If the government did one thing right recently, it was to send a stern message to the world that whatever a California roll is, it isn't Japanese food. Neither is the "Texas roll," with its strips of beef and spinach leaves, or that leaden travesty, the "Philadelphia roll," stuffed with smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber.
And let's not even get started on kimchee, pad thai and nasi goreng -- all of which are merrily served in hundreds of "Japanese" restaurants across the United States and in other parts of the globe where a lot of people are (1) not that partial to raw fish and (2) think of non-Chinese Asia as one big happy culinary family.
The agriculture ministry announced last month that a program is in the works to certify those restaurants overseas that serve authentic Japanese cuisine. The move came after several years of surging global interest in Japanese food, perhaps a result of the success of the "Iron Chef" television show or maybe just a reflection of interest in the cool nation responsible for the Lexus, Yu-Gi-Oh and "The Ring."