The Book of Sushi

This book is true fun to read. Pictures are spare, elegant, and profuse; for a good ways in the middle of the book, every other page is a full-color photo designed to remind you how various forms of sushi relate to the passing of the seasons.The text is clear - very readable - and the author's love for the history, tradition and eating of sushi shines through. Tips on what to order don't feel like prescriptions so much as suggestions; I especially appreciated the explanation of which types of fish are good during different parts of the year. The book is crammed with practical information like this - Omae points out that maki rolls should be eaten first, not because of some obscure protocol, but because the seaweed-paper wrapper may not hold up as moisture soaks into it. And it may sound obvious in retrospect, but I'd never actually realized that you're not supposed to dip the rice part of nigiri-zushi into the soy sauce; rather, you hold it 'upside down' and just wet the fish.This book will make you want to go out and eat more sushi, and if you're a thoughtful person like me, all that good information will probably enhance the experience. 5 stars!

This is absolutely the best of the 6 Sushi books I have. In fact the simple form of this book contains the whole idea of sushi - keep it simple and yet delicious. There are not many colour illustrations but the plain line drawings tell you exactly what you need to know about preparing fish or making maki rolls. In addition to actual recipes the book has stories about fish markets and sushi bars in Japan. If you want to have a book which you can leave casually on a coffee table do not buy this book but if you want to know about sushi or even want to make sushi yourself this is the only book you'll ever need.

I found this book to be a fine introduction to sushi and sushi making. Not only are the basic techniques of sushi making described, but the authors also include a wealth of information about sushi in general. Topics covered include the history of sushi, the process of obtaining fish for sushi, the etiquette of sushi eating, and much more. For those interested in simliar books, I must recommend Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art. Together these works will give a novice everything they need to know about sushi and the cooking of Japan.

This book gives a very good overview of sushi making. While all of the tools used are not available in the home kitchen, the methods can be used for home sushi. Beautiful photographs, too. I would say this book is a step above entry-level information, but that shouldn't scare the sushi-novice reader. Just buy it...

This book does an excellent job of describing the different "toppings" used in the preparation of sushi. The photos are also excellent. The book details the history briefly. The only drawback for me was the lack of detailed instruction as someone not experienced in the preparation of sushi. I was looking for more explicit instruction and less history, chef training details, etc