Japanese athletes begin chopstick-less "food camp"

Japan's National Training Centre will offer basic Chinesedishes such as noodles, cold spring rolls and fried catfishonce a week in a dry run for the August 8-24 Games.

None of the Chinese food on offer will be diluted forJapanese taste buds, chefs even being ordered to make Japan'sstaple miso soup without traditional stock, local mediareported on Thursday.

In an attempt to simulate culinary conditions at theathletes' village in Beijing, Japanese athletes will eat frompaper plates using plastic knives, forks and spoons.

Peking Duck was a clear favourite in Wednesday's firstofficial "Olympic Menu Fair" although some athletes were lessthan impressed with the alternatives.

Weightlifter Hiromi Miyake complained of a lack of tastewhile her father and coach Yoshiyuki said: "We'll have to packsome soy sauce and chopsticks when we go to Beijing!"

Dumplings imported from China contaminated with pesticidetriggered a food scare in Japan earlier this year, intensifyingthe often-strained relations between the countries.

Both governments blamed sabotage rather than productionfailings and Japanese officials have sought to play downconcerns over the quality of cuisine athletes can expect at theOlympics.

(Reporting by Alastair Himmer; Editing by John O'Brien)

(For more stories visit our multimedia website "Road toBeijing" at http://www.reuters.com/news/sports/2008olympics ;and see our blog at http://blogs.reuters.com/china )