Corson follows a group of students at The California Sushi Academy. Along with their training, he intersperses the history of sushi. I enjoyed the interactions of the students and their teachers but I really liked the history. In some ways it reminded me of Salt: A World History. I could see how the student stories might get on some people's nerves but I thought they added context and helped break up the historical facts. Salt was a much more history focused story where as The Zen of Fish talked about how people influenced the way sushi developed. Corson spent a lot of time talking about how sushi came to the United States which I liked. I also enjoyed learning the differences between American sushi and Japanese sushi. I won't be nearly as surprised if I ever go to Japan and eat sushi.
Sushi rolls like California rolls developed in the States and aren't common in Japan.
The Zen of Fish also made me hungry! It was hard to read and not want to rush out and eat sushi all the time. I can't wait for our next sushi visit! Others who shared their thoughts on The Zen of Fish: Historica Canada and The Wine Dark Sea.
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.This was my first read for the Foodies Read Challenge.
This sounds fascinating! I love sushi though I don't eat it very much anymore since I became allergic to shrimp in my mid-20s (so not fair!) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOh I love books like this! I'm adding it to my queue -- hope the library has a copy.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a huge fan of sushi but I do have it occasionally. It might be fun to learn some history.
ReplyDeleteInteresting!!! My husband and I both love sushi but I can see how it's likely been a bit Americanized. I started out on California rolls and recommend them to anyone who is reluctant to try sushi. I'll have to keep this one in mind!
ReplyDeleteSince I'm a big sushi fan, I think I'd really like this one as well! And having been to Japan I can confirm that they don't really have rolls but instead more sashimi and nigiri. Although actually, I ate far more that wasn't sushi while I was there.
ReplyDeleteThis does look interesting. I never get as much sushi as I'd like... most of my friends/family don't care for any kind of seafood (a true tragedy as we live on the Gulf), and I'm the only one who'll even consider sushi or sashimi. Definitely putting this book on my TBR list!
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