[단독]Haesintang, grilled eel, deep-fried lobster… This is a 4000 won meal-JoongAng Ilbo

‘Haesintang boiled with shrimp and abalone, and grilled eel, deep-fried lobster ‘.

It is not a high-end restaurant menu that sells nutritious food. This food actually appeared in the Daegu Science High School lunch.

Since this year, a unique’Food Contest’ will be held in Daegu, which has been offering free meals to 460 elementary, middle and high schools. It is a food contest aimed at dramatically raising the level of school meals without exceeding the meal budget.

The Daegu City Office of Education announced on the 7th, “Like the broadcasting station’s cooking program’Back Father’, we plan to hold a food service contest in the second half of the year to compete for food skill while broadcasting school meals in real time.” We plan to invite famous and talented chefs to judge and conduct the contest.

For the contest, the Daegu City Office of Education is selecting schools with excellent local food service to participate in the contest. Oh Young-min in charge of school meal support at the Daegu City Office of Education said, “It is likely that there will be about 30 of the 460 local elementary, middle, and high schools participating in the contest.” It seems that the places that were selected earlier will participate.”

It is not possible to use expensive ingredients such as lobsters just because it is a meal contest. It was because I had to hold the competition only with regular meals within the budget at one meal.

In accordance with the implementation of free meals, schools in Daegu have a budget for meals per person. Elementary school is 2800 won, middle school is 4120 won, and high school is 4130 won. In other words, it is necessary to make meals that are nutritious and delicious as much as possible with ingredients that meet this budget.

“There are many questions about whether it is possible to eat crayfish meals spread through social network services (SNS) or grilled eel at Daegu Science High School in the budget. These meals are at the discretion of the school at least once a month. It is a menu that is prepared as a special meal by saving it. The concept is different from that of regular meals,” he explained.

What is the level of food service at’food restaurant’ schools in Daegu?
According to the data surveyed by the Daegu City Office of Education from the second semester of last year to the latest, these schools offer various and unusual general meals at one meal within the budget.

They also served Nasi Goreng at Daegeon High School and Sacheon-style Meat Stir at Seobu High School. Joamjung chose cheese kimchi fried rice, Shinajoong made Gongnamulbap, and Wollamjung made shiitake bean sprouts. Dongbujung also served homemade bagel meatball pizza and homemade pocket bread quasadia at lunch.

Elementary school meals with a budget of 2,800 won per meal were also difficult. Seodaegucho served with Siraegi nutrition rice, and Injincho served with vegetable bibimbap. Schools that win the lunch contest will receive a grand prize of 10 million won and a prize from the superintendent of education.

Meanwhile, in Daegu last year, there was once criticism for serving poor school meals. In the first half of last year, photos of poor meals at some elementary schools in Daegu appeared on social media. It was a picture of a lax meal with only one egg and seasoned herbs.

Regarding this, an official from the Daegu City Office of Education said, “At the time, it was a menu that went out as a temporary measure when there was no meal due to a novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19), but it is regrettable that there was a misunderstanding that Daegu meals were poor.” I will.”

Daegu = Reporter Yunho Kim
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