Japan is arguably the pre-eminent food nation on earth, a Mecca for the world’s greatest chefs, with more Michelin stars than any other country. The Japanese go to the most extraordinary lengths and expense to eat food that is marked both by its exquisite preparation and its exotic content. Their creativity, dedication, and courage in the face of dishes such as cod sperm, jellyfish, and octopus ice cream, is only now beginning to be fully appreciated in the sushi and ramen-saturated West, as are the remarkable health benefits of the traditional Japanese diet.Food and travel writer Michael Booth sets off to take the culinary pulse of contemporary Japan, learning fascinating tips and recipes that few westerners have been privy to before. Accompanied by two fussy eaters under the age of six, he and his wife travel the length of the country, from bear-infested, beer-loving Hokkaido to snake-infested, seaweed-loving Okinawa. Along the way, they dine with-and score a surprising victory over-sumo wrestlers; meet the indigenous Ainu; drink coffee at the dog café; pamper the world’s most expensive cows with massage and beer; discover the secret of the Okinawan people’s remarkable longevity; share a seaside lunch with free-diving, female abalone hunters; and meet the greatest chefs working in Japan today. Less happily, they trash a Zen garden, witness a mass fugu slaughter, are traumatized by an encounter with giant crabs, and attempt a calamitous cooking demonstration for the lunching ladies of Kyoto.-For readers of Bill Bryson, J. Maarten Troost, and Euny Hong
