Sushi and sashimi are by now a global sensation and have become perhaps the best known of Japanese foods—but they are also the most widely misunderstood.
Oishii: The History of Sushireveals that sushi began as a fermented food with a sour taste, used as a means to preserve fish. This book, the first history of sushi in English, traces sushi’s development from China to Japan and then internationally, and from street food to high-class cuisine. Included are two dozen historical and original recipes that show the diversity of sushi and how to prepare it. Written by an expert on Japanese food history,
Oishiiis a must read for understanding sushi’s past, its variety and sustainability, and how it became one of the world’s greatest anonymous cuisines.
Eric C. Rathis professor of premodern Japanese history at the University of Kansas. He is the author of
Japan’s Cuisines: Food, Place and Identity, also published by Reaktion Books, and
Food and Fantasy in Early Modern Japan.
"An enticing title for one of the first substantial books written in English on the history of sushi. . . . Oishii is extensively and well researched, using numerous sources from both historical and current data, and brims with fascinating and often amusing anecdotes told in a nonacademic, light writing style. If you crave the lesser-known, intriguing details of sushi's history, then this is a book that will feed your hungry mind."
"Occupying a modest middle ground between cookbook and essay collection Rath's writing is light, unhampered by the weight of academia. He interjects personal asides, recalling tastes and experiences that add sparkle to his chronology of sushi. Ultimately, however, it's the lesser-known sushi knowledge that singles out Oishii as a must-own for hungry minds and sushi fanatics alike."
"Those who wish to explore beyond the tunal“o
![Oishii: The History of Sushi [Hardcover]](/itemImage/2/3/3/3/2_5446931.jpg "Oishii: The History of Sushi [Hardcover]")