BOOK REVIEW: Super Sushi Ramen Express by Michael Booth
Japanese food is rarely mentioned compared to French cuisine or even Italian cuisine. This undermined culinary world has much to offer, with Japanese food more to works of art then just mere food. This book written almost like a personal food journal traverses Japan's food landscape through the eyes of the author and his family.
Japan is arguably the preeminent food nation on earth; it's a mecca for the world's greatest chefs and has more Michelin stars than anybother country. The Japanese go to extraordinary lengths and expense to eat food that is marked both by its exquisite preparation and exotic content.
Their creativity, dedication and courage in the face of dishes such as cod sperm and octopus ice cream are only now beginning to be fully appreciated in the sushi- and ramen-saturated West, as are the remarkable health benefits of the traditional Japanese diet.
The author, who is a food and travel writer, takes the culinary pulse of contemporary Japan, learning fascinating tips and recipes that few Westerners have been privy to before. Accompanied by 2 fussy eaters under the age of six, he and his wife travel the length of the country, from bear-infested, beer-loving Hokkaido to snake-infested, seaweed-loving Okinawa.
Along the way, they dine with sumo wrestlers, pamper the world's most expensive cows with massages and beer, share a seaside lunch with free-diving female abalone hunters, and meet the greatest chefs working in Japan today. Less happily, they witness a mass fugu slaughter, are traumatized by an encounter with giant crabs, and attempt a calamitous cooking demonstration for the lunching ladies of Kyoto.
I became educated in the ways of the Japanese cuisine through this book than any other way. It was so much fun to read this book and so hard to put down. This book is truly a gem to have especially if you are a foodie or an avid reader. Check out a copy online or at your nearest bookstore.
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