To celebrate and encourage Japan's football team during the 2018 FIFA event in Russia, grilled meat restaurants Ponto-cho Yakiniku Yaruki and Yakiniku Bare Yaruki release a limited edition World Cup-themed menu option. The dish has a rather unconventional aesthetic that strongly communicates team spirit with a blue color palette. The unusual chromatic enhancement to the World Cup-themed food offering is created with a natural pigment extracted from a superfood plant, called Spirulina.
The centerpiece for the culinary offering is blue horumonyaki — essentially "beef or pork offal." The Kyoto-based restaurants season their meats with mint. Ponto-cho Yakiniku Yaruki and Yakiniku Bare Yaruk name their World Cup-themed dish 'Samurai Blue' and make it available to the public from June 14th "for as long as [the Japan team] remains in action at the 2018 FIFA."
What's Driving This Trend
- Sports-themed Food Menus
- Restaurants worldwide can take advantage of major international sports events by offering limited edition menus that embody team spirit and unconventional aesthetics.
- Healthy Food Dyes
- The use of naturally derived pigments, like Spirulina, can differentiate food offerings and provide alternative health benefits to customers.
- Local Team Celebrations
- Businesses can capitalize on local sports teams' success by creating special menus that reflect the team's spirit and cultural heritage.
Who This Affects Most
- Food and Beverage
- Restaurants can attract more customers during major sports events by creating unique menus that showcase their cultural heritage and cater to sports fans.
- Health and Wellness
- Naturally derived pigments like Spirulina present potential health benefits as a replacement for artificial food dyes, creating opportunities for the health and wellness industry.
- Hospitality
- Hotels can offer unique food and beverage experiences to attract sports fans and promote local team culture during major sports events.
