Giappone. Il ricettario

Phaidon Global Cookbooks

by Nancy Singleton Hachisu

I piatti tipici della cucina giapponese - sushi, ramen e dolci - riscuotono ovunque un grande successo. Finalmente, grazie a questa straordinaria opera dell'acclamata scrittrice Nancy Singleton Hachisu, le specialità regionali e le preparazioni tradizionali dell'intero Arcipelago sono accessibili a tutti coloro che amano cucinare a casa propria. Attraverso le 400 ricette raccolte in questo volume, divise per portata in 15 capitoli, viene esplorata la cultura gastronomica di ogni area del Paese con zuppe, spaghetti, sott'aceto, piatti unici, dessert e molte ricette a base di verdure. E, infine, un capitolo dedicato agli chef annovera menu di famosi cuochi giapponesi che lavorano in tutto il mondo.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Japan, Nonfiction, Reference, Food and Drink

468 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the kind of cookbook I would love to love. I was prepared to love it and buy copies for my kids who don't read Japanese but have Japanese heritage. But... I can't. What kind of cookbook dares call itself Japan: The Cookbook and leaves out (for example): bento, setchi ryori (New Year's Cooking), Yoshoku, Chinese-influenced dishes, and lists NO Japanese sources as references?! In an attempt to cram in recipes, the print is too small and photos are not labeled. The recipes are all duel titled in Japanese and English, but there are mistakes in the Japanese and some of the translations are weak, exposing the lack of a proofreader and lack of a genuine feel for the language. Also, it is unhelpful to the reader who is studying Japanese because vowel sounds are not distinguished as short and long (poor romanization).

What kind of cookbook about Japan that professes to cover various regions does not distinguish between Kanto and Kansai sukiyaki? Or provides a recipe for ozoni (soup at New Year's) without mentioning that each region does it differently?

The author is obviously a cook. She knows plenty about cooking but she should have waited until she's gained the ability to read Japanese cookbooks herself. She says she did NOT learn Japanese cooking from her Japanese mother-in-law, but perhaps she should have. This is not the extent of Japanese home cooking at all.

Continuing on, a recipe for nikujaga that uses pork....should be called butajaga not nikujaga... and... well, I'm stopping now, because I've spent a full ten minutes flipping through it. I may try some of these recipes, but there are better resources out there than this one. It's a disappointing attempt; the publisher would have done better to simply translate one of the many comprehensive Japanese cookbooks out there.

[Paddy Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than just a cookbook, with a history of eating and food prep throughout japans history.

Great photography and descriptions of the meals as I haven’t heard many of their traditional names.

[Dan Acton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a well written but prickly compendium of recipes, not created to be actually used in the kitchen. I enjoyed the author's expertise, but the design and organization prevent it from being a practical cookbook. The user unfriendliness starts with seriously tiny type which is very difficult to follow while you cook. The organization of recipes seems to make sense at first until you try to make something. Recipes are grouped by preparation method, except for zensai (appetizers), noodles and rice dishes. Although a Japanese reader would probably know the difference immediately, I found myself paging through different sections trying to find what I was looking for (the "pickled," "dressed" and "vinegared" sections are in different sections, for example). Organization by main ingredient or seasonality would have made this more useful for people like me who find ingredients in season and then try to find the best way to prepare them.

The index is in even tinier type, and is similarly difficult to navigate with some main ingredients listed but not others, English and Japanese terms listed together, wrong pages listed, etc. I found myself looking up recipe names on the internet just to try and find them in the book in both English and Japanese, not finding them and then just making the internet recipe. Many of the recipes relied on ingredients that are not readily available outside certain regions of Japan. Accurate and valuable as a record of these meals, but frustrating when trying to find something to eat.

I'm interested in checking out the author's other books, which seem to be more about seasonal cooking. I wish the book had been conceived of as a practical (for those outside Japan as well), expansive guide to home cooking, but it doesn't seem like that's what they were going for.

My cooking style: I live in Brooklyn, with pretty good access to what Japanese ingredients are available in the US, and I like to cook common homestyle donburi along with simple seasonal vegetable preparations.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous but intimidating book! Gorgeous for the Japanese-pottery toned pages and the real bamboo cover. Intimidating because Japanese cooking demands precision, and because the author often does not write the English name for ingredients, which forces you to kind of research each recipe if you're not familiar with the food names.

I made about 8 different vegetarian dishes and they were all delicious, and because of this book, I also explored a nearby Japanese supermarket which was very fun.

[emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very impressed with the content of this cookbook. It's not easy to find a decent Japanese cookbook by a non-Japanese publisher. I particularly enjoyed the later half of the book - especially the guest recipes from one of my favourite restaurants ever - 'Koya Bar' 50 Frith Street, LDN (been there countless times, and made so many wonderful memories there). I literally got so mad excited when I saw 'Koya Bar' on the pages of the cookbook.

I've read some reviews from other readers complaining about the lack of 'authenticity'/commitment to traditional Japanese methods/menu. I, on the other hand was not bothered by that. If I wanted a recipe for a fucking onigiri, I'd look it up on Pinterest/CookPad (or ring a mate's mum). I think this book is more suited for someone who is already familiar with Japanese cuisine/food/culture, and not for someone (who most likely has a very fanciful yet rigid idea of what 'Japanese' food/culture is while being far too ignorant) who needs to have their ridiculous expectations met.

Some of the recipes actually reminds me of a lot of my last visit to Kyoto. The weather was wet and cold; and/but the hotel had a cozy restaurant that served an amazing selection of comfort food. I think I must have spent almost 2 hours there everyday - drinking hot tea, having breakfast (always with a bowl of steaming rice, miso soup, pickles, grilled fish, and a miscellany of side dishes), and taking in the views of a Japanese-style garden outside.

The only complaint I have about this cookbook is that a lot of the recipes are not meticulously crafted. For instance, I've been learning how to make 'udon' properly for the past couple of months - so naturally I was a little triggered when I came across the 'udon' recipe in the book. I felt like it was way too simple, and that the author could've expanded/written more about it. But of course that's just my biased opinion. But regardless, this is probably the best book about Japanese food written in English that I've ever stumbled upon. It's a brilliant introduction to Japanese food and then more. I'll just end this review here, so I can go make myself some 'Herring and Chrysanthemum Soup' with a side of 'Eggplant Fritters'.

[Christiaan Laureijs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is amazing and well organized in categories and contains a ton of recepies to explore! Lots of dishes are quick and suprisingly easy to make. However some are quiet challenging. A grading scheme based on difficulty would be nice. A bit more explantion and background would be helpful. Some names/ingredients were not familiar to me and were missing in the index and I had to google them. However, there is enough space to make own notes.

All in all a very nice cookbook that takes attention on the shelf! Also it lays flat when you open on a page which becomes very usful during cooking!

[Nene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le 6 domande che si pone chi recensisce un libro di cucina:
Domanda 1: è utile?
Sì, con 400 ricette "Giappone. Il ricettario" ha chiaramente l'ampia scelta che permette di soddisfare più pasti diversi e variegati, per onnivori, vegetariani e vegani.

Domanda 2: è premuroso?
Forse complice anche la traduzione con errori, i bisogni del lettore sono difficilmente raggiunti. Vi sono moltissimi ingredienti tipici giapponesi senza un corrispettivo domestico, nessun grafico o nota di aiuto, e ricette scritte in carattere molto piccolo che ne rendono difficile la lettura durante la cucina.

Domanda 3: è nuovo?
Essendo non tanto un libro d'autore, ma una raccolta di ricette da una nazione precisa, mi astengo da questa domanda.

Domanda 4: racconta una storia?
Prima di ogni capitolo e prima di ogni ricetta vi è una breve contestualizzazione di essa. Altre recensioni hanno fatto notare errori ed omissioni in queste storie, ma per l'utente medio è sicuramente un viaggio ben costruito.

Domanda 5: è ben progettato?
Il carattere piccolo, le poche foto senza didascalia e la brevità dei passaggi delle ricette non aiutano l'utente medio, ma a fronte di un'attenta lettura e qualche ricerca appropriata -bonus poter scrivere annotazioni sulle pagine, che a me fa particolarmente piacere rendendo il ricettario "vissuto"-, non è propriamente ben progettato ma va studiato per essere utilizzato.
Una cosa che mi ha dato difficoltà nel suo approccio è stata sicuramente la divisione in capitoli delle ricette, per "metodo di cottura" piuttosto che per ingrediente o per stagione, che ne rende ancora più necessario lo studio. Gli indici non aiutano particolarmente.

Domanda 6: è focalizzato?
Sicuramente è focalizzato sul tema, avrebbe potuto aggiungere altre cento ricette volendo, la sezione "dolci" è davvero scarsa, e in generale alcune ricette come gli Udon che richiedono "farina per udon" avrebbero potuto essere aiutate da qualche alternativa in più (banalmente un misto di farina 0 e farina 00)...

3/5

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

For getting a broad and fairly comprehensive view of classic Japanese food, this book seems fitting. For actual cooking, not so much. Almost every recipe requires foods I don’t have and that would be difficult to get. There are no suggestions for substitutes. Silverton does say you can leave things out or substitute if you need to. But unless you have some understanding of what the ingredients are and what you are trying to achieve, this might be difficult to just wing.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An elegant, comprehensive book with 400 recipes. Hachisu spent ten years interviewing grandmothers and others in all regions of Japan to capture recipes handed down over generations. This is the best book I've seen on Japanese Cuisine. Hachisu married and moved to Japan. All of the recipes I tried have been very well constructed and delicious. Good directions.

[Joan Kite · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book I want to buy it. Beautiful to look at. Highly informative. Even though it's $75, this book is a keeper.

[Logolepsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quasi nessuna ricetta è replicabile, ma signori, che viaggio meraviglioso.

[Alexander · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this cookbook for several reasons but first I would like to mention what I did like about it. For starters, the book is nicely divided into different categories of Japanese dishes (zensai, nimono, yakimono, nabemono, etc.) and has a decent amount of recipes for each of the categories. The mix of kanji/kana and western alphabet is fine most of the time (although there are some miss-translation or loose translations). As a bonus, it comes with a small introduction and history of Japanese cuisine starting in prehistoric Japan.

Unfortunately, the book is lacking in many aspects. Japanese cuisine like most other cuisines requires utensils and some techniques to prepare the dishes. However, this book didn't dedicate a section to it and from the recipe you can only guess or deduce the required technique and tools.

As someone who has lived in Japan and tried to make Japanese food with western supermarket items I would have also liked a list of alternative ingredients regarding fishes and vegetables which can be very hard to get.

As for the recipes, I have had 2 main issues with them. First, the recipes are descriptive but don't follow a helpful preparation order. Most of the time, you are better served reading the whole recipe ahead of time and coming up with your own plan to prep the meal. Second, the font is simply too small. If you have this book open on your counter while cooking, it is almost impossible to glance at it and catch up where you left off. I think some bullet points or more paragraphs combined with a bigger font would have been helpful.

Finally, I have some nitpicking to do. While in Japan, I saw that many dishes have regional differences but the book didn't mention those at all. Also, while the book has an index at the back, I am missing a proper table of contents in the front to quickly find dishes based on the aforementioned categories (zensai, nimono, yakimono, nabemono, etc.). Although the book covers all mayor categories, it would have been nice if it also had recipes for some other contemporary Japanese dishes like bentos, onigiris, omurice, hambaga or even takoyaki.

For all these reasons I find it hard to give this book more than 2 stars.

[Douglas Shore · Rating 4 out of 5]

To begin, this book is beautifully designed. Simplistic and bound bamboo.

As for authenticity - I cannot comment; you see, the problem with not knowing traditional Japanese cuisine is that I rely on books to provide me with this information. From some comments, I have been told that there are errors and issues.

Because of this, I can only comment on what I know to be true and from the author's perspective, which at this point it's well thought out and presented in a methodical and easy-to-understand fashion.

The recipes feel authentic or at least borrow from a traditional standpoint and go some way into explaining the methodology and reasons for each dish. what I think must be understood is that Japanese food is so much more than Katsu and Teriaki; it is rich and complex. It is simple and simplistic; it is subtle yet powerful.

In my adventure into the longstanding world of Japanese food, I must say that this book has been a great introduction. but nothing more than that, I still hunt for the all-encompassing guide - if one does, in fact, exist.

[Mara · Rating 2 out of 5]

95% of these recipes you won’t find in a Japanese restaurant. Yup.

Only about 20% of the recipes have pictures. Ew.

It’s basically Japanese country food. Like real deep country. Stuff those 100 year old people are cooking from their isolated gardens.

Also it’s organized by cooking method. The focus should have been by the region since it’s a book about the country. Bizarre.

I must say the limited stuff I’ve made has been really good.

Rolled Crab and Nori Omelette page 46. Oh god when I had it I was obsessed I literally made it for 2 weeks straight.

Unfortunately most of the ingredients require you to be living in japan.

[Aleksa May · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book of Japanese Cuisine. I discovered and learnt so much about preparation and balance of flavours, the simplicity of delicate fresh ingredients, use of vegetables, rice, tofu and soy milk. The chapter on sweets was an eye-opener and everything I have made has been wonderful. The photography and presentation of the food stunning. Nancy Singleton Hachisu writes with deep knowledge and love and respect for Japanese food, drawing on the expertise of Harumi Kawaguchi a Zen Nun and Teiko Watanabe. A delicious book.

[Carolyn Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

fell in love with this book then got the vegetarian version totally worth the read. most of the books ingredients were very unfamiliar to me and/or difficult to find in the US but this helped to push me out of my comfort zone and get creative

[Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing book the sophistication of which is at the reaches of my ability. I particularly liked the section presented by guest chefs. The organization by cooking method was also useful. Goes well beyond your classic American Japanese fare.

[Cyndi]

So many fabulous looking recipes in this book! I wish I had a personal chef to cook them for me!!

[Juli Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal resource.

[BingeReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the carrot cake and stirfry chicken with chives recipes. It has many doable Japanese home-cooking recipes. 👍

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hundreds of recipes and photos in a beautiful book luxurious enough to be a coffee table book. I hope to make some of these recipes soon, but am still working on more basic Japanese dishes.

[The Origami Sheep · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book with a large number of interesting and delicious recipes!

[L]

Recipes Made:

Kyurimomi, pg. 116
Shiso-perfumed Rice, pg. 302