Writer: Tetsu Kariya
Artist: Akira Hanasaki
Early on in my Japan adventure, my supervisor took me out for dinner in Tokyo. "You know how they say there are about 40 different words for snow in Inuit?" he asked. "The arctic gets so much snow that one word to cover all of the different kinds of snow is inadequate. It's the same with Japanese and fish. We eat a lot of it. That's why we have so many more different words for fish than English does."
Had I been in a more argumentative mood, I might have pointed out that England is also an insular, seafaring nation with great piscatorial appetites. I kept a diplomatic silence because 1) he was an awfully nice guy, 2) he was feeding me and 3) the whiskey sours had me very merry indeed. He could have told me he was the Emperor and I'd have nodded politely.
Over time, of course, I would learn that he was absolutely right. It's not just the matter of words for different species. All modern languages have that, I imagine. Japanese has at least five separate words just for tuna, representing different parts of the animal. Fish names vary by region, by stage of life, by preparation, and on and on. Seafood is truly a way of life for the entire nation and the language reflects that.
Volume 4 of the Oishinbo: A la Carte series focuses on this central aspect of Japanese cuisine. Many Japanese believe that any fish worth eating is best eaten raw so most of the book is devoted to sushi and sashimi. However, grilling and frying techniques are also explored. To the creators' credit, they do not shy away from concerns about parasites in raw fish.
As I wrote in my review of the first three volumes, the overarching story of the series is not particularly interesting. It's the food that keeps me coming back for more. Descriptions of dishes like grilled salmon skin and shinko sushi genuinely make me salivate. Oishinbo especially piques my curiosity about regional cuisines, something I certainly did not explore adequately while I was there. Perhaps someday. Books will have to do for now. They're a lot cheaper than plane tickets!
ReplyDeleteThis is true there are many names for fish. Then you add in regional specialties it goes on and on.
One of my favorite sushi is kaki no ha sushi, Persimmon Leaf Sushi, or push sushi from the Nara region. (Son lives near Osaka) it is usually trout, salmon or mackerel (my favorite) over rice and wrapped in persimmon leaf.
On train stations you can find it at the food stalls no refrigeration needed.
It is so hard to read these book I could eat the pages.
cheers, parsnip
I know it's boring but I truly love well-prepared tuna sashimi in all its varieties - what a fabulously versatile animal.
DeleteParsnip, if you haven't tried this series, I highly recommend it. I've learned a lot.
yes ! I am going to check it out. Do you recommend the whole series ?
DeleteI'm going t ask son about it. He has sent me fun manga styled (Kiriko Kubo) book 'Illustrated Conversation', "Manners/Etiquette" and my favorite 'Travel and English' in Japanese and English. Beautiful photo of cities and regions and the food photos alone with drive you crazy.
cheers, parsnip
I would try Volume 1: Japanese Cuisine and see how you like it. Even better is the Drops of God series. It's mostly about French wine so it might not be as satisfying to your Japanophile side but overall, it's a better manga.
DeleteLiving in the middle of the US means that finding good seafood is a lot like finding a unicorn.
ReplyDeleteSurely, Chicago has decent sushi restaurants!
DeleteI hear you. A lot of fish can actually ship well when packed in ice. I went to college in Iowa - about as landlocked as it gets - and one night, we had lobster in the dining halls, shipped in from Maine. It's not the same as eating at the wharf but it'll do in a pinch.
Chicago has almost exclusively dreadful sushi restaurants. There are one or two which fly in their seafood everyday which are acceptable, but they are very crowded and very expensive.
DeleteGotcha. You do, on the other hand, have great Mexican restaurants. My wife's from the Chicago area - in fact, lived near Wrigley for several years. She misses good Mexican food.
DeleteWe do have really great Mexican food here. We also have, somewhat surprisingly, very good Chinese food.
DeleteOne loves Wrigley Field.
Good sausages and hot dogs, too. Great food town, Chicago. I would happily devote a week of my life to eating in Chicago restaurants.
DeleteSon edits for Viz. Am thinking of adopting the little old sushi chef at our local deli also. Enjoyed your post!
ReplyDeleteYour son's employer does good work.
DeleteThank you, sir!
I love Japanese food! I visited Japan back in 2004, but was only there for a week or so. I would love to go back and spend more time, but that'd probably have to wait till I was a bit richer ;)
ReplyDeleteI feel exactly the same way. Someday...
DeleteI'm a huge fan of sushi, but I have a problem in that I'm deathly allergic to shellfish. So whenever I go, I have to ask them if they keep the shellfish from the other fish. If I get a blank stare then I know not to eat there. That said, this book sounds like fascinating reading Armchair squid.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's a stinker! For me, it's nut allergies - such a pain.
Delete