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Japanese Farm Food
This award-winning cookbook offers a unique look at life on a Japanese farm through 165 recipes, personal stories and stunning photographs.American born and raised, Nancy Singleton Hachisu lives with her husband and sons on a rural Japanese farm, where they prepare these 165 bright, seasonal dishes. Covering everything from pickles and soups to noodles, rice, and dipping sauces, with a special emphasis on vegetables, Hachisu demystifies the rural Japanese kitchen, laying bare the essential ingredients, equipment, and techniques needed for Japanese home cooking.Combining stories and recipes, Japanese Farm Food is about food, family, and community. More than 350 vibrant images by Kenji Miura evoke the beautiful Japanese countryside and life on a traditional farm. With a focus on fresh and thoughtfully sourced ingredients, the recipes in Japanese Farm Food are perfect for fans of farmers’ markets, and for home cooks looking for accessible Japanese dishes.Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2012: USA Winner, Best Japanese Cuisine Book
747 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
214 people are currently reading
1550 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
July 28, 2015
Though ostensibly a cookbook, it is really more of a lifestyle biography, both interesting and irritating for that very reason. Interesting for the context of an American living an experiment in which she, together with her Japanese husband, aims to revive the waning traditions of a foreign culture. Irritating because her tone often veers into pretension. She judges Japanese people who don't eat local and have forsaken old traditions (fools who have jobs that don't involve just faffing about on a hobby farm), bemoaning their departure from the simple life connected to the land, and then turns around and promotes mail order macrobiotic exotic ingredient purveyors, the irony of getting organic ingredients flown to your table being completely lost on her.
There were points at which I found her insensitivity (mostly cultural, sometimes plain human) really insufferable. She talks about the Tohoku earthquake by describing her own hardships that day which included being cold, having to wait in a line and not being able to get a cab. Luckily the ordeal ended with "a flute of champagne in hand, my iPhone charging, [heaving] a huge sigh of relief". I'm only surprised she didn't wax on about the calloused feet of the good honest wench who squished the biodynamic grapes that made her champagne before remembering that quite a few people died and lost their homes. Ugh...
Recipes are so basic that they serve simply as inspiration to use good seasonal vegetables with more Japanese ingredients. I love to cook and eat that way but it does beg the question whether one needs to write (or read) a cookbook explaining how to toss some veggies in a soy vinaigrette. She helpfully gives ratios for some recipes but watch out because some seem off if you have well functioning taste buds (ex. her miso vinaigrette is twice as acidic as it needs to be, possibly due to my rice vinegar which is shamefully not produced in my own rice fields).
In short, I started off very excited but ended up feeling more browbeaten and exasperated than inspired, which is a shame because the photography is very beautiful and the recipes are simple and accessible (if you ignore the less practical advice about cooking things on charcoal grills and making your own tofu) .
There were points at which I found her insensitivity (mostly cultural, sometimes plain human) really insufferable. She talks about the Tohoku earthquake by describing her own hardships that day which included being cold, having to wait in a line and not being able to get a cab. Luckily the ordeal ended with "a flute of champagne in hand, my iPhone charging, [heaving] a huge sigh of relief". I'm only surprised she didn't wax on about the calloused feet of the good honest wench who squished the biodynamic grapes that made her champagne before remembering that quite a few people died and lost their homes. Ugh...
Recipes are so basic that they serve simply as inspiration to use good seasonal vegetables with more Japanese ingredients. I love to cook and eat that way but it does beg the question whether one needs to write (or read) a cookbook explaining how to toss some veggies in a soy vinaigrette. She helpfully gives ratios for some recipes but watch out because some seem off if you have well functioning taste buds (ex. her miso vinaigrette is twice as acidic as it needs to be, possibly due to my rice vinegar which is shamefully not produced in my own rice fields).
In short, I started off very excited but ended up feeling more browbeaten and exasperated than inspired, which is a shame because the photography is very beautiful and the recipes are simple and accessible (if you ignore the less practical advice about cooking things on charcoal grills and making your own tofu) .
February 3, 2014
I found this book to have some interesting recipes, but if your aim is to read all of it, it gets repetitive fast. Besides, it is as pretentious as it gets. If you read a book like this you are likely a local-organic-obscure ingredient fan or are at least used to them. However, phrases like this one try even the most understanding of us: "My gentle hands tossed Suka-san’s butter lettuce leaves with a few tendrils of shiso chiffonade as I drizzled in a bit of my Japanese organic rapeseed oil, local Yamaki soy sauce, and organic rice vinegar.”
Dear god, we are on page 900, we already got you only use organic local heirloom stuff. There is no need to list every ingredient with the organic descriptor first.
Maybe if the book had been shorter I would not have minded this so much, but by the final chapters it was tiresome.
Dear god, we are on page 900, we already got you only use organic local heirloom stuff. There is no need to list every ingredient with the organic descriptor first.
Maybe if the book had been shorter I would not have minded this so much, but by the final chapters it was tiresome.
October 4, 2018
As a cooking resource for a Westerner wanting to learn how to cook Japanese food at home, it's a failure, given its emphasis on locally-procured (in Japan) ingredients that you won't be able to find anywhere else. The author even admits that some of her choices are hard to find in Japan, but she "just can't resist" giving us the recipe.
The whole book is just one long humblebrag, from the introduction written by someone who calls her a "national treasure" (which I always thought was a serious classification for artisans--well it was, up to now) to her "heartwarming" stories about how she spends so much time and money finding just the right dishes to serve her oh-so-authentic food in, thereby letting us know that she can afford to do that. I have had the misfortune to see Mrs Hachisu on NHK World, and she only confirmed my opinion of the book. "Oh look at me, aren't I special, don't you wish you were me?" No, I don't.
I kept trying to read this and keep putting it down in disgust. I have learned much more about real Japanese food from real Japanese women on Youtube who don't make quite so much fuss about it.
The whole book is just one long humblebrag, from the introduction written by someone who calls her a "national treasure" (which I always thought was a serious classification for artisans--well it was, up to now) to her "heartwarming" stories about how she spends so much time and money finding just the right dishes to serve her oh-so-authentic food in, thereby letting us know that she can afford to do that. I have had the misfortune to see Mrs Hachisu on NHK World, and she only confirmed my opinion of the book. "Oh look at me, aren't I special, don't you wish you were me?" No, I don't.
I kept trying to read this and keep putting it down in disgust. I have learned much more about real Japanese food from real Japanese women on Youtube who don't make quite so much fuss about it.
June 11, 2013
I really want to give this 3.5 stars. This is a tough one for me to review, because it was SO well received by EVERYONE. And I genuinely thought the photography was gorgeous, the stories were lovely, and that the recipes seem unusual and delicious. However, I really felt that this book was written with a certain reader in mind (foodie/japanophile with decent access to obscure/pricey ingredients), and even though I am pretty much that reader and I appreciated so much of the content, I found myself frustrated by a number of things.
First: the photographs, while lovely, are mostly unlabeled and often not useful to the recipe they appear with. For instance: there might be many beautiful photographs an ingredient growing on the farm, being harvested by some (unknown) people. But no photographs of the actual recipe in process or what the finished dish is supposed to look like. Also, the personal stories of the author & the farm, while full of interesting information and really beautiful details, are sometimes a bit condescending in tone and full of name-dropping, assuming knowledge of people who are well-known in certain foodie/slow-food circles. I knew (and respect/am interested in) almost all the names mentioned & still found the references unnecessary and off-putting. And finally, both the free-standing (no recipe attached) personal stories and the little anecdotes at the beginning of each recipe are written in a style I found to be a little jarring. Beginnings/endings/transitions felt a bit unfinished/uncared about, which I found made the reading oddly-paced.
Maybe it was just how I was reading the book; if it was meant to be picked up & flipped to randomly, or only to be index-guided to a recipe that suits your ingredients, then it is perfect. And let me emphasize that the recipes & stories & photography are really quite lovely, and not something I've seen elsewhere. The author's story is clearly an interesting one. I just ended up wishing it was two books; a memoir and then a recipe book. Or at least organized in a way where I felt both parts of the book were more appealing to me. Still a very beautiful book, and one I hope to eventually have the time & resources to cook from.
First: the photographs, while lovely, are mostly unlabeled and often not useful to the recipe they appear with. For instance: there might be many beautiful photographs an ingredient growing on the farm, being harvested by some (unknown) people. But no photographs of the actual recipe in process or what the finished dish is supposed to look like. Also, the personal stories of the author & the farm, while full of interesting information and really beautiful details, are sometimes a bit condescending in tone and full of name-dropping, assuming knowledge of people who are well-known in certain foodie/slow-food circles. I knew (and respect/am interested in) almost all the names mentioned & still found the references unnecessary and off-putting. And finally, both the free-standing (no recipe attached) personal stories and the little anecdotes at the beginning of each recipe are written in a style I found to be a little jarring. Beginnings/endings/transitions felt a bit unfinished/uncared about, which I found made the reading oddly-paced.
Maybe it was just how I was reading the book; if it was meant to be picked up & flipped to randomly, or only to be index-guided to a recipe that suits your ingredients, then it is perfect. And let me emphasize that the recipes & stories & photography are really quite lovely, and not something I've seen elsewhere. The author's story is clearly an interesting one. I just ended up wishing it was two books; a memoir and then a recipe book. Or at least organized in a way where I felt both parts of the book were more appealing to me. Still a very beautiful book, and one I hope to eventually have the time & resources to cook from.
June 11, 2013
Fantasy cookbook/lifestyle porn about all the delicious things you could eat if you had had the foresight to marry a hot Japanese farmer in the 80s instead of your own boring husband. Also, she's a leader in the slow food movement! And she loves natto! The whole thing is infuriating.
March 9, 2020
Nancy Singleton Hachisu is so damn pleased with herself that it makes me ornery, which makes me want to give this book bad reviews.
Also she’s pretentious, and this is barely even a cookbook.
It sure is interesting though.
Also she’s pretentious, and this is barely even a cookbook.
It sure is interesting though.
March 4, 2023
Book starts with a brief history of how the author came to Japan, fell in love with a Japanese farmer and the food and stayed. She then goes through the Japanese ingredients used in the book, and which brands to look out for in USA. Next is the section on tools and knives, and the cutting, preparation and cooking techniques, with helpful illustrations.
“This chapter was designed as a sort of exhaustive overall look at Japanese ingredients, implements, and typical kitchen skills. You need not have even a fraction of these ingredients or implements in your pantry or kitchen. And you need not master a good portion of the kitchen skills because the majority of young Japanese today have not. Focus on getting a few quality tools and kitchen staples; and start small, making one dish at a time from the freshest ingredients you can find. Look to what you do have, not what you don’t.”
Now come the recipes, divided into: Small Bites with drinks; Pickles and Soups; Soybeans and Eggs; noodles and Rice; Vegetables; Fish and Seafood; Meat; Dressings and Dipping Sauces; Deserts and Sweets, followed by a glossary of Japanese food, and measurement conversion tables.
Throughout there are lovely photos – some of the finished recipes and the ingredients, but also of friends, family, and places and things specific to Japan. Many of the recipes are also accompanied by anecdotes about how the author first discovered this way of cooking, and its place in Japanese cuisine and her Japanese family’s life.
One thing I found particularly helpful, was that with some recipes ratios of the ingredients were given (along with the normal amounts) so that you could easily expand (or reduce) the portions to fit the numbers of people for whom you were cooking.
Altogether I tried 13 of the recipes, including two for fish and one for meat. Most were for vegetables or side dishes. The instructions were clear and easy to follow. I did make a few substitutions for ingredients (not always successful), and occasionally for cooking utensils (i.e a fish-kettle for the ‘Spring Onion and Ginger Stuffed Steamed Snapper’ instead of a bamboo steamer). I particularly liked the ‘Thinly Sliced Okra with Dried Bonita Shavings’ (never considered eating raw okra before – very nice), the ‘Eggs pickled in Soy Sauce’, ‘Broccoli with Tofu and Yuzu’ (just used ordinary lemon zest instead of yuzu) and ‘Spinach with Walnuts and Miso’. But, my all-time favourite was the ‘Teriyaki Chicken’. The mirin, soya sauce and grated ginger marinade will be used a lot from now on – its is a definite keeper. I cooked the marinated chicken thighs in the oven instead of on top of the stove as suggested, and the result was exceptional (also excellent cold the next day).
Some of the recipes used much more salt than I liked, and some sauces were a bit overpowering – but the fault there is with my taste-buds and not the book.
A very interesting cookbook, with some lovely – unusual for me – recipes, that is well worth reading.
“This chapter was designed as a sort of exhaustive overall look at Japanese ingredients, implements, and typical kitchen skills. You need not have even a fraction of these ingredients or implements in your pantry or kitchen. And you need not master a good portion of the kitchen skills because the majority of young Japanese today have not. Focus on getting a few quality tools and kitchen staples; and start small, making one dish at a time from the freshest ingredients you can find. Look to what you do have, not what you don’t.”
Now come the recipes, divided into: Small Bites with drinks; Pickles and Soups; Soybeans and Eggs; noodles and Rice; Vegetables; Fish and Seafood; Meat; Dressings and Dipping Sauces; Deserts and Sweets, followed by a glossary of Japanese food, and measurement conversion tables.
Throughout there are lovely photos – some of the finished recipes and the ingredients, but also of friends, family, and places and things specific to Japan. Many of the recipes are also accompanied by anecdotes about how the author first discovered this way of cooking, and its place in Japanese cuisine and her Japanese family’s life.
One thing I found particularly helpful, was that with some recipes ratios of the ingredients were given (along with the normal amounts) so that you could easily expand (or reduce) the portions to fit the numbers of people for whom you were cooking.
Altogether I tried 13 of the recipes, including two for fish and one for meat. Most were for vegetables or side dishes. The instructions were clear and easy to follow. I did make a few substitutions for ingredients (not always successful), and occasionally for cooking utensils (i.e a fish-kettle for the ‘Spring Onion and Ginger Stuffed Steamed Snapper’ instead of a bamboo steamer). I particularly liked the ‘Thinly Sliced Okra with Dried Bonita Shavings’ (never considered eating raw okra before – very nice), the ‘Eggs pickled in Soy Sauce’, ‘Broccoli with Tofu and Yuzu’ (just used ordinary lemon zest instead of yuzu) and ‘Spinach with Walnuts and Miso’. But, my all-time favourite was the ‘Teriyaki Chicken’. The mirin, soya sauce and grated ginger marinade will be used a lot from now on – its is a definite keeper. I cooked the marinated chicken thighs in the oven instead of on top of the stove as suggested, and the result was exceptional (also excellent cold the next day).
Some of the recipes used much more salt than I liked, and some sauces were a bit overpowering – but the fault there is with my taste-buds and not the book.
A very interesting cookbook, with some lovely – unusual for me – recipes, that is well worth reading.
April 6, 2013
Wow... far more than a cookbook... this is a diary, travelogue, love letter... and a work of art. One of the most beautiful books/cookbooks I have ever seen.
August 14, 2012
Wow! Here is one of those books that helps cheer up the sometimes sceptical professional reviewer who sees so many books that are a theme on a theme on a theme on a theme… Beautiful photography, a privileged insight into a still relatively closed culture, many recipes that utilise great ingredients and the chance to attempt to replicate these at home. What more might you want?
Here in this thick book that could double as a sturdy chopping board if it would not be sacrilege, the reader is given a westerner’s view into a rural Japanese family farm, its culture, its foods and much more. The author’s informal, approachable writing style is intermingled with a plethora of useful facts and background information that really does begin to immerse you with knowledge without trying.
For example, the section describing items found in the typical Japanese pantry is written in a matter-of-fact, clear and open style. No magic or hyperbole necessary and the author’s own opinions are cleverly interwoven (guidance is given later on in the book where, in the United States, one might acquire many ingredients). Similar clarity is noticeable when reading about the different tools used in the typical Japanese kitchen. Many books detailing other cultures and cuisines might learn a trick or two here.
Later on, the flood of direct knowledge starts to abate and the actual recipes begin – yet by reading them even if you are not planning to cook each and every one, you will still discover useful things. The recipes are split into several chapters – small bites with drinks; pickles & soups; soybeans & eggs; noodles & rice; vegetables; fish & seafood; meat; dressings & dipping sauces and then desserts & sweets. In all 135 bright, seasonal, traditional, inspirational recipes are provided for your culinary pleasure and production.
What is particularly pleasing to see is just how enthusiastic and proud the author is of her adopted culture (she is, by birth, an American who married a Japanese farmer many years ago). Introductions and explanations to the recipes are not just a few words but more like miniature portraits. Whole information panels just appear, in context, to give even more relevant, contextual background information. The recipes themselves are well laid out, often illustrated, with both English and Japanese titles. The text is carefully written in a ‘matter-of-fact’ style so you start to think how you had got the impression that Japanese food was complicated. Different ingredients, for sure, at times but often the implementation of the recipe is not necessarily more complex than Western food. On the contrary, quite often.
Whilst it would be a great shame, there is so much good information in this book that you could almost forget the recipes and any plan of making Japanese food and just indulge yourself with the cultural, culinary knowledge on offer.
The rear of the book brings matters to a close, with a great glossary of Japanese produce, tables of ingredients sorted by cooking method, a useful resource guide and a wonderfully detailed index. A concise bibliography is also provided for those who welcome further reading suggestions and based on the overall standard of this book you should be reassured about the quality of the author’s reading suggestions.
So, a wonderful, open, accessible, informative, knowledgeable book that can really become an ‘eye-opener’ and a regular kitchen companion.
Japanese Farm Food, written by Nancy Singleton Hachisu and published by Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 9781449418298, 400 pages. Typical price: GBP25. YYYYY.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
Here in this thick book that could double as a sturdy chopping board if it would not be sacrilege, the reader is given a westerner’s view into a rural Japanese family farm, its culture, its foods and much more. The author’s informal, approachable writing style is intermingled with a plethora of useful facts and background information that really does begin to immerse you with knowledge without trying.
For example, the section describing items found in the typical Japanese pantry is written in a matter-of-fact, clear and open style. No magic or hyperbole necessary and the author’s own opinions are cleverly interwoven (guidance is given later on in the book where, in the United States, one might acquire many ingredients). Similar clarity is noticeable when reading about the different tools used in the typical Japanese kitchen. Many books detailing other cultures and cuisines might learn a trick or two here.
Later on, the flood of direct knowledge starts to abate and the actual recipes begin – yet by reading them even if you are not planning to cook each and every one, you will still discover useful things. The recipes are split into several chapters – small bites with drinks; pickles & soups; soybeans & eggs; noodles & rice; vegetables; fish & seafood; meat; dressings & dipping sauces and then desserts & sweets. In all 135 bright, seasonal, traditional, inspirational recipes are provided for your culinary pleasure and production.
What is particularly pleasing to see is just how enthusiastic and proud the author is of her adopted culture (she is, by birth, an American who married a Japanese farmer many years ago). Introductions and explanations to the recipes are not just a few words but more like miniature portraits. Whole information panels just appear, in context, to give even more relevant, contextual background information. The recipes themselves are well laid out, often illustrated, with both English and Japanese titles. The text is carefully written in a ‘matter-of-fact’ style so you start to think how you had got the impression that Japanese food was complicated. Different ingredients, for sure, at times but often the implementation of the recipe is not necessarily more complex than Western food. On the contrary, quite often.
Whilst it would be a great shame, there is so much good information in this book that you could almost forget the recipes and any plan of making Japanese food and just indulge yourself with the cultural, culinary knowledge on offer.
The rear of the book brings matters to a close, with a great glossary of Japanese produce, tables of ingredients sorted by cooking method, a useful resource guide and a wonderfully detailed index. A concise bibliography is also provided for those who welcome further reading suggestions and based on the overall standard of this book you should be reassured about the quality of the author’s reading suggestions.
So, a wonderful, open, accessible, informative, knowledgeable book that can really become an ‘eye-opener’ and a regular kitchen companion.
Japanese Farm Food, written by Nancy Singleton Hachisu and published by Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 9781449418298, 400 pages. Typical price: GBP25. YYYYY.
// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
September 7, 2012
I don't generally read books about food, but the description of this from some forgotten internet review made it seem like something I'd enjoy--life on a Japanese farm. With food. When I read the review, the author was listed just as Nancy Hachisu, so I thought that the author was at least partially Asian, and not fully Caucasian; I don't know if this actually makes a difference, but this book is definitely geared towards a Western/mainland US audience, and I couldn't really "see" through the author's eyes. Nor could I get comfortable with her writing style--some of the anecdotes are filled with pointless information that does nothing to help nor entertain, there are overly florid descriptions of things that I believe are meant to romanticize but made me roll my eyes (I couldn't read a story about her husband's pecans--described as "dusky nuts"--without wincing). Still, I am no expert on Japanese food, so I appreciated the glossary and the descriptions given of key Japanese culinary items, although some ingredients were described thoroughly and others seemed dashed off and left me still in the dark as to what it actually is. The book makes a point that ratios are more important than actual measurements, but the recipes are done with actual measurements, not ratios.
I have yet to try any of the recipes but they look interesting and not entirely bog-standard. They may be good enough for me to change this to a better rated book
I have yet to try any of the recipes but they look interesting and not entirely bog-standard. They may be good enough for me to change this to a better rated book
June 21, 2012
Now that I have to find my own meals, I realised that cooking isn't as easy as it seems. But it's also quite fun. So, when I saw this book on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to find a way to cook more Japanese food.
And wow, I would really buy this book. Next year. When I have a better kitchen (maybe with an oven?) and the ability to get a part-time job because ingredients are expensive (ever since I started buying meat to cook, my grocery bills have shot up).
But nonetheless, I took a lot of notes. I can't afford a lot of the ingredients (I can't even afford good quality basics!), but I'll probably try substituting my own (cheaper) ingredients inside.
This is a very comprehensive book. I'll actually say that with regards to Japanese farm food, this is probably the only book you'll need for a while if you're a beginner. There is a glossary, and introduction (a very helpful introduction to the ingredients) and lots and lots of recipes. The book is divided into ten chapters, with the first chapter about the Japanese Farmhouse Kitchen and nine chapters about the different foods (like "Pickles and Soups", "Fish and Seafood", "Desserts and Sweets" etc). Each section contains quite a fair bit of recipes.
Even if you're not planning to cook many of the recipes, it's still a lot of fun reading this book. She adds in a lot of her personal experience between the chapters, and before each recipe. It sounds as though she's just sharing her experiences instead of writing a cookbook.
But this book does tend to be starry-eyed about organic farm food. And tradition. This is really good, but not very applicable to a student with only one stove (and only an electric stove at that!). I do all my shopping at the local supermarket and I have only seen one "specialty store" (the tofu shop, although I haven't bought from there yet). Basically, there aren't many recipes that I can carry out from the book. I think this book is more applicable to someone with a well-equipped kitchen and the money (and time) to buy good quality ingredients.
In conclusion, if you want to start cooking seriously, this is the book for you. But if you're looking for food on a budget, you'll still want to read this book, but the recipes may be out of your price range... (unless you live very near a farm).
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
First posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile (Book Review Blog) With Love from Japan, Eustacia (my blog on my life in Japan)
And wow, I would really buy this book. Next year. When I have a better kitchen (maybe with an oven?) and the ability to get a part-time job because ingredients are expensive (ever since I started buying meat to cook, my grocery bills have shot up).
But nonetheless, I took a lot of notes. I can't afford a lot of the ingredients (I can't even afford good quality basics!), but I'll probably try substituting my own (cheaper) ingredients inside.
This is a very comprehensive book. I'll actually say that with regards to Japanese farm food, this is probably the only book you'll need for a while if you're a beginner. There is a glossary, and introduction (a very helpful introduction to the ingredients) and lots and lots of recipes. The book is divided into ten chapters, with the first chapter about the Japanese Farmhouse Kitchen and nine chapters about the different foods (like "Pickles and Soups", "Fish and Seafood", "Desserts and Sweets" etc). Each section contains quite a fair bit of recipes.
Even if you're not planning to cook many of the recipes, it's still a lot of fun reading this book. She adds in a lot of her personal experience between the chapters, and before each recipe. It sounds as though she's just sharing her experiences instead of writing a cookbook.
But this book does tend to be starry-eyed about organic farm food. And tradition. This is really good, but not very applicable to a student with only one stove (and only an electric stove at that!). I do all my shopping at the local supermarket and I have only seen one "specialty store" (the tofu shop, although I haven't bought from there yet). Basically, there aren't many recipes that I can carry out from the book. I think this book is more applicable to someone with a well-equipped kitchen and the money (and time) to buy good quality ingredients.
In conclusion, if you want to start cooking seriously, this is the book for you. But if you're looking for food on a budget, you'll still want to read this book, but the recipes may be out of your price range... (unless you live very near a farm).
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
First posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile (Book Review Blog) With Love from Japan, Eustacia (my blog on my life in Japan)
November 8, 2023
I found this fascinating and thought-provoking, but it is not a cookbook: not for me. It reminds me of the cookbook I read last year from an Irish dairy farm wife. The recipes look amazing, and no doubt are, but they rely on hyper-fresh, perfect ingredients, and a cook who is willing to pour their life into fixing them. Also, Hachisu unhelpfully uses most of the ingredients by their Japanese names. She defines them at the beginning and end of the book, but not in the recipes! And many of them sound alike. I like Japanese words, but even I got lost.
I don’t have the right tools to make this food, or a group of bespoke miso brewers and specialty citrus and canola oil growers and indie charcoal burners, or eggs and meat good enough to eat raw, and I am not prepared to start my own farm to grow it all myself. Yes: she sources grilling fuel from an indie charcoal burner. She is not very forgiving of people who make do with store-bought anything, and that’s a weakness, because while she wants to build community, that’s actually not how communities work. Not everyone should be a traditional-methods farmer and cook 5 meals a day for their gaggle of farmhands and students in between trips to Italy for slow food conferences. There should be *some* people who do that sort of thing, and she seems to like that life. It’s good for the rest of us to do the best we can with finite time, energy, and money, and other things to think about.
But do you know what I did find in here? My mom’s citrus vinaigrette. Of all things! Mom made it and put it on her potluck salads for years, and as far as I know still does. I wonder if she came across it when she was in Asia.
As a memoir with gorgeous photography, this is well worth reading. As a cookbook, it actually isn’t one.
I don’t have the right tools to make this food, or a group of bespoke miso brewers and specialty citrus and canola oil growers and indie charcoal burners, or eggs and meat good enough to eat raw, and I am not prepared to start my own farm to grow it all myself. Yes: she sources grilling fuel from an indie charcoal burner. She is not very forgiving of people who make do with store-bought anything, and that’s a weakness, because while she wants to build community, that’s actually not how communities work. Not everyone should be a traditional-methods farmer and cook 5 meals a day for their gaggle of farmhands and students in between trips to Italy for slow food conferences. There should be *some* people who do that sort of thing, and she seems to like that life. It’s good for the rest of us to do the best we can with finite time, energy, and money, and other things to think about.
But do you know what I did find in here? My mom’s citrus vinaigrette. Of all things! Mom made it and put it on her potluck salads for years, and as far as I know still does. I wonder if she came across it when she was in Asia.
As a memoir with gorgeous photography, this is well worth reading. As a cookbook, it actually isn’t one.
October 12, 2020
In addition to various explanations on the reasons that led this American woman to marry a Japanese and move to an organic/organic farm to grow vegetables and raise chickens, there are many stories about Japanese traditions and festivals, and the recipes that accompany them.
Really very interesting as well as romantic.
Oltre a varie spiegazioni sulle ragioni che hanno spinto questa donna americana a sposare un giapponese e a trasferirsi in una fattoria bio/organica a coltivare verdure ed allevare polli, ci sono molti racconti sulle tradizioni e sulle feste giapponesi, e le ricette che li accompagnano.
Veramente molto interessante oltre che romantico.
Really very interesting as well as romantic.
Oltre a varie spiegazioni sulle ragioni che hanno spinto questa donna americana a sposare un giapponese e a trasferirsi in una fattoria bio/organica a coltivare verdure ed allevare polli, ci sono molti racconti sulle tradizioni e sulle feste giapponesi, e le ricette che li accompagnano.
Veramente molto interessante oltre che romantico.
September 13, 2022
2022 bk 276 A very thorough look at the traditional Japanese Farm kitchen. Singleton-Hachisu provides a wealth of knowledge through her words and photographs. If you like to cook Japanese recipes, there are plenty of those with insider tips on how to get the best of your materials. What I found enchanting about the book was the story of how she came to writing the book, from her family story to the tales of the flea markets looking for traditional baskets and utensils. The section on the essential tools of the Japanese kitchen was very enlightening and something not found in other cookbooks. An excellent source.
January 10, 2021
Don't know what I was expecting when I picked this one up. I love watching programs about Japan, being it culinary ones, travel or culture ones. I read about Japan a lot - not only cookbooks. It's my dream to go and visit Japan one day, maybe even live there for a bit. Anyway, back to the topic at hand.
The photos in the book are beautiful, there's no doubt about it. The stories about a daily life on the Japanese farm, hmmm... I can't help but feel that it has been shown to me, the reader, through a pink glasses. The stories are amusing, but for me, personally, they lack something. It reads like a fiction, which is good for the ease of reading, but nothing else really. The tone is often patronizing and the author seems to think that her life is the only right way of living (expensive organic ingredients, which for most people are simply not accessible, international family trips, renovating this and that, calling herself "national treasure" etc).
The recipes itself - I went through the whole book, and didn't stop once thinking -wow, I want to make it, and make it today. There are few I might try, but with so many recipes I want to try, I doubt that those will be made anytime soon. There's probably nothing wrong with the recipes themselves, they're just not... "sparking the joy" for me ;) They're simple, borderline boring.
There are many more Japanese cookbooks out there, so if you have a chance, go and look for others, even if only for comparison to this one.
I think that if you want a good, authentic cookbook about a regional kitchen, look for a book that was written by a native of that region first, before you reach for other authors - in the end, they are the ones who grew up with those flavors, ingredients, dishes, recipes and traditions passed to them from generation to generation.
The photos in the book are beautiful, there's no doubt about it. The stories about a daily life on the Japanese farm, hmmm... I can't help but feel that it has been shown to me, the reader, through a pink glasses. The stories are amusing, but for me, personally, they lack something. It reads like a fiction, which is good for the ease of reading, but nothing else really. The tone is often patronizing and the author seems to think that her life is the only right way of living (expensive organic ingredients, which for most people are simply not accessible, international family trips, renovating this and that, calling herself "national treasure" etc).
The recipes itself - I went through the whole book, and didn't stop once thinking -wow, I want to make it, and make it today. There are few I might try, but with so many recipes I want to try, I doubt that those will be made anytime soon. There's probably nothing wrong with the recipes themselves, they're just not... "sparking the joy" for me ;) They're simple, borderline boring.
There are many more Japanese cookbooks out there, so if you have a chance, go and look for others, even if only for comparison to this one.
I think that if you want a good, authentic cookbook about a regional kitchen, look for a book that was written by a native of that region first, before you reach for other authors - in the end, they are the ones who grew up with those flavors, ingredients, dishes, recipes and traditions passed to them from generation to generation.
September 2, 2018
At the very beginning, I consider this book is for leisure reading. The book content is not only about Japanese food, but also the Japanese life. If you’re looking for a straightforward recipe book, this maybe not the best. On the contrary, the book is on cultural immerse. Read it on a lazy slow day, whether it’s rainy or sunny outside, with a cup of your favorite drink and tune in your fav song. The book is a treasure for those who have longed to know about a Japanese countryside lifestyle, besides flashy Tokyo you have always heard of.
October 25, 2018
Beautiful photos. I did stop reading the blurbs by the author early on. Some of the recipes are repitive, the variations could be noted under a main recipe instead of multiple kinds of the same dish. Not all of the dishes are going to be feasible given my location but there is enough options to try a number of new dishes.
December 21, 2017
Purchased this book in 2013. I used this book as a guide to plan my garden; the resource section is great. I do not regularly reference this book as the techniques are easy to incorporate in to your kitchen routine, which I appreciate. The photography and design is excellent!
December 23, 2012
i really wanted to like this book, but i found it very aspirational / life-style-ish, poorly edited, and worst of all, uninspiring!
November 8, 2018
There are lots of stories stuffed between the basic recipes. Recipes, some of which, are missing steps, as particularly seen in the custard instructions.
August 4, 2022
I am working my way through two Japanese cookbooks right now, both of which are filled with insight and craft (my review of Sonoko Sakai's Japanese Home Cooking: Simple Meals, Authentic Flavors coming soon!).
Nancy Singleton Hachisu's Japanese Farm Food is, as advertised, very much about farm life in Japan and the food that grows there. For that reason, it resonates more as a narrative for me than a cookbook, as many of the ingredients are specific and connected to the life of the farm. She is not as free with the substitutions as Sonoko Sakai, but there are a few (blackstrap molasses for kuromitsu, for example). To call her a purist wouldn't seem totally correct, and that's largely because of the beautiful narrative she constructs about life on the farm and learning how to acculturate in meaningful ways. In truth it is inspiring, if somewhat a bit daunting at times.
In addition to spending massive amounts of time preparing food (most of it grown on the family farm), Hachisu also runs an English-immersion pre-school/kindergarten, adorably called "Sunny-Side Up!" Her anecdotes about the children and the photographs (by Kenji Miura) of their wonderful joy are one of the best parts of the book.
Originally from Northern California (Bay Area), Hachisu describes herself as a "town girl" (182), and one gets the sense that everything is indeed relative. She advocates buying local, and one might find themselves frustrated on that front if "local" isn't Japan. As with most cookbooks, the book suffers a bit from inconsistent cross-referencing and incomplete indexing: If a recipe calls for dashi, it often includes the page reference for making the dashi. However, I'm still waiting for the cookbook that indexes ALL the recipes that use dashi (or any other distinctive ingredient to that cuisine). Sometimes the recipes are helpfully grouped together, as is the case with the kaeshi on p. 310, which is necessary for flavoring the dashi of the following recipe, "noodle dipping sauce." But these are nitpicky quibbles. Many of the recipes, particularly some of the salads and vegetable dishes, are accessible for novices, and require only basic staples such as soy sauce and miso. The majority of the dessert recipes are for ice cream (mostly adapted from Lindsey Shere's Chez Panisse recipes), and you'll want to have an ice cream maker (although the patient internet searcher can likely come up with alternative methods). I am curious to try her method for making anko (the sweetened paste made with azuki beans) since I made Sonoko Sakai's version, which was wonderful, but time-intensive.
One of the most valuable parts of the book--and here I'm considering photocopying the pages and laminating them since I suspect I shall return to them often--are the charts and glossaries in the back. The "Vegetables by method" and "Fish and Seafood by Method" charts motivate the cook to actually understand, not just follow, the recipe. It is also very useful should one have to decide based on what's available/in season.
The whole book is beautifully produced, from the lovely "matte" finish of the photography, the easy-to-read font, and the overall design. Her stories--interspersed and as prefaces to recipes--are wonderful to read, and tinged here and there with the wistful and nostalgic, but also the pragmatic sensibility of living and eating in communion with the earth. As I explore the recipes I may make a substitution here or there that Hachisu might frown upon, but I will at least try to approach my cooking with the reverence and sincerity she seems to bring to her craft.
Nancy Singleton Hachisu's Japanese Farm Food is, as advertised, very much about farm life in Japan and the food that grows there. For that reason, it resonates more as a narrative for me than a cookbook, as many of the ingredients are specific and connected to the life of the farm. She is not as free with the substitutions as Sonoko Sakai, but there are a few (blackstrap molasses for kuromitsu, for example). To call her a purist wouldn't seem totally correct, and that's largely because of the beautiful narrative she constructs about life on the farm and learning how to acculturate in meaningful ways. In truth it is inspiring, if somewhat a bit daunting at times.
In addition to spending massive amounts of time preparing food (most of it grown on the family farm), Hachisu also runs an English-immersion pre-school/kindergarten, adorably called "Sunny-Side Up!" Her anecdotes about the children and the photographs (by Kenji Miura) of their wonderful joy are one of the best parts of the book.
Originally from Northern California (Bay Area), Hachisu describes herself as a "town girl" (182), and one gets the sense that everything is indeed relative. She advocates buying local, and one might find themselves frustrated on that front if "local" isn't Japan. As with most cookbooks, the book suffers a bit from inconsistent cross-referencing and incomplete indexing: If a recipe calls for dashi, it often includes the page reference for making the dashi. However, I'm still waiting for the cookbook that indexes ALL the recipes that use dashi (or any other distinctive ingredient to that cuisine). Sometimes the recipes are helpfully grouped together, as is the case with the kaeshi on p. 310, which is necessary for flavoring the dashi of the following recipe, "noodle dipping sauce." But these are nitpicky quibbles. Many of the recipes, particularly some of the salads and vegetable dishes, are accessible for novices, and require only basic staples such as soy sauce and miso. The majority of the dessert recipes are for ice cream (mostly adapted from Lindsey Shere's Chez Panisse recipes), and you'll want to have an ice cream maker (although the patient internet searcher can likely come up with alternative methods). I am curious to try her method for making anko (the sweetened paste made with azuki beans) since I made Sonoko Sakai's version, which was wonderful, but time-intensive.
One of the most valuable parts of the book--and here I'm considering photocopying the pages and laminating them since I suspect I shall return to them often--are the charts and glossaries in the back. The "Vegetables by method" and "Fish and Seafood by Method" charts motivate the cook to actually understand, not just follow, the recipe. It is also very useful should one have to decide based on what's available/in season.
The whole book is beautifully produced, from the lovely "matte" finish of the photography, the easy-to-read font, and the overall design. Her stories--interspersed and as prefaces to recipes--are wonderful to read, and tinged here and there with the wistful and nostalgic, but also the pragmatic sensibility of living and eating in communion with the earth. As I explore the recipes I may make a substitution here or there that Hachisu might frown upon, but I will at least try to approach my cooking with the reverence and sincerity she seems to bring to her craft.
February 4, 2019
I haven't made any of the recipes (yet), but this is one of those rare cookbooks where I was more interested in the text. It may even be worth buying, says the person who rarely buys cookbooks. The author's background is quite interesting, and I really enjoyed hearing about rural Japanese food and culture from her perspective. A few of her asides gave me pause, but we all have our moments. (I could see some of them as striking a person as pretentious, but I thought many were unintentionally funny- like when she mourns the departure of a good chef to a cafe "that serves uneventful pizza.") Also, I liked many of the recipes for being so simple- it makes a good entry into Japanese cooking, instead of the more intimidating later recipes. I look forward to giving a couple a try.
August 15, 2024
Honestly, I probably will try very few of these recipes but reading about how her husband’s family grew food, processed food, and preserved food was worth the 900 pages of the book for me.
I really appreciate how much she loves and respects vegetables harvested that day and how much she talks about how those flavors really need little enhancement. A lot of the sections of this book reminds me of Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons, which has become the kitchen bible of our house.
I’m sure I will try some of the recipes, but very few, and I am more sure I’ll order seeds from the company she listed in the resource section of the book.
And, thanks to this book, I may grow soybeans next year to see if I can actually make my own tofu. I’m fascinated at the possibility.
I really appreciate how much she loves and respects vegetables harvested that day and how much she talks about how those flavors really need little enhancement. A lot of the sections of this book reminds me of Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons, which has become the kitchen bible of our house.
I’m sure I will try some of the recipes, but very few, and I am more sure I’ll order seeds from the company she listed in the resource section of the book.
And, thanks to this book, I may grow soybeans next year to see if I can actually make my own tofu. I’m fascinated at the possibility.
August 20, 2018
the recipes are excellent. i checked this out to learn some simple vegetable preparations, and i got that in spades. the cucumber and garlic tsukemono recipe made this whole book worthwhile, but the sake steamed broiled salmon was also excellent. the physical book is a very nice object and feels good in the hands. hachisu's commentary is absolutely awful, tho. half the point of her books is to get a feel for life in the japanese countryside, but she's so unrelatable that most of her stories are either pointless or mildly insulting. still 4 stars for how much i enjoyed the recipes. just skim or don't read any of the asides or stories.
May 26, 2025
This cookbook was a visual treat to read and had some very seemingly easy simplistic recipes in it; my gripe would be that the accessibility of sourcing some of the ingredients fresh/local etc. Seem like they would be quite difficult but there’s an incredible heavy emphasis from the author to utilize the ingredients this way.
July 5, 2025
This is one of my favorite go-to cookbooks. Most recipes are so easy and fast, using just a few ingredients. And many are healthier versions with no added sugar or processed ingredients. I’ve earmarked almost every page, remaking the dishes over and over again. Friends who I recommended this book to thank me profusely. So I recommend again here! Happy cooking and happy eating!
July 13, 2025
I noticed that a lot of reviews are critical of Nancy’s tone, describing it as condescending or haughty. I, for one, am a certified Nancy Singleton Hachisu apologist, and I think that’s what makes her sorta charming.
This cookbook is gorgeous, and I find myself reaching for it for ideas for vegetable preparation. The focus is on simple, no-fuss recipes that highlight the seasonality of ingredients, which I think can be applied to not just Japanese produce but any variety as well. I recommend going to your local farm stand, getting what looks best to you, and then using this book for inspiration!
This cookbook is gorgeous, and I find myself reaching for it for ideas for vegetable preparation. The focus is on simple, no-fuss recipes that highlight the seasonality of ingredients, which I think can be applied to not just Japanese produce but any variety as well. I recommend going to your local farm stand, getting what looks best to you, and then using this book for inspiration!
June 3, 2018
I loved this book as an escape back to the years I lived out in Takao, Japan. The pictures are honest and the stories and recipes are her voice and very easy to put together. It was one of my favourite books for a while. I'm a fan of Nancy!
December 12, 2019
This book teaches you a lot of information; starting from the staple kitchen utensils, ingredients, recipes (of course), until the author's experiences related to farming and slow life. A must-have for those who want to learn about the authentic Japanese cuisine.
December 31, 2019
Gorgeous, great recipes, pretty authentic from what I can remember from my own inaka days, and brimming with natsukashii (nostalgic) feelings for furusato farm life. I really appreciated the honesty of the author acknowledging the reality of being a foreigner who has chosen Japan as her home.
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