A Taste of Japan: Food Fact and Fable What the People Eat Customs and Etiquette - Softcover

Richie, Donald

Softcover

ISBN 10: 4770017073 ISBN 13: 9784770017079

Publisher: Kodansha Amer Inc, 1992

Synopsis

In recent years, Japanese food has become a welcome part of the Western eating experience, adding a new and pleasurable dimension both to dining out and cooking at home. Yet while many Westerners have eaten Japanese food and have come to appreciate it for its attractive presentation and light, delicate flavors, relatively few are well acquainted with its origins and development, how it is traditionally served and eaten, and how it has evolved through history to fit into the life and culture of the Japanese people.
In this informative and gracefully written volume, renowned author and critic Donald Richie provides a lively examination of the popular foods of Japan, including not only well-established Western favorites like sushi, tempura, and sukiyaki, but more esoteric fare (like fugu, the highly-prized blowfish that can be deadly if not prepared properly, and unagi, the delicate grilled eel that represents one of the pinnacles of Japanese cuisine). The unlikely reasons for the popularity of deep fried pork cutlets (tonkatsu) in a non-meateating culture, the special place of noodles in the Japanese food pantheon, the varieties of forms in which rice can be found, from stuffed riceballs (onigiri) to pounded cakes (mochi) - all these and more are revealed in Donald Richie's engaging anecdotal style. Sections on Japanese pickles, sweets, sake and tea complete this captivating survey of the delights of the Japanese table.
Whether you are contemplating a trip to Japan, a visit to the nearest Japanese restaurant, or a foray into cooking with Japanese ingredients yourself, these fourteen excursions into the world of Japanese food make it possible for you to approach its varied delights with confidence, understanding and unending pleasure.

About this title

About the Author:

Donald Richie, born in Ohio in 1924, has lived in Japan for many years. Formerly Curator of Film at the New York Museum of Modern Art, he is well known as the foremost Western authority on the Japanese cinema (see A Hundred Years of Japanese Film), and has also written many books on the country and its culture, including the classic The Inland Sea, The Japanese Tattoo, and Zen Inkings.

From Library Journal:

This slim volume, based on a series of magazine articles, explains Japanese cuisine in the context of Japanese culture. A brief introduction to the cuisine's aesthetics is followed by 14 handsomely illustrated chapters, each devoted to a different type of food. The coverage is by no means complete; Richie discusses the history and customs associated with Japan's more popular and unique dishes. Recipes are not included. Readers wanting a short, entertaining look at the subject should enjoy this book. Those seeking an in-depth introduction to the cuisine would do better to consult Shizuo Tsuji's Japanese Cooking: a simple art (Kodansha, 1980). Bruce Hulse, Columbia Univ. Libs., New York

Copyright 1985 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Kodansha Amer Inc
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 4770017073
• ISBN 13: 9784770017079
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 112