Do you mind doing the washing up?

  One of the big differences between Japanese cooking and British cooking is the way of serving food. When I first came to England I was quite shocked that all dishes are served together on one plate. In Japan they are served individually which means that one person usually uses more than 3 plates and bowls at a meal. One of the reasons why we serve food like this is that we cook the dishes in a variety of ways and want to enjoy a variety of tastes and textures without mixing them on a single plate.

  When cooking, we generally add flavours such as soy sauce, sake (rice wine), dashi (soup stock) and vinegar and then eat the food as it is. You will find there are no special sauces on dining tables in Japan, except soy sauce or sometimes tomato ketchup or mayonnaise.

  On the other hand, I have found that British people tend to cook food in a simpler way, for example boiling vegetables and roasting meat, and then serving various beautiful sauces to allow people to add flavour themselves at the table. Because of these differences, at first I wasn't sure about the British way of serving meals but now I like it more and more, although I still prefer just a little sauce on my plate not to make food too soggy. I also started thinking how practical the British way is and how much more helpful it would be for Japanese women, who spend all their life doing the washing up. Unfortunately we don't have many kind and helpful men like British men!

  Now my "kind" English husband is in a dilemma that he likes Japanese cuisine, which I cook, but certainly not doing the massive pile of washing up after a meal. He should remember his family's rule that the person who cooks shouldn't do the washing up!
  Do you mind doing the washing up?