On June 11, the Health Service Center held a food education program titled “Casual Ethnic Cooking Class” as part of its student support initiatives, with 19 students and 5 faculty and staff members participating. This program is primarily aimed at Kanazawa University students. Its goal is to promote physical and mental well‑being by teaching participants how to prepare nutritious dishes that can be easily made at home, while encouraging interaction with other students, faculty and staff, and instructors who support local food culture. On the day of the event, under the guidance of Lecturer Manabu Murakami, a chef at Meal, a restaurant in Kanazawa City, participants tried making Chicken Thigh Green Curry, a dish featuring plenty of green vegetables such as spinach and cilantro.
During the demonstration led by Lecturer Murakami, participants learned how to handle a knife when mincing vegetables, the order in which to cut them, and the steps and key points to keep in mind when cooking with a frying pan. Afterward, participants split into six groups and prepared green curry while receiving direct guidance from the instructor. After cooking, participants enjoyed the meal along with a pineapple tart prepared by Lecturer Murakami. During the Q&A session, many practical questions were raised, such as how to adapt recipes when specific ingredients are unavailable and tips for flipping food in a frying pan. The instructor also explained that the green curry prepared for this session used “ishiru,” a fish sauce produced in Oku‑Noto, and noted that being mindful of food and ingredients can lead to broader awareness of disaster‑affected regions and connections with the local community.
Participants shared comments such as: “I was surprised that I could easily make green curry—which looked difficult—using just one frying pan,” “I want to make this for my family when I get home,” “I realized how important it is to spend time cooking and eating with others,” and “It was fun to hear from seniors in other programs.” The event was very well‑received.
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Students learning how to handle kitchen knives -
Cooking while receiving direct instruction from Lecturer Murakami -
Tasting the dishes made together -
Green curry and pineapple tart
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