George Webb
Trevor, I noticed you evidently lived in Japan for a while studying Buddhism. I have lived there, too, but for other reasons. Having a knowledge of Japan and their cuisine, it surprises me that you refer to a raw fish dish as "sushi." Where I lived, on Honshu, sushi was more a vegetable dish. If one wanted raw fish, he ordered "sushimi."
Since being back in the U.S. I been to a few "sushi" bars and noticed they also think sushi refers to fish rather than seaweed and various vegetables. In fact, from their menus, they evidently think "sushi" refers to anything raw, vegetables and fish. They seem never to have heard of anything called sushimi.
I could think of no better person than yourself to start educating the American people that raw fish served in the Japanese tradition is called sushimi and not sushi. How about giving it a try?
Monday, July 16, 2007 - 09:45 PM
Trevor Corson
George, thanks for writing, it's a fascinating point you raise. I discuss the distinction between "sushi" and "sashimi" in detail in my book.
As you correctly point out, the word "sushi" has nothing inherently to do with raw fish. The word "sushi" actually refers simply to rice that has been seasoned with vinegar. Any topping can be put on this seasoned rice, whether vegetables or raw fish, and it will be called sushi.
By contrast, the word "sashimi" refers to any raw meat, not just fish, as long as the meat is served alone and not as a topping on sushi rice. Eating sashimi is a separate culinary tradition in Japan from eating sushi. In more recent years, the two have come to be served side by side.
Monday, July 16, 2007 - 09:56 PM
Sushi eater
Trevor- I loved your article in the NYTimes. I do not claim on any level to be a sushi expert, but have superficially dabbled in the experience having visited Japan with locals, and growing up in Sushi-loving culture of the SF bay area. The experience you speak of, however, seems to find a distant cousin in the San Diego area. If you are in the area, you may want to stop in Sushi Station in Solana Beach, CA. The store is packed with a line out the door, and small tables, and a bar. The bar always seems packed and the chef knows the locals by name. Strangely enough, I have also spent some significant amounts of my life in Maine, Asia (Hong Kong) and Washington DC. I will look forward to all your future books, as I presently enjoy the current ones.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - 06:25 AM
sushi and sashimi amateur
i read your NYT op ed and thought it was great. i especially enjoyed the part about fake wasabi and mixing it with soy sauce since some of my "cultured" friends insist on doing that. i've only tried sushi a few times and i was never very impressed, but i'd like to give it another go. can you recommend any restaurants in manhattan? i'd like to get the experience you speak of, sitting at the bar and conversing with the chef about my meal, but i'm a bit intimidated by the thought of walking in and finding a chef who only speaks japanese. any help is appreciated.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - 04:15 PM
Bluefish
My daughter bought me your book for my birthday, because she said I had eaten sushi longer than anyone else she knew (since the mid-'70's, insofar as I recall). I still learned more about sushi from your book than from countless hours sitting at sushi bars, eating it the incorrect way. Congrats on a GREAT book, and also for an excellent article in the NY Times last weekend. Maybe you could do a short story on fugu next?
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - 05:14 PM
Trevor Corson
Dear "sushi and sashimi amateur,"
I'm thrilled you're going to give sushi another go. I try to avoid recommending specific sushi bars, because I believe each person should try a few places in their neighborhood and find a chef that is a good match for him or her personally. Don't go in with the expectation that you're going to have a perfect experience on the first try. Shop around until you find a chef you like talking with; the experience will come with time.
I've been to some very highly recommended places and not enjoyed the experience much because the chef didn't seem interested in talking with me, or he didn't have a sense of humor, or whatever. So I just go somewhere else.
Good luck!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - 09:09 PM
Amy
Dear Trevor,
Thanks for the great read. I heard your interview on WOR-710 (with Michael Colameco) and was interested in learning more. You did excellent research and I gathered a greater understanding about this subject.
Thursday, July 19, 2007 - 02:50 AM
Hi, this is actually a question for Trevor:
I just read your op-ed in the New York Times about sushi culture in America. I absolutely agree that sushi dining is more fun when you engage the chef at the bar and let him decide what's for dinner. Unfortunately, sushi restaurants are a dime a dozen in New York City and I often feel the sushi chefs (who are almost never Japanese) don't know a thing about sushi and don't really care. It's like eating at a fast food joint. My question is: where in NYC can you find a decent, small sushi-ya with an old school chef who will prepare traditional sushi? Thanks.
Saturday, July 21, 2007 - 06:17 PM
Trevor Corson
Dear "jarndtnyc,"
Glad you liked my Op-Ed piece. Because I'm not a restaurant critic, I generally avoid giving recommendations for specific restaurants as a matter of policy. I understand your frustration and would simply encourage you to keep your ear to the ground and peruse reviews of sushi bars in your area of the city. I will say that I don't believe a sushi chef has to be Japanese at all to provide an "authentic" experience for customers at the sushi bar; a few of my most memorable sushi meals have been served to me by a Chinese chef and a Caucasian Australian!
Saturday, July 21, 2007 - 06:24 PM
Anonymous
Trevor,
I really enjoyed " The Secret Life of Lobsters" and now I'm immersed in "The Zen of Fish". I have come to find out that the sushi bar that I have been frequnting for the past year on a weekly basis is THE Classic Japanese Sushi experience, with a charismatic head chef who greets everyone who comes in by name. His name, like the famous chef from New York, is also Masa but he is so charming, with a great sense of humor and his Omakasi is to die for. I learned so much from your book and the whole experience of eating sushi is filled with so much more depth and meaning. I would like to buy Masa your book but he doesn't read English. I was wondering if it has been printed in Japanese text yet and if so where I could get a copy. I look forward to your reply and I am really enjoying the process of reading your book - so much information but with a story line. Hopefully I can talk our book group into reading The Zen of Fish next.
Thanks in advance,
Jerry Allison
Monday, July 23, 2007 - 02:14 AM
Trevor Corson
Jerry, there isn't a Japanese translation yet; stay tuned.
Sounds like you're getting a terrific sushi experience with your local chef. Bravo.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 - 08:25 PM
jaksplat
I just recently finished reading your book, The Zen of Fish. I really enjoyed it because I have been a sushi chef for almost five years. I work at Fuji sushi bar in Tulsa, OK. I learned quite a few things about sushi that I didn't know before. I wasn't that aware of the prejudice against women being sushi chefs, having trained several women over the years. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you how much I liked your book and that I'll be putting a link to your blog on my blog. I've got a few stories to tell that I'll share with you later in your sushi stories section.
Monday, August 13, 2007 - 03:59 PM
Ari Eberlin
Enjoyed your book thoroughly. Discovered it while listening to you on NPR. Thank you for the enlightenment an entertainment.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 07:03 AM
Kerry Elson
I just finished reading "The Zen of Fish," and I thought it was so so so so so good. It was the best book I've read in a very long time. Your writing was so clear and simple and humble.
I really admire your ability to take a mountain of information and condense it into such a great story. And now I am excited to gather my courage and sit at a sushi bar.
I'm writing from Portland, Maine, and I'm disappointed that I missed your recent reading at Longfellow Books, but I hope you will consider coming back!
Thank you again.
Monday, October 1, 2007 - 06:15 PM
Mike Lipsey
I couldn't put the book down. But after finishing it I think I am going to put some kinds of sushi down. I had no idea about the sanitation issues, parasites, cruelty, use of fish scraps, etc. The book could have been called Sushi Confidential. But I do have a new appreciation of the skills and dedication of real sushi chefs. And I think when I do eat sushi, if I ever do again, I will be more willing to go to higher end places and spend more freely.
By the way, your wedsite is the best book website I have ever seen. Lively, interesting, worth several or more visits.
Friday, October 5, 2007 - 12:32 AM
Alicia H.
I just spent the weekend reading The Zen of Fish. I'm 19 and was swooning over the idea of going to the Culinary Institute of America in a few years after I graduate from college, but your book really hit a chord in me and I think that if I can keep the dream alive, I want to go to the California Sushi Academy. I think it was really smart to focus the book around Kate, to show Kate's struggle and success, for women and for Americans. A book about sushi where Japanese men dominate, yet to feature an American woman ... genius. I really relate to Kate, which is why I feel I, too, could succeed at the CSA. Thank you for writing such a great book.
Friday, October 12, 2007 - 04:07 PM
Bertax
Hi Trevor
i'm Robert, an italian sushi lover. I've just started an activity that is quite new for italy, even for a city like Milan. My intention is to make sushy knewed and show that sushi can be done at home in a simple and amazing way.... like a party.
Friday, October 12, 2007 - 05:38 PM
Dick
I was schooled eating sushi with Japanese clasically trained chef's many many years ago.
I do have a comment about live 'tank' sushi and the need for fish to age before consumption. I believe that prohibition that you refer to stems from rigor. When an animal enters rigor it is not as complaint until the rigor ends. Rigor does not start immediately upon death but takes some time to develop. If one kills and eats ones suhsi or sashimi before the onset of rigor, then there is no problem.
I have had small live fish, abalone and various other shellfish this way. Anyway, very good book! -Dick
Tuesday, October 16, 2007 - 09:20 PM
Trevor Corson
Dick, you're quite right, rigor mortis is one of the issues. As I discuss in The Zen of Fish, the other is flavor. I had a very interesting experience recently: I had the opportunity to eat dishes prepared from the same batch of identical fish -- but some of the fish had been dead for a few hours, long enough to pass through rigor mortis and develop flavor, and some of the fish had been killed right before preparation. The fresh-killed fish had noticeably less flavor than the ones that had aged slightly. That's what I expected based on the food science I write about in the book, but it was revealing to experience it first-hand. So I think I'd still prefer to eat fish that hadn't been freshly killed, even if they were so fresh they hadn't gone through rigor mortis.
Thursday, October 18, 2007 - 12:23 AM
Seafood Importer
Thanks for the entertaining and well researched book. I noticed you mentioned Japan has banned CO or tasteless smoke treatment of tuna for health reasons or the potential for masking of quality. The main reason was to protect their fresh and super frozen industry in Japan. After all this treatment of "gassing" tuna was developed by the Japanese, which is still held and collects royalties on their patent (Patent # is 5,484,619 “yamaoka , Adachi Et all, 1996). We import Hamachi and it is CO treated at the farms in Japan. The debate is still out on CO or tasteless smoking seafood (although the beef industry has been doing this for years). If fish is already spoiled, it is impossible to upgrade the quality by CO or wood smoke. What is more important is that after CO/wood smoke, the color will be fixed, so the handling procedures after this step are crucial. It is up to individual importers to monitor their quality. This process should be regulated and not banned as the sushi chef will agree for convenience and presentation we all benefit.
Thursday, October 25, 2007 - 04:25 PM
marusushi
Thank you very much for writing this book. I throughly enjoyed it. I am a Korean-American sushi chef/owner and your book has given me insight on where my producty comes from. It also shows how something as tradional as sushi has evolved in america to become what it is. At my restaurant, sushi and sashimi I try to keep it as tradional as possible. Plating it of course has moderized. But as rolls go, I would say that.. a tradional sushi chef would frown on it.
Friday, November 2, 2007 - 03:18 PM
disappointed
I was given your book from a friend because I had graduated from one of the first CSA classes under the original instructor, Andy Matsuda, who was an atual chef and teacher not a quick band aid the school later started trying to apply to keep their business of cranking students through who could act as their free catering labor.
While your history was well researched and presented I was so disappointed to have to read and endless story about 2 of the main charecters who very little pride in their work or perfession. The two of them are not chefs they are lazy kids with absolutely zero dedication to this business and by highlghting their story you have taken away credibility to those of us who have gone to CSA and have actually worked hard to learn and build our skills. Now coming to the behind the scenes pages just confirmas what I read....sloppy students with cigarettes in a kitchen, throwing gang signs with sushi, sleeping in a fridge with raw product....absolutely pathetic. This is not th way a professional chef conducts themselves, and why portray them n a book? Not sharpening knives, practicing katsura-muki, etc. it's a discrace. I hope that the two of them read this comment and aare made aware of how both of them have no right to serve guests food when they havent studied any of the philosophy of what it means to be a chef. Becoming a sushi chef to meet girls???? This is an absolute waste of time, and is pathetic.....why would you even bother to write about this having obviousley spent a great deal of time in Japan preparing your own language studies and research. I have worked my whole life to become a good chef, to lean how to respect nature and the product, how to best rspect and serve the guest, how to speak good Japanese and understand the culture and now I pick up your book and read about the absolute worst possible opposite to this..... and everyone is okay with that???? Toshi-san should just get rid of these students that don't respect their profession...... but he wont because he's to busy going bankrupt all of the time and needs any money he can get. He's not even a dedicated chef..... you spell that out pretty clearly in your book. He never dedicated himself to training, just to money and trying to prop himself with lame attempts to look like he is part of some celebrity crowd while he dive bombs himself into fiancial ruin all the while using bottom of he barrel product and pushing authentic Japanese cuisine further away from the tru spirit of respecting nature, the season, and the okuyaku-sama.
I had a good experience at CSA but thanks only to Matsuda-sensei who not surprisingly went and opened Sushi Chef Insitute where he could teach students the proper way to conduct themselves as chefs....the kind of crap that the students pull in your book would never fly with him and youve done a great dis-service to everone who has read this book as a result.
Saturday, November 17, 2007 - 01:27 AM
Trevor Corson
Dear "disappointed,"
You make some fair points and I'm glad you took the time to add your reaction to the mix.
The only thing you say that I might quibble with was the quality of the ingredients that Toshi was serving and the effect he had on the cuisine. I went to the fish markets with his purchasers and regularly examined their invoices; even as the restaurant was losing money they continued to select expensive, high-quality fish. I also spoke frequently with the restaurant's business manager, who complained to me that even as the operation was going bankrupt, Toshi insisted on charging too little of his many regular customers for the very good quality ingredients he was serving them. In my estimation, Toshi was simply a flawed person who had a big heart and terrible business acumen. As I write in the book, his generosity and informal approach were not traditional, but as a result of those qualities he was able, based on my interviews and observations, to convince Americans to eat types of sushi that were actually more traditional, not less, and which they probably wouldn't have tried otherwise.
I deliberately decided to focus on the students who struggled the most in the class for a whole host of complicated reasons, some of which I explain a bit in the "Learn about the Research and Writing" section of the "Behind the Scenes" pages on this website. I won't go into all those issues here, but I will say that I felt there was a need to make the book as accessible as possible to average American readers who might not have any initial interest in the finer points of Japanese etiquette, which predisposed me to select characters who were, at the beginning of their careers, just as incompetent as any average American would be when trying to make sushi. And I certainly didn't expect these young novices to carry the weight of the issues close to your heart that you mentioned -- the respect for nature and the culture -- which is why I went to such pains to include material about those things along the way. I also tried to include at least some descriptions of characters who did deeply respect the ingredients and the culture of sushi, such as Zoran and Takumi.
I'm actually thinking of writing something new about more-sophisticated non-Japanese sushi chefs in the U.S. such as yourself, since I agree with you that I wasn't able to write enough about that in the book. I think I may limit it arbitrarily to non-Asian sushi chefs, since I have to narrow the focus somehow; I don't know if you fit into that category, but if you do, I'd be happy to have you e-mail me and tell me more about yourself and your work.
Thanks again,
Trevor
Saturday, November 17, 2007 - 04:09 AM
Anonymous
I just finished reading your book The Zen of Fish and it was one of the most interesting books I have read in a while. Who would have ever thought that Sushi could compel me to wake up each morning, grab a cup of coffee and read your book - so much to the point I was constantly running late for work.
Thursday, November 22, 2007 - 03:49 PM
Appreciative Yonsei
Trevor, I read your book after hearing you on NPR. Being a Japanese American (yonsei or thereabouts) born and raised in L.A., I frequently blurted out an audible "Oh, I get it!" or laughed out loud to such references as "Mutual Trading Co.," "Holiday Bowl," and "Tokyo Kaikan." I gave a copy to my sister for Christmas, and she devoured it (figuartively)! Thanks for the edification about my own cultural/gastronmic roots and for bringing back some great memories.
Friday, December 28, 2007 - 06:17 PM
Graham Arnold
Trevor, I enjoyed your book very much. Thanks for writing it. I am currently writing a short story about a Japanese sushi chef to go in a collection of short stories I'm writing about Japan and have found your book very helpful for my research. But I have one question which I can't seem to find the answer to anywhere. I've heard that traditionally trained sushi chefs in Japan, once finished their apprenticeship, take national sushi exams before they can officially be registered as a sushi chef. If you happen to know the name of these exams could you let me know? Also, any other information that you could pass on about these exams would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Monday, December 31, 2007 - 12:25 AM
Domo
Simply? Incredible. Thank you for changing my life Trevor!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - 05:06 AM
I'm hungry
The book is not quite 'Discovery Channel' or 'The Food Network' but a bit more like 'CSI-Kitchen'. It was an interesting format that recounts the initial experiences of a few individuals who want to become sushi chefs, then mixes this with the science and history of what eventually comes across the counter. I'm looking forward to perhaps 'CSI-French/Italian Cuisine' and 'CSI-Liquor Store' (wine alone may not provide enough diversity or shock value).
I reside in Japan and regularly pop in for dinner at my friendly fish monger's house. I understand why puffer fish was not included (because it takes special training) but never came across a comment as such in the book.
Thanks for the fun read.
Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 08:00 AM
Jessie, Glen Echo Contra Dancer
Trevor, I never knew you wrote the "Secret Life of Lobsters." I wish I could have told you face-to-face, that a radio interview I heard where you told a story of the male lobster mating with the line of female lobsters. The process, and how you portrayed it, was so endearing and heart-warming to me. And I've retold it to others. Best of everything to you in life and NY ... Save me a dance, if you will, if you ever find yourself down in the DC area again.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008 - 05:31 PM
Jen K.
Dear Trevor,
I was at your Mystic Seaport book signing last night. I wanted to thank you for coming to speak. You were very informative and funny! I look forward to reading The Zen of Fish and learning more about sushi because I am a true novice where sushi is concerned. I look forward to hearing more about your work in the future and seeing you on The Iron Chef.
Thanks and I hope to see you speak in CT again!
Jen K.
Friday, February 1, 2008 - 03:57 AM
Emaiko
Irashai-mase Trevor-san!
I am a female sushi chef of 15 years' experience--I was on one of the very first all-female sushi chef crews ever at Sushi Zanmai in Boulder Colorado. I was the first female trained that didn't "look Japanese"--though I am half Japanese and half Norwegian. I know what it is like to handle the true hazing of male chefs, and customers as well. (I saw that you touched on this briefly with Kate's job hunting experiences, and I am glad to hear that there are encouraging environments nowadays for female chefs to train in.) The most common excuses why women can't be "real sushi chefs" include: 1)"their hands are too warm"--a silly myth because women actually have less circulation to their extremities than men (hence the popsicle fingers and toes) 2)"They wear too much makeup"--when the actual male chefs I trained with were lucky if they even remembered to wash their faces; and 3) "they cannot devote themselves to sushi because they have to have babies"...Which is pretty much a chauvanistic slap, really. I enjoyed your book very much--the descriptions and explanations are some that I have told faithful customers over the bar to entertain them and engage them in sushi to a deeper level--I have recently started recommending your book to the most devoted customers as Zen of Fish is a gateway for American customers to truly understand the chemistry, the dedication and the art of sushi. It will be interesting to see if your new book is devoted to only non-Japanese sushi chefs, or really just "renegade" chefs in every sense of the word. I want to know if you are noticing this shift towards "fusion" and its transformative effects (positive and negative) on Sushi?
I am impressed that you take the time to read the comments from your readers and engage their comments on your blog. Cheers and looking forward to your next book--
Friday, February 1, 2008 - 12:07 PM
Ellen Spain
I enjoyed reading your site and book. I am also an author who grew up on Great Duck Island. My parents began the purchase of GDI in 1949. We had a lobster boat and traps. My Dad invented and patented the traps used nowdays (His patent was picked up by present-day business people. My writings, bio, the pirate treasure on GDI, and photographs of Great Duck Island are on my web site at www.EllenSpain.com.
Monday, February 11, 2008 - 04:27 AM
great job, thanks
Dear trevor,
My husband and I have just finished reading your Zen/Secret books while in Costa Rica. We live in Cape Cod, are fishing folks, avid readers. Often we are disappointed in nonfiction, as the details are so vague, and we want info. I cannot begin to tell you how awed we both are by your writing style,the research, detail and docs. in both books. Wonderful/the way you get your characters across thru the building blocks of their experience, objective observation and involvement in their work. You have immense talent. Your eye for detail and the research that follows so smoothly captivated us. I hope you continue for many more great books. All the best in writing and as my husband is a retired giant bluefin tuna fisherman, we truly enjoyed the books. Thank you again,Capt.Rick and Rita Rozen, Scituate, Ma
Friday, February 15, 2008 - 05:57 PM
Anonymous
I am hoping you will write a follow up to The Secret Life of Lobsters. I would also love to see pictures of the eggs under a female lobsters tail and all the other things you have written about. You should put more pictures in your next book :-)
Saturday, March 1, 2008 - 10:43 PM
Andrew
Trevor, just heard your interview on Here on Earth (Wis Public Radio) and it was a great.
Regarding the just-killed fish issue, I first thought you were nuts in saying that freshest wasn't the best, but then realized you are talking about sashimi rather than cooked fish. Regarding the latter, based on my (and any one else I've spoken to about this) experience with both fresh and salt water fish being pulled from the water and immediately cooked in a pan on the boat, there is NO comparison with any other fish - caught and then taken home to eat that evening, purchased from high end fish markets, or flash frozen - that I've (they've) ever eaten, no matter how often we've eaten fish. The taste, pulled from the water, filleted and then pan fried in 5-10 minutes, is just unbelievable.
I assume that is where this idea about the freshest possible sashimi tasting the best came from. Just a point I thought should be made more clear before inattentive people equate the two different methods of preparing fish as being the same when it comes to what is best.
Saturday, March 15, 2008 - 07:48 AM
Lisa in San Diego
I am glad to see others comment on your decision to focus your attentions on a protagonist (Kate) who has/had little respect for the craft of cooking and/or Japanese cuisine. I admire your tenacity in fleshing out details on this subject; this is a fascinating topic. But the profound unlikeability of this main character has kept me from enjoying your book and recommending it to others. What kind of chef does not care to even sharpen their knives, uses avoidance to defer from tackling difficult tasks, and worse, closes their eyes while cutting into product --- product they repeatedly deem "icky." Wow. Surely you could have found a more respectable protagonist who had some respect and aptitude for his or her craft. Is the school attracting such unskilled and unlikely of candidates?
There are numerous examples of other young chefs, male and female, who approach their craft with passion, maturity and professionalism. I am not surprised to see that Kate has landed at what is "fast food" sushi here in San Diego. I cringed throughout your book reading about behaviors, attitudes, sub-par work ethic, and overall competency issues which portrayed not a character that one can admire, but one that I wouldn't want serving me from behind any sushi counter. I found her entire profile and experience distracting and unappetizing throughout the book. By telling your story through the lens of Kate's "experience" you dish out something that winds up tasting very sour indeed.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 08:17 AM
Trevor Corson
Lisa,
Thank you for sharing your opinion. A few people have reacted as you have; the majority I've heard from have found Kate to be a "root-for" character who clearly is flawed but ultimately redeems herself through perseverance, as you can see from the citizen reviews in the "Acclaim" section of my website and on the book's Amazon page. There were other students in the class who were much more competent and skilled; I decided to focus on Kate exactly because of the difficulties she had, as I explain in my notes on the process of writing the book:
http://www.trevorcorson.com/sushi/writing.html
I, too, became somewhat frustrated with Kate as events unfolded, but I was juggling a number of considerations in deciding how to approach this book, and ultimately I still decided to focus on her. On the whole, I'm pleased with how the book turned out, and with people's response. Since sushi is a foreign cuisine for most Americans, a number of people have told me that they were able to relate to Kate exactly because she was so out of her element in sushi school. I'm sorry you weren't able to see Kate and her classmates in a more sympathetic light. But certainly you are entitled to your view.
Regards,
Trevor
Thursday, March 20, 2008 - 02:56 PM
Jeff
First, thank you for writing this book. I will recommend it to everyone who enjoys a sushi slice.
I picked up the book because I wanted to know more about sushi and wanted to enjoy it more. I used it like an interactive education, I would read a few sections then sit at the sushi bar and ask for whatever I was reading to be put on my plate - as well as whatever was fresh for the day.
Thanks for putting up the updates, I was wondering what everyone looked like and where they are now. I am glad they are such successes.
Now, post-ZenOS, I realize there is a tremendous amount I have to learn about sushi. Thank you for stepping up my sushi game and opening me up to a world I never thought was so big.
yours,
Jeff
Friday, March 21, 2008 - 01:21 AM
tudza
I started eating sushi with my hands because it just made sense to me. Happily this sounds like it is the correct method in most cases.
I told a friend of mine this and he said he swears he saw people eating sushi with chopsticks in a sushi restaurant down at the big fish market it Tokyo.
What could the reason be?
Monday, April 7, 2008 - 12:24 PM
thanks for filling in the gaps
kkkkk
Tuesday, April 8, 2008 - 04:01 PM
A great read
Hi Trevor! Contrary to the readers dissappointment that the story line of your book betrayed the hard-assed, disciplined approach to the subject of sushi/chefs training and the real-life hands-on experience as an aspiring sushi chef I thought Kates struggles clearly reflected this reality in a somewwhat light-hearted and at times comical setting. Zoran on the other hand tried to impart to his students to the best of his ability the importance of being strict towards ones craft and oneself. I have been working as a sushi chef for a little more than 15 years. I run a successful in-home sushi catering operation here in Montreal and I am at times solicited to fill in for restaurants where chefs are lacking. I must say I have never lived a more degrading and more demeaning experience than with Japanese chefs. I also offer a consulting service to help sushi bars get started and off the ground. In fact I will be leaving for Europe shortly to do just that. My point is that as a westerner and unfathomably passionate about this extraordinary culinary art over the years I have taught at the Academie Culinaire here in Montreal for 12 years and at the Institut d Hotellerie du Quebec for 4 and never have I held back any information or knowledge on this subject shrowded in secrecy and mysticism contrary to my Japanese counterparts. I feel schools such as CSA offer westerners an opportunity to learn about sushi that was 20 years ago totally inaccessible. Thank you Trevor for inspiring me and adding to my own personal bastion of knowledge and experience. I feel empowered. Please feel free to visit my wesite at: www.maitrechefsushi.com
Wednesday, April 9, 2008 - 04:57 PM
Brian in Beantown
In American, it has become totally acceptable to refer to sashimi as sushi. Sushi refers to the rice itself, and has already expanded to include other related servings in Japan. So if the Japanese expand the sushi category beyond the meaning of the word, let it rip!
If you are truly a lobster fanatic, you must try sashimi-style lobster! Raw Lobster is wicked good!
Saturday, April 26, 2008 - 08:59 PM
Scot Kelly
Trevor,
Your book was great! I learned more about sushi, sashimi and Japanese cuisine from your book than any other source. I had my first sashimi on Cape Cod where I grew up in the mid-sixties. Back then I called the fresh squid "bait"! I worked in the seafood industry (almost every aspect) growing up and eventually ended up as a line cook for a number of restaurants up and down the East Coast doing mainly French style cuisine with an emphasis on seafood. After retiring from the restaurant industry and moving on to Wall Street, I tried my hand at sushi. It has been the most challenging culinary art that I have experienced. I now have 7 years of experience but still feel like I am a beginner and only occasionally am I pleased with my presentations. I am sure that I will reread your book many times so that I can work on all of the secrets that you have unlocked for me. Thank you for writing such a great, informational and fun book.
Scot Kelly
Chestnut Ridge, NY
Sunday, April 27, 2008 - 03:22 AM
Cheryl - Orange, CA
Trevor -
Awesome book! I thought I knew a fair amount about sushi, having grown up eating it my whole life in a Japanese-American family. What I knew before was just the the tip of the iceberg. The amount of detail in your story is incredible, and the way the book is written makes even the most scientific information sound interesting and lively. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about every aspect of the sushi experience from the book's perspective. I am going to lend my copy the The Zen of Fish to my brother, who I'm sure will find it quite interesting as he knows Toshi and his businesses fairly well. I'm looking forward to picking up a copy of The Secret Life of Lobsters now... Thanks!
Monday, April 28, 2008 - 02:07 PM
Virginia
I had read a review of your book in the NY Times and was interested in it. Finally found a copy at the bookstore next to the Mitsuwa Japanese market in NJ. Just read it and loved it! (Always knew I didn't want to be a sushi chef! Too much gore! :) Kate's lucky she made it through.) One quibble, though. At least on the East Coast in every restaurant I've eaten, the "crab" in a California roll is actually what my current sushi check calls "crab stick" -- that is, fake crab, not the real stuff. I've also heard it called surimi. I'm a stickler for this because I love the real stuff as well as the fake.
Saturday, May 3, 2008 - 05:36 AM
Gregory
Mr. Trevor Corson,
I couldn't put your book down after spotting it at a local library. I love sushi and I love fish (pets). A very magnificent book to read and going to recommend a lot of my colleagues and friends to read your book. The discussion about bacteria and hand-washing was very thorough and accurate.
Hoping Kate has found success as much as the others such as Marcos. Their individual stories were very descriptive and realistically sound; the stories made you feel as if you were attending the sushi academy with them.
Best wishes and hoping to read your other books soon.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 - 06:57 PM
Mark
Mr. Corson,
What a wonderful book, it was hard to put down. Except when I became hungry for sushi. Good luck to you and all of the students you introduced to us.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 01:46 AM
Kristin Wells
I find it amazing that after spending time with lobsters, and understanding their behavioral patterns and unique habits, that you still find it acceptable to throw them into boiling hot pots of water.
Fascinating, really.
Sunday, June 1, 2008 - 01:54 AM
Trevor Corson
Dear Kristin,
Thank you for your comment. Actually, my opinion on the matter is a bit more complicated than that. I do not find it acceptable to boil lobsters alive. That is why I advocate killing them quickly and humanely before putting them in boiling water, as I've documented on my blog:
http://www.trevorcorson.com/old_blog/2005/12/how-to-kill-lobster-dedicated-to-david.html
I've also written about this issue in depth in a recent article in Boston magazine:
Sunday, June 1, 2008 - 06:47 PM
Anonymous
Trevor,
I have read the Zen of Fish, twice, and enjoyed it each time. The one thing not mentioned, however, is how to keep a high carbon steel knife from rusting when preparing lots of sushi/sashimi.
Regards,
fvp
Thursday, July 31, 2008 - 11:41 PM
Robert Okazaki
I just finished your wonderful book, The Zen of Fish!! My 21 year old son has been working at sushi restaurant in Salt Lake City for -16 months. He suggested that I read your book. I enjoyed it immensely- part character development, history of sushi and its creation, and most of all the biological/historical aspects of the ingredients that go into sushi.
I have one comment about the book. On p. 238 is where you discuss the anatomy of the squid. Cephalopods have "arms" and not "legs" since they do not use these appendages for walking but for handling captured prey. Yes, squids/cuttlefish have a pair of extendable appendages, the tentacles.. for actual capturing of prey besides the 8 arms while the octopus has only 8 arms. The nautilus has ~90 tentacles. I am a marine biologist and have taught invertebrate zoology for ~18 years.
I will now have to look for your other book, The Secret Life of Lobsters. I do research on on crabs and so this book will have also be of interest to me!!
Friday, August 29, 2008 - 03:18 PM
davis
Trevor,
I read somewhere that having a good eye for the best quality fish is the most important skill of a sushi chef. Whether this is completely accurate or not, there obviously has to be some truth to this. My question for you is how do sushi chefs in the U.S gain access to the best sushi-grade ingredients.
I read in another book that chefs in Japan will get up at 4 in the morning to visit Tsukiji Fish Market to personally select the choicest fish. Obviously, there is no market like that in the U.S. (well, maybe Fulton) so how do places like Masa or Nobu get prime quality fish??
Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 02:42 AM
Trevor Corson
Davis: Good question. When I was researching my book in L.A., the chefs I was following around there went to several fish markets downtown early in the morning at least once a week, and I describe all that in the book, it was quite interesting to see. But in locations without such markets, sushi chefs often get their supplies from a trusted dealer who knows their demands and orders fish for them via air freight. So these days, really the main requirement is simply proximity to an international airport. Meanwhile, the highest-end sushi restaurants, such as Masa, often hire their own representative at the fish markets in Japan to pick out items for them personally and put them on the plane,. which is one of the reasons these restaurants can be so expensive.
Sunday, November 9, 2008 - 09:34 AM
HF
I just finished reading The Story of Sushi, and I am sorry to put it down. I feel that Kate, Marco, Zoran and Toshi have become personal friends. It is a fascinating story. I'm retired as a marine biology professor, and I wish I had the book when I was teaching. I would have included many of your fish descriptions in my notes. and had a class devoted to making nigiri (whenever practical, my students prepared and ate what they studied). My grand-daughter also has both of your books. She is a sushi fan. She likes the books, too.
Sunday, November 9, 2008 - 11:27 AM
davis
Thanks so much for your reply, Trevor. Curiosity satisfied!
Monday, November 10, 2008 - 04:31 PM
davis
One more thing-
I read your reply to "disappointed.." and I am all for you writing another sushi book! From my perspective as an asian guy, it is fascinating to read what knowledgeable westerners like yourself, Michael Ruhlman and Anthony Bourdain have to say on the topic. I especially enjoy your takes on conservation- it's really made me reconsider what I order at restaurants.
Lastly, some constructive criticism- I believe "disappointed" is right on about his perception of most of the characters in your book. However, I appreciate the fact that you seem to have recorded all your observations faithfully and not embellished their skills or accomplishments. Of course, superficially, it would have made for a more satisfying ending, if Kate had learned something about life, herself and the mastery of sushi, but in the end, I prefer the truth.
Monday, November 10, 2008 - 04:55 PM
Trevor Corson
Davis, thanks for the extra comments, I really appreciate what you had to say. Especially glad to hear your thoughts on conservation.
As for Kate, I guess I felt that she did learn something about herself - simply that she could stick with something to the end, and make it through an ordeal that was way beyond anything she'd thought she was capable of, and actually get a job making sushi. A pretty basic lesson, to be sure, but exactly what she needed at that moment in her life. Ironically, it was the more competent students in the class, the ones who were quite good at making sushi, who didn't really learn anything about themselves in the process, since for them it wasn't the same sort of challenge.
Sometimes I wonder if the reason some people have such strong negative reactions to these bumbling American sushi chef characters I decided to focus on is that it tarnishes people's fantasy of the purity of Japanese tradition. But having lived in Japan for three years myself and gotten on the inside of the culture, I sometimes feel that Western notions about Japanese tradition and its supposed purity are often just stereotypes. So I guess I take a certain delight in throwing a monkey wrench into the mix and complicating the picture. After all, as I white in the book, sushi started out in Japan as a cheap fast food thrown together on the sidewalk by itinerant cooks, a rather low-class affair, and has gone through all sorts of manifestations. Kate and her American classmates are a new phenomenon in the world of sushi, like it or not, and are now part of the story.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 07:32 PM
Jack Draw
I picked up your book randomly at a local public library, mostly because the title "The Zen of Fish" stood out for some reason. The book was a fantastic read and the characters were very endearing. Being a huge fan of sushi, I was surprised that for everything I was doing "right", there was also something I was doing "wrong". All that aside, the book has led me to a deeper appreciation of sushi and all the work that goes behind it. I recommend this book to everyone I know who enjoys eating at sushi restaurants but are too timid to go to the actual bar. Kanpai!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 01:24 PM
Friday, June 1, 2007
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