SUPER SUSHI RAMEN EXPRESS
by Michael Booth
When my husband Dan gave me Super Sushi Ramen Express for Christmas, I looked at him and said, "Didn’t I buy you this book a long time ago?" Neither of us really remembers but now that I've read it, I’m so glad he bought it (again?).
Michael Booth is an Englishman who trained as a chef in Paris and lives there still with his wife and two young sons, working as a food writer. After an intriguing debate with a Japanese colleague, he decided he needed to experience the extreme breadth of Japanese cuisine for himself. So he and his family set off on a two-month adventure covering many of Japan’s major cities and some of the more remote areas as well. Booth planned the trip to sample the best foods, as well as to see how they were made and where they were grown.
Super Sushi contains so many fascinating stories about industries such as the sake industry, as well as traditions like sumo, and how they have both evolved over centuries. Booth also discusses which traditional methods remain important and which need modernizing to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world.
My husband loves Japan and his enthusiasm has encouraged a curiosity in the rest of our family. We hope to take an extended trip with our children in the near future and Super Sushi Ramen Express gave me so many great ideas. But even if you’re not planning a trip I recommend this book for it’s intimate look behind the curtain of some very ancient and secret places. And definitely have your nearest Japanese restaurant on speed-dial, because reading Super Sushi will make you very hungry. (Lily)
