How A Japanese Megakitchen Prepares Thousands Of School Lunches Everyday | Big Batches

Summary

At Sakura Zutsumi Cookhouse in Musashino, Japan, a dedicated team prepares 3,000 nutritious school lunches each day. Operating across three floors, 70 staff—many of them students’ mothers—follow strict hygiene protocols and work in coordinated units to prep, cook, and package meals in under four hours. Nutritionist Takagi plans menus three months ahead to meet age-specific dietary needs and manage allergies. The kitchen uses giant pots to brew 750 kg batches of soup, cooks 250 kg of rice, and hand-makes thousands of shumai using locally sourced, organic ingredients. Meals are portioned into thermal containers and delivered to schools, funded by modest student fees.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Musashino City School, Lunch & Dietary Education Promotion Foundation has been preparing 3,000 school meals daily since 1967 to promote healthy eating habits among children.
• 😀 The meals are prepared in a large kitchen called Sakura Zutsumi Cookhouse, which spans three-quarters of the size of an American football field.
• 😀 The kitchen employs 70 staff members who work in small units to prep, cook, and package the meals in under four hours every day.
• 😀 Meals are planned three months in advance, allowing the team to source ingredients and account for students' allergies.
• 😀 Each meal is designed to meet the nutritional needs of students across different age groups.
• 😀 The kitchen prepares 750 kilograms of soup in a giant pot, using dried bonito and Rausu kelp as the base for the broth.
• 😀 Many of the kitchen staff are mothers of students, and they take pride in using care and healthy ingredients in the meals.
• 😀 Shumai dumplings are a popular dish, with 15 staff members hand-making 200 dumplings using 180 kilograms of ground pork and 40 kilograms of soybeans.
• 😀 Food safety is a top priority, with meat for shumai being monitored for bacterial growth to ensure safety.
• 😀 The kitchen prioritizes using fresh, organic, and locally sourced ingredients in all meals.
• 😀 Each meal costs approximately 340 yen ($2.50) for middle-school students and between 240-280 yen for elementary students, funded by the students' families.

Q & A

What is the primary mission of the Musashino City School Lunch & Dietary Education Promotion Foundation?

The primary mission of the Foundation is to promote healthy eating habits among young children by preparing nutritious school meals.

How many school meals does the kitchen prepare each day?

The kitchen prepares 3,000 school meals every day.

How long has the Musashino City School Lunch & Dietary Education Promotion Foundation been operational?

It has been operational since 1967.

What is the size of the kitchen where the meals are prepared?

The kitchen spans across three floors and covers three-quarters of the area of an American football field.

What are the main ingredients for the day's school meal?

The day's meal consists of millet rice, miso soup, sticky shumai dumplings, cabbage and mustard sauté, and milk.

How far in advance does the nutritionist plan the meals?

The nutritionist plans each meal three months in advance.

How does the kitchen ensure that the meals are nutritious and cater to students' needs?

The nutritionist tailors each menu item to fit the nutritional needs of different age groups, ensuring that each student gets the most nutritious meal possible.

What is the size of the large pot used for making soup, and how much does it hold?

The large pot is big enough to cook 750 kilograms of soup at a time.

What makes shumai one of the most popular items in the kitchen?

Shumai is popular because it is made by hand with high-quality ingredients, including 180 kilograms of ground pork, 40 kilograms of soybeans, and various blended vegetables, producing around 3,000 shumai in one day.

How does the kitchen ensure food safety, especially with meat used in shumai?

The kitchen ensures food safety by saving and monitoring the meat used in shumai for bacterial growth.

What is the cost of each meal, and how is the cost covered?

Each meal costs about 340 yen (approximately $2.50) for middle-school students and between 240 to 280 yen for elementary students. The cost is covered by the students' families, who pay school-lunch fees.

Why does the kitchen prioritize using fresh and organic ingredients?

The kitchen prioritizes fresh, organic, and local ingredients to ensure the meals are nutritious, healthy, and safe for the students.