Branding Japanese Food is the first book in English on the use of food for the purpose of place branding in Japan. At the center of the narrative is the 2013 inscription of “Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese, notably for the celebration of New Year” on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The authors challenge the very definition of washoku as it was presented in the UNESCO nomination, and expose the multitude of contradictions and falsehoods used in the promotion of Japanese cuisine as part of the nation-branding agenda. Cwiertka and Yasuhara argue further that the manipulation of historical facts in the case of washoku is actually a continuation of similar practices employed for centuries in the branding of foods as iconic markers of tourist attractions. They draw parallels with gastronomic meibutsu (famous products) and edible omiyage (souvenirs), which since the early modern period have been persistently marketed through questionable connections with historical personages and events. Today, meibutsu and omiyage play a central role in the travel experience in Japan and comprise a major category in the practices of gift exchange. Few seem to mind that the stories surrounding these foods are hardly ever factual, despite the fact that the stories, rather than the food itself, constitute the primary attraction. The practice itself is derived from the intellectual exercise of evoking specific associations and sentiments by referring to imaginary landscapes, known as utamakura or meisho. At first restricted to poetry, this exercise was expanded to the visual arts, and by the early modern period familiarity with specific locations and the culinary associations they evoked had become a fixed component of public collective knowledge. The construction of the myths of meibutsu, omiyage, and washoku as described in this book not only enriches the understanding of Japanese culinary culture, but also highlights the dangers of tweaking history for branding purposes, and the even greater danger posed by historians remaining silent in the face of this irreversible reshaping of the past into a consumable product for public enjoyment.

In 1975,Gourmet magazine published a series on traditional Japanese food —the first of its kind in a major American food magazine — written by a graduate of the prestigious Yanagihara School of classical cuisine in Tokyo. Today, the author of that groundbreaking series, Elizabeth Andoh, is recognized as the leading English-language authority on the subject. She shares her knowledge and passion for the food culture of Japan in WASHOKU, an authoritative, deeply personal tribute to one of the world's most distinctive culinary traditions. Andoh begins by setting forth the ethos of washoku (traditional Japanese food), exploring its nuanced approach to balancing flavor, applying technique, and considering aesthetics hand-in-hand with nutrition. With detailed descriptions of ingredients complemented by stunning full-color photography, the book's comprehensive chapter on the Japanese pantry is practically a book unto itself. The recipes for soups, rice dishes and noodles, meat and poultry, seafood, and desserts are models of clarity and precision, and the rich cultural context and practical notes that Andoh provides help readers master the rhythm and flow of the washoku kitchen. Much more than just a collection of recipes, WASHOKU is a journey through a cuisine that is rich in history and as handsome as it is healthful. Awards2006 IACP Award WinnerReviews“This extensive volume is clearly intended for the cook serious about Japanese food.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune“. . . scholarly, yet inspirational . . . a foodie might just sit back and read for sheer enjoyment and edification.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Katarzyna Cwiertka shows that key shifts in the Japanese diet were, in many cases, a consequence of modern imperialism. Exploring reforms in home cooking and military catering, wartime food management and the rise of urban gastronomy, she reveals how Japan's pre-modern culinary diversity was eventually replaced by a truly 'national' cuisine - a set of foods and practices with which the majority of Japanese today ardently identify." "The result of more than a decade of research, Modern Japanese Cuisine is a look at the historical roots of one of the world's best cuisines. It includes additional information on the influx of Japanese food and restaurants in Western countries, and how in turn these developments have informed our view of Japanese cuisine. This book is appetizing reading for all those interested in Japanese culture and its influences."--BOOK JACKET.

Business wisdom from more than seventy-five food industry experts, specialty food buyers, and entrepreneurs to help you start and run a small culinary concern. For those ready to follow their foodie dreams (or at least start thinking about it) Good Food, Great Business is the place to get organized and decide whether creating a specialty food business is really possible. Whether the goal is selling a single product online or developing a line of gourmet foods to be sold in grocery chains, this working handbook helps readers become food entrepreneurs—from concept to production to sales to marketing. Using real life examples from more than seventy-five individuals and businesses that have already joined the ranks of successful enterprises, the book walks readers through the good, the bad, and the ugly of starting a food business. In these pages, you’ll learn . . . Personal habits and business fundamentals that will help you in every walk of life How to choose the business idea or ideas that best fit you and your personality How to determine the viability of those ideas Concrete steps you need to take to make your business a reality

In Cook's Science, the all-new companion to the New York Times-bestselling The Science of Good Cooking, America's Test Kitchen deep dives into the surprising science behind 50 of our favorite ingredients--and uses that science to make them taste their best. From the editors of Cook's Illustrated, and the best-selling The Science of Good Cooking, comes an all-new companion book highlighting 50 of our favorite ingredients and the (sometimes surprising) science behind them: Cook's Science. Each chapter explains the science behind one of the 50 ingredients in a short, informative essay--topics ranging from pork shoulder to apples to quinoa to dark chocolate--before moving onto an original (and sometimes quirky) experiment, performed in our test kitchen and designed to show how the science works. The book includes 50 dynamic, full-page color illustrations, giving in-depth looks at individual ingredients, "family trees" of ingredients, and cooking techniques like sous vide, dehydrating, and fermentation. The 400+ foolproof recipes included take the science into the kitchen, and range from crispy fried chicken wings to meaty-tasting vegetarian chili, coconut layer cake to strawberry rhubarb pie.

Everybody loves sushi. Now vegetarians can fully enjoy it too! American sushi expert Marisa Baggett has been working passionately for years to perfect sushi recipes that take full advantage of the freshest garden vegetables, herbs, tofu, mushrooms and spices available at your local farmer's market or co-op. Her innovative use of sustainable ingredients like fresh asparagus, apple, daikon radish, basil, tomatoes, beets, corn, shiitake mushrooms and cucumbers set her sushi recipes apart from all others you may have seen. This vegetarian cookbook offers completely new ways for localvores to enjoy their community supported agriculture and market vegetables with sushi rice. This is the ultimate farm-to-table book with creative Asian flair! Marisa not only shows you how to make the usual thick and thin rolls but other types of sushi that are just as delicious—and even easier to make! These recipes are about combining delicious rice with tantalizing pairings you might not have tried or thought of before, such as: Apple & daikon radish Cucumber & peanut Spicy carrot & tomato Pomegranate & basil Ginger & beet Summer corn & pickled okra Sweet potato & shiitake mushrooms Strawberry & rhubarb All of Marisa's sushi recipes are extra simple to make. For example, her Tempura Avocado Hand Rolls are a snap to put together—even if you've never made sushi before! Marisa starts by giving surefire recipes for making perfect sushi rice every time. She provides tips on which vegetables work best with sushi rice and how to create your own original combinations. Vegetarian Sushi Secrets is a gem of a Sushi cookbook that shows you how to make foolproof thin rolls, thick rolls, inside-out rolls, hand rolls, bowl rice sushi and many more in no time at all!

In Japan, cooking often bears aesthetic value, and the making of sushi is exalted as one of the finest culinary crafts. In line with this ideal of food as art, the Japanese often employ the word shokunin, loosely defined as “artisan”, to refer to highly skilled sushi masters. Connoting excellence and devotion to one’s craft, this title is reserved for those who approach their work with an artistic eye and seemingly spiritual sense of purpose, or ikigai.