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一華後宮料理帖 [Ikka Koukyuu Ryourichou] (Novel) #1
Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower: Volume 1
Rimi has spent most of her life making food for the protector god of the land. She is suddenly sent as a tribute to the great empire of Konkoku, becoming one of the emperor’s concubines. She comes close to losing the taste of her home country, but she is saved by the gastronomist Shusei. As she dreams of a reunion with the kind scholar, she does her best to survive in the envy-filled rear palace with the help of her natural cheerfulness and her skill as a cook. Then out of nowhere, she is arrested and sentenced to be executed on the charge of disrespecting the emperor! How will Rimi get out of this mess? Find out in this China-inspired fantasy story about a princess and her love for food surrounded by gorgeous men.
174 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2016
28 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 21, 2021
Rimi is a princess, but she's spent most of her life cooking for a local deity's alter. But when her country needs a tribute for the empire, she's sent to be a concubine. Life in the women's quarters is hard for a foreigner, but she finds solace in the foods she was able to bring with. But she's going to have to summon all her cooking skill when the emperor takes offense to the rest of the tribute her nation has sent with her . . .
I read the first volume of this because I was curious how it would compare to The Apothecary Diaries, which has a very similar setting. Ultimately I bounced off this book, which is more of a romance/cooking novel with a light touch of fantasy.
Rimi might be a concubine in name, but the emperor is still fairly young, and has a hatred of women, so she's effectively still unmarried. Which is why she starts falling for one of the court members instead, a man whose interest in food parallels her own. Their romance is obviously forbidden, so neither of them push very hard, but I could see this likely working out in the long run, as the emperor's favor for her isn't translating to a romantic interest.
I had more fun with the mistakes Rimi keeps making with the language, as well as the various bits of culture shock she encounters.
This wasn't bad, but it just felt too bland for me to get very invested in. Rimi is a very simple person, with no really notable life experiences outside her cooking, and even with some of the twists that cropped up I didn't like her any better by the end. I will say the art is beautiful, and I did enjoy the illustrations. Overall, though, I rate this book Neutral.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
I read the first volume of this because I was curious how it would compare to The Apothecary Diaries, which has a very similar setting. Ultimately I bounced off this book, which is more of a romance/cooking novel with a light touch of fantasy.
Rimi might be a concubine in name, but the emperor is still fairly young, and has a hatred of women, so she's effectively still unmarried. Which is why she starts falling for one of the court members instead, a man whose interest in food parallels her own. Their romance is obviously forbidden, so neither of them push very hard, but I could see this likely working out in the long run, as the emperor's favor for her isn't translating to a romantic interest.
I had more fun with the mistakes Rimi keeps making with the language, as well as the various bits of culture shock she encounters.
This wasn't bad, but it just felt too bland for me to get very invested in. Rimi is a very simple person, with no really notable life experiences outside her cooking, and even with some of the twists that cropped up I didn't like her any better by the end. I will say the art is beautiful, and I did enjoy the illustrations. Overall, though, I rate this book Neutral.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
October 30, 2022
Okay, this is Apothecary Diaries + Ratatouille I just super hope there isn't an epilogue in 5 books that makes me regret everything
January 24, 2022
A cute book. The main character is naive and sheltered but also very optimistic. The premise is so similar to a Korean show I loved called Dae Jang Geum or Jewel of the Palace. The girl helps those around her with her cooking while being embroiled in court drama and intrigues. The romantic lead is set up pretty early, but pretty one sided on her part at first.
March 6, 2022
She’s a very bland character, who falls over and cries a lot. She wasn’t engaging enough to make me sympathise with her.
October 3, 2021
Actual rating: 3.5★
Rounded up because the art is pretty, and while it's a bit cliche in many ways, it's only the beginning of what seems to be a promising series. I only picked it up for the culinary aspect, but it offers a lot more court politics than expected. It reminds me a little of The Apothecary Diaries, but with food instead of medicines and poisons.
As of volume 1, our heroine Rimi is a rather bland character due to her personality and upbringing. While she does have a few prominent traits, such as her drive to feed people good food and her questionably insulting Konkokuan, for now it's still heavily overshadowed by various stereotypes and her own nonchalance. Hopefully she'll be developed more in the next installments and have more growth as a character.
Volume 1 focuses on introducing Rimi to life in the rear palace, her meeting with Shusei, as well as the emperor's issue with his half-brother.
Rounded up because the art is pretty, and while it's a bit cliche in many ways, it's only the beginning of what seems to be a promising series. I only picked it up for the culinary aspect, but it offers a lot more court politics than expected. It reminds me a little of The Apothecary Diaries, but with food instead of medicines and poisons.
As of volume 1, our heroine Rimi is a rather bland character due to her personality and upbringing. While she does have a few prominent traits, such as her drive to feed people good food and her questionably insulting Konkokuan, for now it's still heavily overshadowed by various stereotypes and her own nonchalance. Hopefully she'll be developed more in the next installments and have more growth as a character.
Volume 1 focuses on introducing Rimi to life in the rear palace, her meeting with Shusei, as well as the emperor's issue with his half-brother.
December 22, 2019
終於讀完三川みり的新作（雖然說前作的Sugar Apple Fairytale系列我也還沒讀完，這部想找時間補。話說當年中文版到底有沒有出完？還是斷頭了？），這次的作品是中華風奇幻，故事是描述小國和國的公主理美在大國崑國的新皇帝即位後，作為供品被送到進崑國的後宮，不過因為和國很弱小，所以理美無法成為嬪妃，而是成為在後宮中工作的女官。
理美從小因為母親過世，又因為公主過多，而且大部分都已經決定好夫家了，而理美既留著皇家的血，無法隨便下嫁到臣下家，而成為多餘的公主。這樣的理美後來被安排成為烹煮神明食物的美味宮（うましのみや），所以對理美來說，不管到哪裡都希望聽到別人對她說一句：「很好吃」，而那個地方就會變成她的容身之處。
進入後宮的理美，因為兩個語言不同（設定上崑國跟和國的文字相同，但念法是不一樣的），又因為是外國的公主而被後宮的其他人欺負，雖然奇怪的是欺負的方式竟然只有出言諷刺而已，大家人不會太好嗎？還是因為這是少女小說？理美因為在和國與其說是公主，其實根本就只是廚師，所以完全沒有公主的感覺，再加上個性上很沒有緊張感，即使被出言諷刺，她也只是在腦內練習翻譯成和國的語言會變成什麼，或者只是單純感覺新鮮，我個人覺得是很有趣的女主角。
還有理美雖然溝通沒問題，但常常會講出很奇怪的崑國語，這些地方的描寫也很有趣（雖然仔細想想會講這麼難的崑國語應該表示她的崑國語很強才對啊）。另外為了想知道理美的皮膚這麼好的保養方式，本來欺負她的貴妃，開始想跟理美攀交情，理美並沒有像某些女主角馬上善良地原諒對方，而是冷靜地在腦中分析，這樣可以讓自己在後宮中的生活過得比較順暢等等，這點也讓我很喜歡。
不過這本書裡描寫料理的感覺，和我之前很喜歡的友麻碧的作品不太一樣，友麻碧很擅長描寫食物好吃在哪裡，所以讀一讀真的會覺得「感覺好好吃的哦」、「好想吃看看哦」，不過單純以第一集的內容來說，裡面的重點比較偏向：描寫和國（＝日本）食物與崑國食物的差異性。像是本集提到和國有「出汁」這樣的料理方式，和崑國的「湯」是不一樣的東西，崑國的湯是將東西燉煮一段時間之後所煮成的東西，所以在他們的常識中無法理解出汁的存在。
因為我是外國人，所以對於這樣的差異個人是覺得滿有趣的，但還是忍不住想，和國的食物對日本的讀者來說是非常熟悉的東西，難道他們在讀的時候，不會覺得哪裡不夠嗎？
然後是粉紅色，其實第一集的男主角非常明顯是一直幫助理美的食學博士朱西，但是看了最新一集的封面（第十集），皇帝根本就竄位變成男主角了啊wwww 到底為什麼會換男主角呢？老實說這個過程我很在意。
皇帝的話，其實讀一半的時候覺得這傢伙根本超昏庸的啊，但讀一讀發現：不對，他雖然立場是皇帝，但其實就是一個普通的高中男生（設定16歲），不過最後解決了某個事件，變得比較坦率的皇帝，在最後跟理美說，只要她願意每天來見他，那就同意讓理美成為朱西助手的地方老實說有點可愛。而理美非常不擅長應對皇帝，而表露出超直接的態度的地方也滿有趣的，所以比起朱西，我覺個人比較喜歡皇帝啦，看到新的封面感覺可以直接買股票了(?)
--
是說其實我超級無法理解為什麼日本的少女小說這麼愛寫中華後宮的東西，退一步來說中華風我還可以理解，雖然日本人腦子裡的中華風跟台灣人腦子裡的中華風完全是不一樣的東西。但到底為什麼是後宮啊？？？後宮哪裡萌了？我超級無法理解的。不過如果要完全避開的話，大概也沒東西可以讀了吧，真的很希望可以來點別的國家的東西啊。
理美從小因為母親過世，又因為公主過多，而且大部分都已經決定好夫家了，而理美既留著皇家的血，無法隨便下嫁到臣下家，而成為多餘的公主。這樣的理美後來被安排成為烹煮神明食物的美味宮（うましのみや），所以對理美來說，不管到哪裡都希望聽到別人對她說一句：「很好吃」，而那個地方就會變成她的容身之處。
進入後宮的理美，因為兩個語言不同（設定上崑國跟和國的文字相同，但念法是不一樣的），又因為是外國的公主而被後宮的其他人欺負，雖然奇怪的是欺負的方式竟然只有出言諷刺而已，大家人不會太好嗎？還是因為這是少女小說？理美因為在和國與其說是公主，其實根本就只是廚師，所以完全沒有公主的感覺，再加上個性上很沒有緊張感，即使被出言諷刺，她也只是在腦內練習翻譯成和國的語言會變成什麼，或者只是單純感覺新鮮，我個人覺得是很有趣的女主角。
還有理美雖然溝通沒問題，但常常會講出很奇怪的崑國語，這些地方的描寫也很有趣（雖然仔細想想會講這麼難的崑國語應該表示她的崑國語很強才對啊）。另外為了想知道理美的皮膚這麼好的保養方式，本來欺負她的貴妃，開始想跟理美攀交情，理美並沒有像某些女主角馬上善良地原諒對方，而是冷靜地在腦中分析，這樣可以讓自己在後宮中的生活過得比較順暢等等，這點也讓我很喜歡。
不過這本書裡描寫料理的感覺，和我之前很喜歡的友麻碧的作品不太一樣，友麻碧很擅長描寫食物好吃在哪裡，所以讀一讀真的會覺得「感覺好好吃的哦」、「好想吃看看哦」，不過單純以第一集的內容來說，裡面的重點比較偏向：描寫和國（＝日本）食物與崑國食物的差異性。像是本集提到和國有「出汁」這樣的料理方式，和崑國的「湯」是不一樣的東西，崑國的湯是將東西燉煮一段時間之後所煮成的東西，所以在他們的常識中無法理解出汁的存在。
因為我是外國人，所以對於這樣的差異個人是覺得滿有趣的，但還是忍不住想，和國的食物對日本的讀者來說是非常熟悉的東西，難道他們在讀的時候，不會覺得哪裡不夠嗎？
然後是粉紅色，其實第一集的男主角非常明顯是一直幫助理美的食學博士朱西，但是看了最新一集的封面（第十集），皇帝根本就竄位變成男主角了啊wwww 到底為什麼會換男主角呢？老實說這個過程我很在意。
皇帝的話，其實讀一半的時候覺得這傢伙根本超昏庸的啊，但讀一讀發現：不對，他雖然立場是皇帝，但其實就是一個普通的高中男生（設定16歲），不過最後解決了某個事件，變得比較坦率的皇帝，在最後跟理美說，只要她願意每天來見他，那就同意讓理美成為朱西助手的地方老實說有點可愛。而理美非常不擅長應對皇帝，而表露出超直接的態度的地方也滿有趣的，所以比起朱西，我覺個人比較喜歡皇帝啦，看到新的封面感覺可以直接買股票了(?)
--
是說其實我超級無法理解為什麼日本的少女小說這麼愛寫中華後宮的東西，退一步來說中華風我還可以理解，雖然日本人腦子裡的中華風跟台灣人腦子裡的中華風完全是不一樣的東西。但到底為什麼是後宮啊？？？後宮哪裡萌了？我超級無法理解的。不過如果要完全避開的話，大概也沒東西可以讀了吧，真的很希望可以來點別的國家的東西啊。
December 29, 2025
It’s very, very shallow writing, with a poor attempt at creating a rich background. Instead it’s illogical and silly, with characters doing inexplicable things and generally being unlikable. They all end up being rather one dimensional and uninteresting. I can’t even describe how silly her plan to reconcile the two brothers was. Nor how stupid it is that the emperor literally cannot taste the stock from her country simply because of it being more delicate in flavor than the cuisine of this country.
How is this series so long??
How is this series so long??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2022
Overall I like this enough to see how things go for Rimi as she navigates palace life.
November 25, 2023
So many anti-Chinese undertones in this book - unlike Inept Villainess and Apothecary Diaries, there are constant microagressions towards Chinese culture that personally make me uncomfortable.
February 15, 2025
Not particularly enjoyable. Too much focus on unlikeable side characters, and the main heroine is so passive it's infuriating. High unlikely I will continue the series.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews