A taste of the world at Upton’s International Food Day

International Food Day at Upton

Dishes from different parts of the world were the recipe for success at Upton Junior School’s International Food Day.

Year 6 pupils faced the challenge to serve up the most accurate authentic food they could from Germany, Italy, Mexico and Spain.

And to put their culinary efforts to the test, parents were invited in to school to be the official taste testers.

Initially the young cooks researched their source country, created colourful posters highlighting specific cuisine, and tried out food from around the world.

They focused mainly on learning how to prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes safely and hygienically – a crucial part of their preparation was learning how to keep a hygienic and tidy kitchen, and the importance of avoiding cross-contamination of foodstuffs.

They also learnt a range of skills and techniques including peeling, chopping, slicing, grating and mixing, and measuring food amounts accurately.

Head of Year 6 Athanasia Papa-Adams said: “The progression in Year 6 Design and Technology demonstrates children using heat sources. It clearly illustrates how they have moved on with their skills from sandwich making in Year 3 and bread making in Year 5 to some more difficult recipes that require a range of developed skills.

“This is a great way to encompasses cultural diversity. The culmination of our international food day was welcoming parents in to enjoy the dishes and look at the research work that our children had done on the topic.

“The food tasted delicious – I wonder if we may have the next Master Chef amongst our Year 6 cooks.”

The cooking challenge was part of Upton’s regular broad-based curriculum that provides children with the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to develop into well-rounded, informed individuals.