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Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions
A celebration of Japan's vegan and vegetarian traditions with 100 vegan recipes.
Kansha is an expression of gratitude for nature’s gifts and the efforts and ingenuity of those who transform nature’s bounty into marvelous food. The spirit of kansha , deeply rooted in Buddhist philosophy and practice, encourages all cooks to prepare nutritionally sound and aesthetically satisfying meals that avoid waste, conserve energy, and preserve our natural resources.
In these pages, with kansha as credo, Japan culinary authority Elizabeth Andoh offers more than 100 carefully crafted vegan recipes. She has culled classics from shōjin ryōri , or Buddhist temple cuisine (Creamy Sesame Pudding, Glazed Eel Look-Alike); gathered essentials of macrobiotic cooking (Toasted Hand-Pressed Brown Rice with Hijiki, Robust Miso); selected dishes rooted in history (Skillet-Scrambled Tofu with Leafy Greens, Pungent Pickles); and included inventive modern fare (Eggplant Sushi, Tōfu-Tōfu Burgers).
Decades of living immersed in Japanese culture and years of culinary training have given Andoh a unique platform from which to teach. She explains basic cutting techniques, cooking methods, and equipment that will help you enhance flavor, eliminate waste, and speed meal preparation. Then she demystifies ingredients that are staples in Japanese pantries that will boost your kitchen repertoire—vegan or omnivore—to new heights.
Kansha is an expression of gratitude for nature’s gifts and the efforts and ingenuity of those who transform nature’s bounty into marvelous food. The spirit of kansha , deeply rooted in Buddhist philosophy and practice, encourages all cooks to prepare nutritionally sound and aesthetically satisfying meals that avoid waste, conserve energy, and preserve our natural resources.
In these pages, with kansha as credo, Japan culinary authority Elizabeth Andoh offers more than 100 carefully crafted vegan recipes. She has culled classics from shōjin ryōri , or Buddhist temple cuisine (Creamy Sesame Pudding, Glazed Eel Look-Alike); gathered essentials of macrobiotic cooking (Toasted Hand-Pressed Brown Rice with Hijiki, Robust Miso); selected dishes rooted in history (Skillet-Scrambled Tofu with Leafy Greens, Pungent Pickles); and included inventive modern fare (Eggplant Sushi, Tōfu-Tōfu Burgers).
Decades of living immersed in Japanese culture and years of culinary training have given Andoh a unique platform from which to teach. She explains basic cutting techniques, cooking methods, and equipment that will help you enhance flavor, eliminate waste, and speed meal preparation. Then she demystifies ingredients that are staples in Japanese pantries that will boost your kitchen repertoire—vegan or omnivore—to new heights.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 19, 2010
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833 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 27, 2011
The principle reasoning of this cookbook I really enjoyed, namely that Kansha is an appreciation of nature and the food it provides and this cookbook is supposed to "encourage all cooks to prepare nutritionally sound and aesthetically satisfying meals that avoid waste (inside front flap, Andoh)," which I think is a great idea. The author gives the example of using an entire daikon radish, from the trimmings and leafy top to the entire part of the root itself. The author is an American who moved to Japan and married there in the 1960s and has lived there ever since. She is totally enamored with Japanese food/tradition and Buddhist philosophy, and therefore knows exactly what she is talking about. However the execution of this knowledge is not that well-done. For example, in the recipes themselves she uses predominantly Japanese terms for ingredients and the glossary/guide to them is in the back of the book not the front, which would make more sense to me and is where most cooks put this type of thing. I did think the photos and layout of the cookbook were gorgeous, however I wasn't that thrilled with the recipes themselves as a whole. The glossary of ingredients in the back was super helpful, especially as included photos of the actual ingredients themselves. My other problem is that I think for a lot of the recipes, you would need to have an excellent Asian market nearby or plenty of money to spend on buying ingredients online. All this review being said, I would be interested to see what other cookbooks she has written.
April 11, 2011
Absolutely the finest cookbook Ive ever read. Granted this may be because I am biased towards Japanese cooking and vegetarian recipes, but Andoh explains pretty much everything in striking detail and boasts wonderful pictures (we all know thats what makes a good cookbook GREAT). But seriously, reading this (and cooking from it in the past months at least once a week) has proven to be itself a cooking class with Andoh. Here's hoping one day I'll be able to take one of hers in Japan...
This book is not for those who like dumb-downed Asian cuisine (hello, people who use ketchup to make pad thai!?!?! seriously?!?!?!) or who want the author to hold their hand the whole way refusing to learn the actual Japanese words for ingredients. If you are not interested in learning about the ins and outs of the Japanese kitchen and things such as pickling, or the spices that make up shichimi togarashi or the importance of picking the right seaweed for your dish, then forget this book. But if you are, you will learn so much from this book and all your friends will say "wow! that is some excellent udon" or "how on earth did you make these heavenly tofu-tofu mushroom burgers!". and then you'll smile and build a shrine to Elizabeth the genius.
If you have any sort of culinary penchant for Japan whatsoever, go buy this book right now.
This book is not for those who like dumb-downed Asian cuisine (hello, people who use ketchup to make pad thai!?!?! seriously?!?!?!) or who want the author to hold their hand the whole way refusing to learn the actual Japanese words for ingredients. If you are not interested in learning about the ins and outs of the Japanese kitchen and things such as pickling, or the spices that make up shichimi togarashi or the importance of picking the right seaweed for your dish, then forget this book. But if you are, you will learn so much from this book and all your friends will say "wow! that is some excellent udon" or "how on earth did you make these heavenly tofu-tofu mushroom burgers!". and then you'll smile and build a shrine to Elizabeth the genius.
If you have any sort of culinary penchant for Japan whatsoever, go buy this book right now.
August 4, 2011
Apparently I need pictures, not words, to sell me on a cookbook. This book had too many words (stories, explanations, etc) and not enough photos for me to get too interested.
February 28, 2018
Beautiful book with so much great information. The recipes are beautiful and delicious. I do wish there was less reliance on "fake meats" but such is life when you are dealing in the vegan realm.
January 17, 2019
Very thorough, lovely recipes, nice concept.
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October 30, 2020I finally decided that I need to learn to cook much loved Japanese food myself. Properly. I knew this book would be a companion on this journey, immersing me in Japanese tradition, culinary terms and cultural principles and concepts. And it certainly does that - it's an anthology, a compendium full of deliciousness and soothing hours soused in senses. It's about how to live, slowly, simply, in beauty and appreciation. However, the huge disappointment is the lack of photographs. I'm sure the publishers and the author must have dwelt on this issue but I cannot fathom why a cookbook, especially one created as an introduction to those not familiar with Japanese cooking, to have no images for references. Apart from the visual delight of finished dishes and their presentations, and pictures showing ingredients foreign (and often not identifiable without pictures) to non-Japanese or non-Asian cooks, photographs of food are inspiring, they are often what make us want to cook, to eat beyond need, to dream, to travel in our kitchens and to access the ways of others. Please Ten Speed Press and Elizabeth Anhoh, the next edition must have more photos! This is a coffee table format, it wants to be looked at, not just read. And I want to feel transported to your kitchen, your bowls and utensils as your voice guides me through this wonderful passage. I need to see if what I produce is anything like it's Japanese origin.
January 22, 2018
Beautiful but challenging recipes. I'd prefer more pictures too since so much is all quite new and rather intimidating. The images that are provided though are very nice, and the whole book is of excellent quality. There are not as many pickle recipes as I would like. Though I am far from cooking my way through the book, the recipes I have already made have come out amazing (Creamy Kabocha Soup mmmm!). Some of the directions seem needlessly complicated, so I have already been making my own omissions and substitutions as well. The last pages are dedicated to helping you find and identify the right ingredients, and it has been invaluable. Who knew there were so many different types of tasty seaweed out there?
December 10, 2017
Andoh's cookbooks are always a feast for the eyes and an excellent lesson in Japanese cuisine. This book is a rare treat in the world of Japanese cookbooks in that there is nary a fish in sight. The majority of these recipes are vegan, with just a few including eggs. Everything about this cookbook is precise and elegant. However, like her other books, this one is not for the weeknight cook; most of the ingredients are are difficult to come by, and the techniques are time-consuming and specialized. Nevertheless, anyone interested in the art of Japanese cuisine would do well to take a look at this book.
April 16, 2020
This is a wonderful cookbook with great recipes. I will be making Heaven-and-Earth Tempura Pancakes and Sparkling Broth for the rest of my life. But even more than that the author’s philosophy on how to approach food made an impact on me. She teaches you how to respect food by using every last scrap. This book isn’t just for people who are vegan or love Japanese food. It’s a book for anyone who cares about cooking.
April 23, 2014
Interesting but too...something. I feel indifferent to the book overall.
November 2, 2020
Beautiful book with gorgeous photos. Recipes are pretty simple and super delicious.
January 9, 2021
What a delightful cookbook! i am probably my least experienced when it comes to Japanese cooking, ramen alone seems like an unfathomable treasure, but this book does a great job of taking you through some major categories. And the fact that it is vegetarian is such a solid plus and a lot of traditional Japanese cookbooks orient around meat. Thanks for a great resource!
November 16, 2018
Very nice
More pictures would have been helpful and added to the experience in ways words are inadequate to express they are often even in the way. The recipes are exciting especially the pickles. Many of these will make it into my file box with plenty of my own pictures.
More pictures would have been helpful and added to the experience in ways words are inadequate to express they are often even in the way. The recipes are exciting especially the pickles. Many of these will make it into my file box with plenty of my own pictures.
September 14, 2021
Even better than Washoku! (As a card-carrying plant eater I am unabashedly biased ;P ) If you are looking for a beautifully photographed introduction to plant based Japanese cuisine - perfect for absolute beginners or seasoned chefs looking to expand their repertoire -this is it!
May 27, 2024
Very interesting, but I never got as far as to try any of the recipes. Lots of hard to find ingredients and seemed super complicated. Fortunately there are good Japanese restaurants in my neighborhood!
May 24, 2024
Such a lovely sentiment, I enjoyed the message of this book, even if I didn't find a lot of recipes I was particularly interested in making.
March 5, 2017
loooooveeeeeee itttt...!!! :-)
February 26, 2016
3.5 stars, really.
I liked the concept of this book--traditionally vegan Japanese food? Yes, please! But I feel like this book wasn't really sure who its audience was, so it was a little all over the place.
For example, the author makes a point to use mostly Japanese terms and ingredient names (like, she gives the Japanese names for shredding, mincing, salt, soy sauce, bamboo shoots, etc etc). However, her romaji is weird--I believe it's the Hepburn-Shiki, not the Nihon-Shiki or the Kurei-Shiki. Given that she moved to Japan in the 1960s this makes sense, but I would assume that a proper editor would switch this to one of the newer, more logical (and officially recognized) versions.
Further, the book can't decide if it's a memoir or cookbook or coffee table book. Like, in many ways it reads like it's supposed to be a coffee table book, but it's notably lacking in pictures. Also, there are a lot of anecdotes, but they are worked into the recipes in a strange way.
Also, the book gives "traditional" cooking instructions, like how to grind such and such by hand over a 4 hour period, but given their are factual errors in her transcription and discussion of religion, i don't feel like this book is intended to be a serious study of historical Japanese cooking techniques either.
Finally, she also says Japanese Buddhist food is all vegan, but this is untrue. There is more than one "Japanese Buddhist" tradition in Japan, even among Zen Buddhism form example there are many sects, with different eating habits. I am not sure why she chose not to mention this fact, instead just saying "Buddhism in Japan, Japanese Buddhism, etc) but it actually makes the book seem less credible to me.
So, I can't tell if this book is aimed at cooks, Japanophiles, or people who want to seem "worldly and spiritual and asian" but are actually ignorant, or just people who want to display a pretty book on their coffee table. The truth is, the book doesn't quite hit the mark in *any* of these categories, but still--it's delicious looking food, with very accessible ingredients (if you live in a big city). And I definitely plan of adding it to my collection and enjoying many of the recipes in it.
I liked the concept of this book--traditionally vegan Japanese food? Yes, please! But I feel like this book wasn't really sure who its audience was, so it was a little all over the place.
For example, the author makes a point to use mostly Japanese terms and ingredient names (like, she gives the Japanese names for shredding, mincing, salt, soy sauce, bamboo shoots, etc etc). However, her romaji is weird--I believe it's the Hepburn-Shiki, not the Nihon-Shiki or the Kurei-Shiki. Given that she moved to Japan in the 1960s this makes sense, but I would assume that a proper editor would switch this to one of the newer, more logical (and officially recognized) versions.
Further, the book can't decide if it's a memoir or cookbook or coffee table book. Like, in many ways it reads like it's supposed to be a coffee table book, but it's notably lacking in pictures. Also, there are a lot of anecdotes, but they are worked into the recipes in a strange way.
Also, the book gives "traditional" cooking instructions, like how to grind such and such by hand over a 4 hour period, but given their are factual errors in her transcription and discussion of religion, i don't feel like this book is intended to be a serious study of historical Japanese cooking techniques either.
Finally, she also says Japanese Buddhist food is all vegan, but this is untrue. There is more than one "Japanese Buddhist" tradition in Japan, even among Zen Buddhism form example there are many sects, with different eating habits. I am not sure why she chose not to mention this fact, instead just saying "Buddhism in Japan, Japanese Buddhism, etc) but it actually makes the book seem less credible to me.
So, I can't tell if this book is aimed at cooks, Japanophiles, or people who want to seem "worldly and spiritual and asian" but are actually ignorant, or just people who want to display a pretty book on their coffee table. The truth is, the book doesn't quite hit the mark in *any* of these categories, but still--it's delicious looking food, with very accessible ingredients (if you live in a big city). And I definitely plan of adding it to my collection and enjoying many of the recipes in it.
January 29, 2012
Over the past few years my husband and I have wanted to learn more about Japanese cooking. This was our first real foray into learning something beyond miso soup. I loved this book--as a cookbook I did not read it cover to cover, but the whole introduction, list of ingredients, and cooked various recipes in the book. This style of cooking is very different than I am used to. There is an emphasis on care and thought about how the whole meal will be presented and with balanced color, texture, taste, and flavor. One thing that I really liked was the idea of not wasting anything: save water from rinsing rice for blanching vegetables, save bits and pieces for stock or flavor in other recipes, use the entire vegetable including peel. I made one meal with tofu, eggplant two ways, and rice that pretty much followed all the guidelines for Japanese cooking with kansha (appreciation). It took me hours, so definitely more practice is required.
December 30, 2016
THE Book to learn Traditional Vegan Japanese cooking
This book is a compendium of delicious traditional Japanese recipes and techniques. I have studied and cooked from Elizabeth Andoh's books for close to 30 years. Read so many other books and authors on Japanese cuisine, but always, always return to Elizabeth Andoh's. She teaches you how to prepare this food in the Japanese manner. This is not just a bunch of recipes-it's a master class in Japanese food preparation. Healthy, vibrant food that is natural and delicious. I have read other reviewers disappointment that there are not more photos but I don't think the book at all suffers from it. What is there is very helpful. The author has a website for this book that has plenty of photos, additional recipes, and seasonal information. She also teaches a craftsy master class on Japanese cooking. I could not more highly recommend this book (or her other ones).
This book is a compendium of delicious traditional Japanese recipes and techniques. I have studied and cooked from Elizabeth Andoh's books for close to 30 years. Read so many other books and authors on Japanese cuisine, but always, always return to Elizabeth Andoh's. She teaches you how to prepare this food in the Japanese manner. This is not just a bunch of recipes-it's a master class in Japanese food preparation. Healthy, vibrant food that is natural and delicious. I have read other reviewers disappointment that there are not more photos but I don't think the book at all suffers from it. What is there is very helpful. The author has a website for this book that has plenty of photos, additional recipes, and seasonal information. She also teaches a craftsy master class on Japanese cooking. I could not more highly recommend this book (or her other ones).
January 29, 2015
This beautiful book is based on the Buddhist vegetarian tradition. It isn’t as finicky as you might expect, because it reflects a monastic tradition based on simplicity. Indeed, in certain forms, this tradition is based on cooking ingredients gathered by begging. The visual composition of the book is bright and modern. Highly recommended for vegetarian cooks.
This review was first posted on book coasters
This review was first posted on book coasters
December 12, 2013
This cook book is filled with simple vegan and vegetarian Japanese meals(mostly vegan). The dishes are simple and quick to cook up. It's all about celebrating the flavors of nature and cooking in season. There's no complicated dishes with 100 different ingredients. There's just enough to add flavor with out over powering the dish. The vegetables are the star and the dishes make them shine.
October 11, 2011
Only if you are super hardcore. But if you are, all the information is right here. I recognize that this is a spectacular book, I'm just way too lazy to use any of the ideas in practice.
July 31, 2012
An excellent vegetarian cookbook for Japanese cuisine. Easy to use and filled with beautiful pictures.
March 9, 2013
I'm not sure how to rate cookbooks but I literally want to eat all of the pictures so that's probably a good sign. I'll try a recipe this weekend.
March 10, 2014
Drool worthy. Absolutely gorgeous photography. I'm working on assembling some of the ingredients as they are not standard fare in my area.
June 1, 2016
Pretty fantastic recipes and a neat look at a certain culture of food in Japan.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews