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What a clever idea

No, this one has legs:

A simple bowl of curry is at the centre of the latest row in a long-running territorial dispute between Japan and the Koreas.

Media in North and South Korea reacted angrily after an online media report about a seafood curry sold in Japan that includes mounds of rice shaped to resemble the Takeshima islands, which Koreans refer to as Dokdo.

The rocky islets, which lie roughly equidistant between the two countries in the Japan Sea – or the East Sea according to Koreans – are administered by South Korea, but Japan insists they are an integral part of its territory.

Not that East Asian islands will gain much traction over here. But the idea – shape the food into that of some contested area, watch the nationalists pile in to eat. Fabulous advertising.

The place in Derry with the mashed spuds shaped as the 6 counties. The Aquitaine shaped pork chop perhaps. Falklands shaped steak in Buenos Aires. The possibilities are endless. Bonzer idea.

9 thoughts on “What a clever idea”

  1. Bloke in North Korea (Germany province)

    You could, of course, sell lots of this in both Korea and Japan. Though in (South) Korea it would be a pork curry. In the North it wouldn’t have any rice. Or pork. Or curry.

    Naah, scrap it, stupid idea.

  2. Why don’t they let Kim use it for target practice ? That way no one will want the islands afterwards and K-Jun gets to show off his hardware. Trebles all round !

  3. Should we add Heligoland stolen by Bismarck the bestial from Britain?

    Though since the RAF used it as a bombing range, I suspect the Heligolanders’d rather not re-join the UK.

  4. The people of Okinoshima are quite certain Takeshima is their fishing grounds, nicked by the nasty Koreans. They may even have some justice to their claims though both Korea and Japan have been pretty shifty about relevant distant historical documents (the fact that the Koreans grabbed it in the post ware treaties is not up for argument as is that it was certainly controlled by Japan for the previous 50+ years).

    Anyway as your local correspondent in the area when I next go to Okinoshima (haven’t been there for ~5 years?) I’ll be sure to find the establishment and report on the taste of Takeshima curry

  5. Heligoland was swapped for Zanzibar (and some other minor adjustments to the map of Africa). As Heligoland was indefensible (rather like Honkers), it was a good deal.

  6. Israel is quite an easy shape to make out of mashed potato, and then add pork fat and fry.
    Crimea fairly easy.
    Gran Canaria easiest of all, but I can’t think of any disputes over that one

  7. Dear Mr Worstall

    How about a restaurant in Argentina serving a penguin dish shaped like the Falkland Islands called The Falkland Islands?

    I’m sure that would go down like a bomb or twenty.

    DP

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