tell me you're joking, right? Vegemite?? I know Miki-Dee's ain't the creme de la creme of gourmet elitism, but Vegemite....

Quite right, xenomorph. Vegemite is rubbish, Marmite is the one and only sarny spread.

[Samurai_Jerk]

McDonalds as a sponsor - any athlete wouldn't touch that stuff I am certain.

Now if everybody was allowed to eat vegemite that would be awesome - talk about a performance enhancing food - but as it is only the Australians have this unfair advantage.

You'd probably be surprised by what some athletes eat.


By the way, does vegemite actually have any nutritional value?

[xenomorph42]

You'd probably be surprised by what some athletes eat.


By the way, does vegemite actually have any nutritional value?

Not unless you want to summarize high "salt content and yeast" as the two biggest factors in the so called "Nutritional Value" also does wonders for your hypertension.

Here's to your health!:cool:

[Visitor K]

Please tell me you're joking, right? Vegemite?? I know Miki-Dee's ain't the creme de la creme of gourmet elitism, but Vegemite....

i think she was referring to how unhealthy mcdonalds is, not how shitty it tastes.

[xenomorph42]

i think she was referring to how unhealthy mcdonalds is, not how shitty it tastes.

I understand and I agree, but Vegemite, ain't gonna win the Gold star of the Mancini culinary arts. Talk about salt content.

[Midwinter]

I understand and I agree, but Vegemite, ain't gonna win the Gold star of the Mancini culinary arts. Talk about salt content.

Don't knock it until you've tried it on toast with some sliced tomato and a poached egg. And anyway, how is it that you of all people can talk about the culinary arts, Mr "fried chicken is all I need" Xenomorph?

[Mulboyne]

...Vegemite is rubbish, Marmite is the one and only sarny spread.

Veering further off topic:

Telegraph: Raisins, honey and Marmite banned from children's television adverts

...Last year, hard-hitting rules were introduced by Ofcom, the broadcasting watchdog, designed to ban junk food companies from advertising their products during times of the day when children were likely to be watching television. The move was an attempt to cut down on the growing problem of childhood obesity. However, controversially Ofcom used the Food Standards Agency (FSA) definition of junk food –]...more...[/URL]