The Folk Art of Japanese Country Cooking: A Traditional Diet for Today's World [Paperback]

Gaku Homma (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 14, 1993

Those who love Japanese food know there is more to it than sukiyaki, tempura, and sushi. A variety of miso-based soups, one-pot cooking (nabemono), and vegetable side dishes with sweet vinegar dressing (sunomono) are just a few of the traditional dishes that are attracting many interested in Asian cooking. Homma presents an intriguing mixture of Japanese country cooking, folk tradition, and memories of growing up in Japan. Cooking methods include techniques for chopping vegetables, making udon and soba noodles, making tofu and using various tofu products, and making rich soup stocks. This is a book to use and treasure for its traditional Japanese cooking methods.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gaku Homma, founder and chief instructor of Nippon Kan Aikido and Cultural Center in Denver, Colorado, is owner and head chef of Denver's highly acclaimed Domo restaurant. His experiences as Aikido instructor combined with his talents as a chef led to the creation of The Folk Art of Japanese Country Cooking: A Traditional Diet for Today's World.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books (January 14, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556430981
• ISBN-13: 978-1556430985
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.7 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #213,822 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #62 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Asian > Japanese

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Japanese cooking is really all about, May 8, 1998

By 

Panola Man (Bethesda, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Folk Art of Japanese Country Cooking: A Traditional Diet for Today's World (Paperback)

While Tsuji and Andoh have risen far above most other authors of the "Japanese cookbooks" genre, Homma is really at the pinnacle in helping the Westerner understand what Japanese cooking is all about in the cultural context. Whereas most books provide a workable recipe and a useful picture of the presentation, allowing one to do a reasonable job of "cooking a Japanese dish in an American kitchen", this book provides the social and historical context in which the ingredients and the dish exist, so that one understands what one is doing when using a recipe. Not to be found in other books are discussion of breakfast and recipes for it; once you've made and enjoyed okayu you'll do it again and again (and eventually invest in a neuro-fuzzy-logic rice cooker with timer so that the okayu is waiting for you in the morning). The book has many useful illustrations not found elsewhere, such as three ways to set a breakfast tray. Homma's sincere desire to convey the "spirit of Japanese cooking" and the stories he tells add incomparable charm. Highest recommendation

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Simple Every Day Food, December 8, 2002

By 

Ryan (Boise, ID United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Folk Art of Japanese Country Cooking: A Traditional Diet for Today's World (Paperback)

First, this is not your typical cookbook. You will probably first notice that there are no big flashy pictures of perfect looking food. Next you will see that you have to read about 100pages to get to the recipes. But it is well worth it.

The first half of the book deals with the history and ingreadiants of Japanese country cooking. The second half has all the recipes. For some of the ingreadiants you will probably have to try an Asian market, but over all most of the recipes are pretty simple, healthy, and taste great. A lot of these dishes are also not the type of food that you will find at the typical Japanese restrant, they are what you will probably encounter if you are lucky enough to be invited to someone's house for dinner in Japan.

Also nice is that many simple things such as how to cook rice in a pot or cut up a whole fish are covered for us less expert cooks out there.

So if you like more Asian food or just want to try something different I really recommend this book.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Serious history and cooking too., February 28, 2000

By 

"pduvall" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Folk Art of Japanese Country Cooking: A Traditional Diet for Today's World (Paperback)

Although the recipes are interesting and useful, you have to know something of Oriental cooking to use them. This is not a beginners book.

The heart of the book is not the recipes, though. It's the Japanese Cultural history. This is absolutely the best ethnography of rural Japan ever written, in my experience.

If you've ever wondered what life in rural Japan, or, for that matter, any rural subsistance society was like, this is where you'll find out. There is a lot of our own history in this book, if you care to look.