Konnichiwa, Japan: SAI Bengaluru Introduces Japanese Food Acclimatization Programme Ahead Of Asian Games

A sumptuous menu card at a neighbourhood Izakaya (a casual eatery)?

But these traditional Japanese delicacies are a fresh addition to SAI Bengaluru’s food listings for athletes, an attempt to familiarize them with oriental dishes ahead of the upcoming Asian Games at Aichi-Nagoya.

“The Asian Games is going to happen in Japan and our athletes should not find it difficult with the food there and their performance should not suffer because of their diet. That’s the primary objective of introducing Japanese cuisine into our culinary and into our menu,” V.

Jeyaraj, Executive Chef at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Netaji Subhas Southern Centre (NSSC), told PTI.

Jeyaraj, who has extensive experience as a chef with Army and in overseas destinations like Abu Dhabi, said the idea of adding Japanese dishes to the menu was on their mind after seeing a few athletes struggle with food during the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.

“Some athletes struggled to adjust to continental type of food in Tokyo and Paris, and we had to send some 1800 energy bars when para athletes went to France (for Paralympics).

Now, they are going to Japan, so we thought of including Japanese items in the menu so they should feel free to eat anything there. It will not be exactly like in the Games Village, but we make sure that we match at least 90 per cent with the food there,” he added.

“So we are going with Continental menu twice a week for the past one and half years, where they would not get any Indian food.

So, it's very easy for athletes to adapt to a different food culture. We had done this last year when the hockey team went to Chile for a tour,” he noted.

But how difficult was it for him to convince the athletes to turn away from a familiar platter of rice and daal or roti and sabzi (vegetables)?

“It was very difficult initially and we realised that change cannot be brought in straightaway. So at first, we started with a Japanese High Tea, where we gave some desserts like rolls and slowly we introduced some appetisers ahead of lunch and dinner."

“Then slowly we introduced a main course like Sushi and Sashimi and a Ramen counter and then we got some very good feedback from athletes,” he said.

Athletes participating in national and international competitions need to ensure a balanced diet that complements their fitness routine.

So, how does Jeyaraj introduce a new cuisine without diluting athletes’ strict diet protocol and their individual preferences? “It’s all about variety. We already have a diet chart for each of them.

So, we have offered them 20 toppings that can go with Ramen, noodles etc, and they can select from the list, and we make it in front of them at a live counter.

“It’s highly customisable. For eg: if someone wants more protein then we have chicken, and if someone wants vegetarian variety, then we have paneer and beans tofu. They can have it with toppings of their choice.

“Along with it, we also work with athletes, nutritionists at SAI, coaches in the menu discussion group to take feedback before fixing the menu for the day or the week. The menu also depends on the kind of training an athlete does on a particular day,” he detailed.

A similar attention to details has also been given to the preservation of food at the FSSAI’s five-star rated facility at the SAI campus.

“The FSSAI has laid out 97 parameters for such facilities. If you score 85 or above it is rated as five-star and four-star if scores 75 or above.

Health and sustainability are prime areas along with how the food is stored, cooking methods, food segregation and even how it’s served on a plate everything is monitored by a campus auditor.

“The hot food should be kept at a temperature of about 65 degree celsius, and if we have a cold buffet counter then we should keep food below 5 degree celsius. Everything is audited,” he explained.

Jeyaraj and his team do not accompany athletes overseas. So, how do they ensure that all those aforementioned parameters are met?

“Yeah it’s a good question. See, when some of these athletes went to Germany recently, they had some issues with the food in the hotel where they were staying.

“So, we asked the hotel officials to send us their menu, and we did some modifications to it. So, we had to sort it out that way so that our athletes could have that food. Of course, we also send those energy bars for some contingency times,” he concluded.