Japanese agricultural ministry’s decision to send food experts to Los Angeles

As world we’re confused. Sometimes I’m amused by how purity and innovation play themselves out in the culinary world, in particular. Americans enjoy “Chinese food” that one could never find in China. Chinese put potato chips on the menu as desert and happily serve their clientele food that no one would call desert in the west. And hey, confusion sells, and purity so last-century . . . but still I wonder where all this culinary relativism is taking us.

Fortunately Japan is not taking this lying down. I was particularly amused recently by the story of the Japanese agricultural ministry’s decision to send food experts to Los Angeles to more than 500 places serving Japanese cuisine to assess the authenticity of what they serve. This is rich. Set aside the Japanese prime minister’s recent unfortunate attempts to dodge the authenticity of the Comfort Women issue, comparing forced prostitution to a cafeteria service. Japan needs to protect its culinary IP, just as Hollywood doesn’t want pirated copies of Scarface selling for a buck-a-pop, in Beijing.

In my opinion, Japan should revel in the fact that it is so difficult to find “authentic” Sushi outside of Japan. Why send the foodie police after the far-flung bento-box lunch sets of the world? Relax. You can’t get sushi as good as what you get in Japan anywhere else, period. Japan’s already elevated by the reality of cheap imitation. But people want the “tradition” preserved. That may be a fine impulse. But why should anyone stop anyone else from innovating with a tradition. Food traditions are not meant to be held fast in time. They are meant to be built upon.

Imagine if Florentine pizza makers coming to Brooklyn to cite the violations by kinsmen pizza makers, let alone those of thousands of Greek or Mexican pizzerias. It’s all untenable. Its all wonderful. Its all so confused. I’m glad we have both traditionalists and pioneers when it comes to food. That’s exactly how I like my music.

Comments

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