Japan votes for internationally-favored foods

• Source: Global Times
• [08:25 June 29 2009]
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By Guo Li

Based on the tastes of foreigners, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced Friday the highly anticipated 36 of the 40 short-listed processed foods for export, leaving the remaining top four to be disclosed today.

Japan had urged businesses to participate in the activity held by its overseas embassies, the first food selection by the Ministry for the expansion of exports.

It is reported that the foods involved in the selection are all end processed in Japan and with a validity period of more than four months. The 253 foods for selection went to Japan's overseas embassies for staff to taste and vote. The short-listed 40 foods include grilled Pacific saury fish, produced by Abecho Shoten in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture and Cheese sticks made by Wakamatsu-ya Bakery in Ise-Shi, Mie prefecture.

Japanese dishes such as miso soup, sushi, Japanese beef hot pot, tempura and shojin cuisine (vegetarian cooking), are listed as 10 typical Japanese foods to be promoted overseas.

For the Chinese translation, see P5 in today's Global Times Chinese edition