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Big in Japan: Deadly dumplings injure 175
One of the many things that I've learned about the Japanese since moving to Tokyo is that they love to eat.
Of course, unlike Americans who seem to take extreme pleasure in enormous portion sizes of incredibly fatty food, the Japanese are much more refined in their culinary choices.
Indeed, Japanese society is structured around the fine art of sharing food with friends, which is perhaps one reason why the quality of meals over here is arguably the best in the world.
So, you can imagine the havoc that is spreading through Japan this week following the news that 175 people checked themselves into the hospital after dining on deadly dumplings.
How potentially deadly where the dumplings in question?
Well, not that deadly - unless of course you consider pesticides to be an acceptable condiment!
Delicious. Nothing like a few hundred milligrams of an insect-killing chemical concoction to cleanse the palatte and settle the stomach!
Jokes aside, the case of the deadly dumplings is actually an incredibly serious matter that might possibly endanger the future of Chinese-Japanese economic and political relations!
(I told you that eating was a very serious business in Japan!)
So, let's start off with something simple - what exactly is a dumpling?
Good question!
Dumplings in Japan are known as gyōza (餃子), and are generally comprised of some myster
y blend of meat and vegetable that is wrapped into a thinly rolled and sealed piece of dough.
Gyoza are generally served with three dipping sauces - soy sauce, rice vinegar and hot chili sauce - though each gyoza aficionado generally mixes up their own special blend of the three.
Anyway, let's get back to the story....
Two weeks ago, the Chinese government launched a fourth-month campaign to eliminate "non-food materials'' from their food exports.
What exactly is a non-food material you ask? Well, simply put, anything that isn't a food material, like industrial dyes, pesticides and fungicides.
Getting hungry yet?
Despite this pledge however, Chinese-made dumplings containing pesticides sickened 175 Japanese, which has created a huge scandal that is impossible to ignore in a society that is borderline obsessed with their personal safety.
Last year, the Chinese exported a whopping US$56.7 billion of food to Japan, though analysts are warning that this lucrative industry is about to take a huge hit.
According to Minoru Morita, a Tokyo-based economist, "Japanese consumers, already distrustful of Chi
nese products, may stop buying them."
Just ask Hiroko Date, a 38-year-old mother of two in Tokyo: "It makes you scared to buy imported food -- you worry about your kids."
So, for the time being, it looks like there won't be too many plates of dumplings gracing the dinner tables of Japan for quite some time.
With that said, if you're reading this article somewhere across the Pacific Ocean in North America, you also probably might want to pass on any pre-packaged dumplings you might find at the local supermarket.
Sigh - looks like I might have to find another favorite drunk food, though fortunately ramen is still safe!
** The images of the delicious dumplings were courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons Project **
Gallery: Japanese Food
Filed under: Food and Drink, Asia, China, Japan, Big in Japan
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
andie Feb 4th 2008 8:18PM
I love the picture! KAWAII!
Joe C, Feb 4th 2008 8:20PM
To the author:
If you like chinese dumplings, I suggest you try the ones made by Ling-Ling in California. In my humble opinion, they are by far the best that I've ever tasted. Here in Florida, the only place we've been able to find them is at Costco's and occasionally at Sam's Club.
They also supply dipping sauce with the dumplngs.
The web site.....Ling-Ling.com
Dewey Feb 4th 2008 9:08PM
dumplings love pan fried dumplings i buy localy from some of the area places, and quit buying anything at all i notice has been made and or packaged in china. i dont know what is worse the idea these people are useing industial solvents and other items to sweeten the food or just the water, it's being packed in tell me it's not from some local supply and untreated. and wasnt there some storys a few years ago about someone useing bodies that were for cremation i the dumplings and another place was useing drugs to insure to keep there LOYAL customers.
Tina Feb 4th 2008 9:38PM
China is trying to poison everyone so they are the only ones left~~!! Look at all the stuff that comes out of there thats tainted or poisoned~!!
Ann Ponzi Feb 4th 2008 9:30PM
First, tainted paint on childrens' toys, now poisonous dumplings. Is China trying to destroy the world?
ann
Matt Severyn Feb 4th 2008 9:42PM
First lead painted toys, now poisoned food. Where I work customers see a made in China tag hanging from the object and they don't buy it. We snip that part off on purpose. I think we should not buy their products and so long as they enslave their people, we should not do business with them AT ALL. If we profess to think we do good when we save a tree, then for God sake why don't we want to save a human being? Our Congress and the United Nations stand only for THEMSELVES. Eliminate free health care for Congress.
oliverpee Feb 4th 2008 11:37PM
IT IS ILLEGAL TO TAKE THAT TAG OFF. THEN YOU COMPLETELY CONTRADICT YOURSELF. YOU DO NOT THINK THE U.S. SHOULD BUY FROM CHINA, YET YOU PROMOTE IT BY INCREASING SALES OF THEIR PRODUCTS BUY SNIPPING OF THE MADE IN CHINA TAG SO AMERICANS WILL PURCHASE IT. GOOD JOB, YOU ARE ANOTHER BRILLIANT AMERICAN!
Dave Feb 4th 2008 9:40PM
pesticides sickened 175 Japanese. pesticides are use to get rid of insects, not people.
Dumpling Lover Feb 4th 2008 9:52PM
I say make your own. They are easy to make but a bit time consuming. Good thing is that you can make a huge batch and freeze them in gallon zip bags. Got two bags in the freezer now!
denise Feb 4th 2008 10:17PM
I agree with # 5, they don't care what they put in their foods. They sure wouldn't eat it. I would never buy anything imported from China. I don't trust them. They hate the Americans and would love to poison all of us if they could.
Satanlka Feb 4th 2008 10:44PM
What makes you idiots think that Japan and China are the same place??!!? Do yourselves a favor and buy a map!
Sandra Feb 4th 2008 11:18PM
Do yourself a favor and read the story. The dumplings they ate and got sick from in Japan were imported from China.
jerome Feb 4th 2008 10:47PM
you people do not know what dumplings are all about. cooked with chicken in the south and made with a gravey and you do not dip in a sause they are cooked in a sause then they are good. asains do not know how to cook dumplings.
Devlyn Feb 4th 2008 11:00PM
OMG China again have people not learned yet what these chinese terroist are up to ?? I buy NOTHING from china not since it came out about toys with lead paint and then even worse the GHB in toys from there. I feel bad to if my grandson wants a certain toy and we see where it was made I have to say no but he is a great kid and old enough to understand .
Vikki Feb 4th 2008 11:14PM
You can always just make your own
moonie Feb 4th 2008 11:39PM
All chinese imports are risky especially food,.. beware they need to pick up their technology and food needs to be inspected much more often i'm scared to eat food from China
billy Feb 4th 2008 11:41PM
WILL AGREE WITH #8 DUMPLIGS ARE NOT THAT HARD TO MAKE,WATCH ANY FOOD SHOW AND YOU WILL SEE SOMEBODY MAKE THEM,IT IS THE SAUCE AND VEGGIES THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE,USUALLY PORK OR CHICKEN IS THE MEAT,IF YOU DONT WANT THAT GO VEG.
David Feb 4th 2008 11:48PM
To the China-haters here: China definitely has its problems, but is not the only source of contaminated food. It just happens to continue being a popular target for Western paranoia:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/12/business/12imports.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=china+mexico+contamination&st=nyt&oref=slogin
Western corporations are not exactly spot-free (Union Carbide and Coca-Cola in India) I thought that travel made people more open minded and less prejudiced/racist. Clearly I was wrong about some of the folks here.
Carl Feb 5th 2008 5:02AM
As a student that's been living in Tokyo for a while, I wish people had a greater understanding of what this is all about... First of all, those familiar with Japanese policy-making in any area, they are still highly nationalistic-thinking, they make fun of the other guy to draw attention away from their own problems... Japanese-made dumpling were subject to just as much pesticides as the Chinese import. This is highly relatable to Japan's beef markets. They restrict cattle from the States because of the single Mad Cow positive a few years ago, yet Japanese beef is far more contaminated on the whole. Just look at their history, Minamata disease, etc etc... the list goes on. Not saying the others are faultless, but rather Japan simply puts the magnifying glass anywhere besides themselves.
billy Feb 4th 2008 11:48PM
WHOOPS MEANT #9 ON DO IT YOURSELF FOR DUMPLINGS