Dedicated to Shokumin, Rice Noodle Fish ( Harper Wave-Anthony Bourdain Book, October 2015) by Matt Goulding of Roads and Kingdoms takes us on a road trip through Japan's food culture.
Matt thanks 'Shokumin' (craftsmen) of Japan 'for showing the true meaning of devotion' to one's trade.
Among 'greatest food journeys', Matt Goulding suggests 'Yatai in Fukuoka' (photo below) at Number 6, describing Fukuoka as 'last bastion of Japan's yatai culture-a robust world of street food stalls that recalls a day when much of Japan's best food came from wooden stands'.
Rice Noodle Fish is divided in 7 chapters:
- Know before you go
- Operation Izakaya
- The Art of Gift Giving
- The Ramen Matrix
- The Eight Wonders of Japanese Convenience Store
- Amazing Shit in the Middle of Nowhe
- and last, One Night with the Geisha
Actually book concludes with 'The Beauty of Bento' in 5 examples from 'Uni, Ikura, Tamago' at Hakodate Station with 'best eggs of Hokkaido combined in one beautiful bowl' to 'Anago Meshi' from Miyajima Station …Same family has been making this eel dish since 1901.
Many will take 3 steps back at the view 'soft, shiny, with a fermented tang' natto (page 182), think 'Meatballs' (the movie).
For those hitching to visit Japan after reading 'Rice Noodle Fish', a 'Gaijin' glossary will help them get their feet wet. It starts with 'Oishi' (delicious) to 'Goshiso Sama Deshita' (it was quite a feast).
Kitchen gear geeks will rejoice in few pages on 'Knife makers of Sakai' and 'Santoku' knofe breakdown.
Bon voyage!
Trekking around Japan with food on the mind for this Tokyo Thursdays # 306 (appearing on a Saturday)
(* Images reproduced with permission from 'Rice Noodle Fish' by Matt Gouldding-Published by Harper Wave-Antony Bourdain Book, October 2015)