# World Cup-Themed Food Menus Ponto-Cho Yakiniku Yaruki & Yakiniku Bare Yaruki Celebrate Team Japan By Kalin Ned | Published 2018-06-20 | World Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/world-cupthemed References: [designtaxi](http://designtaxi.com/news/400180/Japan-Celebrates-World-Cup-Fever-With-Blue-Meat-In-Honor-Of-Its-National-Team/) & [prdesse](https://www.prdesse.com/posts/view/16826?utm_source=DesignTAXI&utm_medium=DesignTAXI&utm_term=DesignTAXI&utm_content=DesignTAXI&utm_campaign=DesignTAXI) 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](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/yakiniku-simulator) 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](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/footballthemed-pastry-treats) — 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'](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/samurai-menu) and make it available to the public from June 14th "for as long as [the Japan team] remains in action at the 2018 FIFA." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.4/10 - Popularity: 59% | Activity: 35% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [World](https://www.trendhunter.com/world) > [Bizarre](https://www.trendhunter.com/bizarreworld) ## Key Themes ### 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. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Limited-Edition Soccer Snacks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lays-fifa-world-cup.md) - [Olympics-Inspired QSR Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-france-global-menu.md) - [Football-Themed Pizzas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flatstone-pizza-co.md) - [Soccer Player-Celebrating Bowls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/christian-pulisic-bowl.md) - [Curling-Inspired Pizzas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/curling-gratin-pizza.md) - [Hawaiian-Inspired QSR Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hawaiian-burgers.md) - [Anime-Collaborative QSR Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kikis-delivery-service.md) - [Autumnal Fried Chicken Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kfc-japan-tsukimi-menu.md) - [Olympic-Inspired Dining Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/olympic-ring-menu.md)