Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art

Japanese Cuisine

When it was first published, "Japanese Cuisine: A Simple Art" changed the culinary world's perspective on Japanese cuisine, elevating it from an obscure ethnic cuisine to haute cuisine.

Twenty-five years later, much has changed. Japanese food has become popular among guests around the world. Sushi is now as much a part of Western culinary culture as burgers, bagels, and burritos, and some Japanese chefs have become household names. Japanese flavors, ingredients, and textures have been integrated into dishes from a variety of other cuisines. However, what has not changed over the years are the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine. When Shizuo Tsuji, a scholar trained by famous European chefs, originally wrote "Japanese Cuisine: A Simple Art," he was meticulous and precise in his descriptions of the cuisine and its essential philosophies, and so thoughtful in his selection of dishes and recipes that his words – and the dishes they evoke – remain as fresh today as when they were first penned.

The 25th anniversary edition celebrates Tsuji's classic work. Building on the eloquent introduction by M. F. K. Fisher, this volume now includes a thought-provoking new foreword by Gourmet editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl and a new foreword by Tsuji's son and director of the Tsuji Culinary Institute, Yoshiki Tsuji. Beautifully illustrated with eight pages of new color photographs and over 500 drawings, as well as 230 traditional recipes and detailed explanations of ingredients, kitchen utensils, techniques, and cultural aspects of Japanese cuisine, this edition continues Tsuji's legacy of making Japanese cuisine accessible to Western chefs.