Japan - Our First Meal

For my husband, Mark, and me, as for many people around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant not being able to eat in the restaurants we love. We are big appreciators of food and love to try international cuisine, so we have set ourselves a new challenge - cooking a dinner meal from each country in the world. (Of course, we expect this project will last beyond the coronavirus!)

Given our love for all things Japan, it's no surprise that we picked our first meal to be from Japan!

This meal was a wonderful treat. It almost felt like we were back in Japan. Some day!

When? May 8, 2020
Who cooked? Mark
What's for dinner? Yakiniku (焼き肉, "grilled meat") with 3 kinds of beef, pork, and 3 kinds of vegetables, plus ponzu and homemade dipping sauce; rice; plum wine (umeshu)
Percent complete: 0.5%

Japan Stats:

• Population: 125,930,000
• GDP: 5,405
• Life Expectancy: 84.5 (highest in the world, due in part to their excellent support for the first 2000 days of life, and in part due to their healthy diet... not so much represented in this meal)
• Founding Date/Age in 2020: 660 BC/2680
• Official Language: Japanese
• Lowest commercial bank prime lending rate
• Highest public debt as percentage of GDP
• Best performance at World Judo & Karate Championships
• Best performance at World Baseball Classic
• Most patents granted
• Most merchant ships owned
• Most three-starred Michelin restaurants (32)