Food artisans of Japan is a book in which the most important part is played not by the recipes, but – as the title says – by various food-related stories. As the author, Nancy Singleton Hachisu, explains (you might connect her with her book Preserving the Japanese Way), during her travels to collect information for Japan: The Cookbook it turned out that another book was needed as well, one that would focus on the people who create the culinary arts scene in Japan.
The stories are sorted by region – in each of them the author presents chefs, farmers, artisans, as well as ingredients that come from that particular area. The stories are sorted by region – in each of them the author presents chefs, farmers, artisans, as well as ingredients that come from that particular area. You will read about umeboshi grown in the Kantō region, from Tōhoku – about dairy and Iwate potato flour, about olive oil from Shōdo Island, located on the Inland Sea of Japan, about knives from Noto, ceramics, salt, yuzu…
Each of the regions is presented by one or a few chefs, who share their favourite recipes, from the simplest (such as omelette, dashi-maki tamago or lotus root tempura – to exceptionally refined – like crab with sweet potato cream soup, fried cod milt and onions pickled in salt – up to the subversive – like “sushi” made of soba noodles or chocolate takoyaki balls.
We recommend this book to all those who would like to see Japanese cuisine from a whole new angle.
There are no reviews yet.