Sushi has been a great source of comfort ever since my first morsel of this simple but nutritious way of eating what is simply rice and raw fish. It has been a permanent fixture in my outdoor picnics along with some plum wine (umeshu). Ordering sushi in Tokyo is still passable with my limited vocabulary of japanese fish and foods gleaned from all the sushi menus I have come across in the past decade. It's important to pick up some basic japanese food vocabulary cos you wouldn't want to be stuck in a yakitori shop in Tokyo with a chef that doesn't speak a word of English! More on yakitori in my future posts.
With the luxury of the National Library just beside my office, I picked up this little gem called "the Story of sushi" written by Trevor Corson. He weaves complex scientific information, with personal drama and takes you on a journey to sppreciate how modern sushi came about. His frequent anecdotes on the ecological drama of fish and its deep sea cousins are described with the panache of Richard & David Attenborough's nature documentaries.
I admit that I have not read a book for almost a decade after flipping through magazines of all titles with my short attention span. But the first chapter of this book caught my imagination with phrases like : -
"cows never caught on in Japan; miso is, in a sense Japan's cheese"
"finally,the yeasts join the party.
Put crudely, yeasts eat sugar and pee alcohol"
I can't wait to devour this book chapter by chapter as fast as a famished person would. And just for the record, I managed to finally finish the book on the train commute and before bedtime in just under one week, working through page after pageof gripping drama and food facts with gusto. Trevor's books will now join the ranks of Diane Ackerman on my bookshelf , her books on natural history were one of the first titles that left me wide eyed with wonder and amazement for nature and life!
Go on, pick up this book from the library or the bookstore (retailing at around S$25) . I know I am getting mine this National Day weekend with a 20% discount at Kinokuniya bookstores! What perfect timing that i finished the book just in time to enjoy this great offer! This book is just too good to be left alone on the conveyor belt of food related books! Itadakimase !!! http://www.trevorcorson.com/home.html
Trevor Corson also offers a very unique service in the USA, check out this site! I think every major city in the world should have a sushi concierge. Language should no longer be a barrier for the world to experience the exquisite world of Japanese cuisine. Everyone should treat themselves to a full course of good "omakase" at least once in their lifetime! http://www.sushiconcierge.com/home.html
Sushi-fully Yours
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