The ZEN of Fish: The Story of Sushi, from Samurai to Supermarket - Hardcover

Corson, Trevor

3.77

2,577 ratings by Goodreads

9780060883508: The ZEN of Fish: The Story of Sushi, from Samurai to Supermarket

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060883502 ISBN 13: 9780060883508

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2007

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Traces the experiences of several sushi novices, a master Japanese chef, and one of the pioneers who brought sushi to America to chronicle the history of sushi in the West, in a natural and culinary tour that also profiles the biology of sushi animals. 50,000 first printing.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

"Modest, unpretentious, and personal-it offers the familiar comfort of an omakase lunch." -- Entertainment Weekly

Editor's Choice; "An often amusing history." -- New York Times Book Review

Illuminating new book... -- Time Out New York

Illuminating new book...--Time Out New York

"One of the best things you can enjoy without melted butter."--Natural History magazine

"A fascinating story, blending science, politics and history . . . the writing is vivid."--USA Today on The Secret Life of Lobsters

"Trevor Corson's reverence for all things from the sea is palpable. In his new book The Zen of Fish he takes you on a fascinating journey into the world of sushi. The story he relates is rich in detail, thoroughly engaging, simply a pleasure to get lost in."--Eric Ripert, executive chef and co-owner of Le Bernardin, and author of "A Return to Cooking" and "Le Bernardin Cookbook: Four-Star Simplicity."

"Corson serves up a savory blend of history and science along with a satisfying course of lobster and human behavior."--Boston Herald on The Secret Life of Lobsters

"A quirky, humanistic and mostly non-linear approach to the story of sushi. . . . poetic . . . beautiful."--San Francisco Chronicle

"Since sushi has become so popular in America, [Trevor Corson's book] The Zen of Fish is now as relevant to the average American diner as other popular works of food-related journalism like Eric Schlosser's 'Fast Food Nation' or Michael Pollan's 'The Omnivore's Dilemma.'"--Solares Hill Key West

Synopsis:

This book is an in-depth look at the culture of sushi by a Japanese-speaking expert. In the author's own words, "People see sushi chefs working behind the sushi bar and think that's what they do. Customers never see the many hours of prep work that go into getting the sushi bar set up in the first place. Master sushi chefs require knowledge of anatomy and life cycles of the creatures to know what creatures to serve at what time of year and how to break them down from their natural, whole state. All this happens in the kitchen in the afternoon. I take the reader inside that world and show them the skills required. It's much more than just slicing blocks of fish and making rolls and nigiri." The author describes the different types of organisms that compose sushi, their behaviour, biology, evolutionary origins, ecological niches, and nutritional properties. He discusses the seasonal progression of the organisms and explores the techniques by which they're harvested, including what's the best time for harvesting and why.

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