Squeamish About Sushi: And other Food Adventures in Japan

by Betty Reynolds

What's uni and how do you eat it? What are "dancing shrimp" or tako yaki ? Do you pick it up with your fingers? Dip it in sauce? And just what is that sauce? Dining in Japan can be intimidating, but with Squeamish About Sushi you are bound to have endless eating adventures while in Japan!

From world famous sushi to traditional Japanese cooking, it's all explained and pictured in this sketchbook of beautiful full-color illustrations and hand-lettered text, as author and artist Betty Reynolds shares her delight in the wonderful world of Japanese cuisine.

For the first-time visitor or gourmet alike, Squeamish About Sushi is and entertaining guide to the pleasures and pitfalls of Japanese dining, with clues and hints not found in the usual guides to eating out.

Whether it's the technique for holding chopsticks or the etiquette of slurping soup, Squeamish About Sushi assures the bewildered, and includes mini-lessons on how to read the curtain at the entrance, the menu on the wall, and even the signs on the restroom doors.

Just as Japanese food is as pleasing to see as it is to eat, Squeamish About Sushi is not just a Japanese travel guide but a visual feast as well.

Genres: Japan, Food, Nonfiction, Travel, Graphic Novels, Cooking, Art

72 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 2000

Reviews

[Ietrio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not know how helpful this book would be to someone going to Japan for the first time, but sure it was fun to read.

[Stray Toki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book with illustrations that could actually be very useful to someone who is travelling to Japan for the first time. It explains many things people often have questions about and will let you enjoy your time while at the same time being respectful and polite.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

** Books 305 - 2016 **

4 of 5 stars!

OMG! This books is totally cute! I just love the colorful sushi and other japanese foods that being explained by cute drawing and illustration! Definitely i will try japanese food beside sushi! Akkkkkk! I really love it! >__<

Thankyou Bookmate

[Anh · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a lovely book with sketches and tiny notes about Japanese cuisine from a Caucasian perspective. While we can never be sure that we won't embarrass ourselves in Japan, this little guide will help decreasing our ignorance somewhat.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice illustrations

[Nikola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't forget to bring this to Japan!

[Ninja Neko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had a long-term obsession with Japan, and when I finally got to visit the country I fell in love with its food as well (which, to be honest, I didn't expect). Flipping through this book brings back many memories of that trip. Squeamish about Sushi is a Japanese food guide filled with pleasant watercolour drawings. And while the drawings are pretty, they sometimes miss the details you'd need to really consider it a guide. There are useful tips on etiquette, and the explanation about the festivals was nice too. There is a very wide range of food covered. Still, I wouldn't recommend this as a serious guide for foodies visiting Japan. But I will recommend it to people who like myself love Japanese food and enjoy reminiscing about the many great meals they had and hopefully will have again some day.

[Kim Tong Lim · Rating 4 out of 5]

For foodie and those who enjoy Japanese cuisine or new to Japanese food. Full of colours, deliciously hand-drawn by Betty Reynolds. In it she described briefly the various kinds of food eaten in Japan. The book goes beyond sushi to okonomiyaki (frying your own pancake), etc. Betty sees the lighter side of Japanese culture when it comes to eating at different settings. From ryokan ryori to famous Tsukiji fishmarket, etc. You get to know the acceptable way of eating and appropriate table manners. After reading this book, you crave for some of these Japanese food and maybe a trip to that land to partake them on-site.

[MAILA · Rating 4 out of 5]

tertarik membaca ini karena review mbak Marina, dan bener. sepanjang baca buku ini air liur saya menetes hhh

ilustrasinya kurang begitu ngena banget sih. masih lebih ''real'' milik mbak patternsandpotraits di instagram. gambar makanan miliknya terlihat hidup dan menggugah selera banget. tapi ya lumayan lah. saya masih dapet rasa2 lapar dan ngilernya pas baca buku ini hhe.

dibandingkan sushi, gatau kenapa saya malah jadi penasaran sama makanan Yakitori-nya. semacam sate gitu tapi bahannya bervariasi. ada daging, kulit ayam, buah gingko, ati ampela dll.

penasaran mau cobain!

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice illustrated guide to Japanese food with names and descriptions. It's perfect for those new to Japanese food, or even those who know a good bit- not just sushi but also wagashi, noodles, bento, lots of other things, even bathing. So it has some common knowledge if you're familiar with Japanese culture, but also some good details and particulars. Good guide to bring with on a trip to Japan. Short but not too short.

[yengyeng · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredibly cute hand drawn art of sushi. If you have ever wondered to eat or not eat the shiso leaf on your sushi platter, the answer is eat it!

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful as well as useful.
If you like this you may well like the graphic diary ' Tokyo on Foot ' by the same publisher, not author. See review

[Kbg503 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the artwork. Her writing helps me understand traditions and customs of the culture. The book points out that there's a lot I haven't tried yet,

[Janna · Rating 5 out of 5]

FOOD + ART = PHENOMENAL.

[Teresa Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this little book. Wonderfully illustrated and insightful. Helped me know what I was ordering and how to maneuver in the first year of living in Japan.