The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice

The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice by Trevor Corson (previously titled, The Zen of Fish: The Story of Sushi, from Samurai to Supermarket), intertwines history with entertainment.Corson focuses on the story of a young woman named Kate, described as a fun down to earth girl who was athletic and one of the guys until she broke a finger in High School. Unable to play sports anymore she became depressed and developed an eating disorder. As her depression and eating habits grew worse a friend recommended Kate try sushi. Hesitant at first Kate tried it and ended up loving it. Seemingly, more than the sushi, Kate enjoyed the attitude of the chefs who were comical and outgoing, reminding her of herself before getting sick.As Kate continued visiting this sushi bar her overall health improved. As she pondered her future, she knew she wanted a career in which she could build friendships with customers, helping them to enjoy life. As if it was fate, Kate saw an ad for the California Sushi Academy. After a year of debating, she walked out on a leap of faith, leaving everything and everyone behind on a quest to be a sushi chef. The California Sushi Academy, California’s first Sushi Academy, consisted of an extensive 12-week training program. Corson explains how this is different from Japan where sushi apprentices spend 5 years or more just learning to make the rice before being allowed to handle anything else.The sushi-related history and culture lessons carefully woven into Kate’s story were very interesting and informative. Corson brought his readers through sushi’s humble beginnings in Japan to its worldwide fame today. Corson did a good job painting a picture allowing his readers to “see” exactly what he was talking about. Scenes displaying Japanese culture like the auctions at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, the history of Japanese knives and even the use of Japanese terms throughout the book tied the culture in nicely.The history of the food itself was also interesting. The precision put into preparing meals requires lots of practice. The process of making certain foods like miso and soy sauce were eye opening and the natural history of the different types of fish and how to catch/farm, cook, and/or present them was informative.Some of the other facts mentioned by Carson that were particularly interesting is that the California Roll was invented due to a Californian sushi chef running out of fatty tuna; the term mack daddy was derived from mackerels, and that the organisms eaten by flamingos are responsible for their color. Overall, the book was interesting and educational. Carson’s choice to focus on Kate, instead of others in the class, was smart because Kate being new to Sushi and Japanese culture, like many of his readers, was a nice relatable gateway to the “story of sushi”.This review was originally written for 27Press.com.

The author has no affiliation with the California Sushi Academy. He paid for all sushi consumed in the course of his researchThis book made me crave sushi for the entire week that I was reading it. I’m a sushi fiend so this isn’t surprising, but it was a little odd when I was reading at 8 AM. This had been on my wish list for a long time.As much as I enjoyed the info that I learned about sushi through Zoran, Kate, Marcos, Toshi and the others, I enjoyed the people. Although this was a work of documentary non-fiction, it read like a novel at times and the central figures were key. Toshi, the pioneer of American sushi; Kate the unsettled student; Zoran the teacher who is disappeared back to Australia midway through the semester; Takumi the former JPop singer. The Academy itself was a bit of a character as well.Luckily for this sushi fiend, little beyond the author’s explanation of mold’s role in miso and sushi rice made me think twice about the food I devour. I fell in love with sushi at the tale end of my first stint in Japan but never really had a huge interest in its creation. I don’t think I’ve made sushi since a friend’s obon party in August… 2002! This book made me curious about some of the behind the scenes and probably made me a more educated consumer at the sushi bar. I learned a lot about the different fish without too much overwhelming detail Disease isn’t the only problem. Humans like to eat yellowtail, but yellowtail also like to eat yellowtail.Of the author’s comments on fish that’s the one I loved the most. I’m picturing carnivorous yellowtail on the sushi bar. I really enjoyed the background on the rice as its status in the US is so different to its standing in Japan.I’m glad to see the Toshi’s California Sushi Academy is still going (despite an awful website) and to “see” Kate and company on Corson’s site.I look forward to reading more of Corson's work.

Reading this book is like watching a documentary/reality show with fish, seafood and struggling sushi chefs involved. The main characters in the book are so real. Day to day people going about their goals of becoming sushi chefs. It is easy to empathize with them and be drawn in. They were not glamorized or made to be superhuman beings. I really like reading about the main character Kate. Although imperfect and not an icon of over-achievement, she does her best in her own way. Zoran, the instructor is also quite fascinating in the book. He is stern but genuinely cares about his students. The other lure to this book is the mountains of factoids about different kinds of fish, marine life, and other edibles from the sea. It was presented not in an encyclopediac manner. It was blended well into the story so you get the information in a very entertaining manner. I highly recommend this book to everyone, whether you are into sushi or not.I cannot wait for Trevor Corson's third book.

I was a little concerned that this book would have an overly American slant, it being mostly set in a sushi school set up in California. However the author has done his research, had lived in Japan and speaks Japanese. The book alternates between telling the story of a class of students learning how to be sushi chefs in America, intertwined with general information about sushi, its history, etiquette and how it came to the US and has been adapted.The writer has a fluent writing style, and there is a lot of background research that he and a team of three helpers have put in, which gives the book plenty of depth with regards to the more technical aspects of sushi and its role in Japan. As someone who has eaten quite a lot of sushi in Japan I certainly found plenty to learn from the book. It is remarkable just how much is involved in such a seemingly simple subject of some vinegared rice and (mostly) raw fish.

At first I found it a little bit hard to get into, but that soon passed.The book is very well written and full of genuinely interesting facts about sushi and the consumption of fish. Overall a very comfortable read.I have learned however which fish not to eat, and which ones to avoid for cruelty and parasites!The thing that tickled me most was the fact that Japanese tourists come to America solely to eat American style sushi, which they adore as it's not available back home!

When this book delves into the history and biology of sushi, it’s good, but the book is unfortunately dominated instead by its framing narrative around a group of aspiring sushi chefs learning the trade in California. Presumably done to add “human interest”, their story is told in a dull and stereotyped way.

Irksome style, though interesting historical and culinary facts do sometimes get through and that side of it is fascinating. Not sure whether the class of sushi-makers the author follows is real or made up, but either way (particularly if fictionalised) they are a bit annoying. Was hoping for something in the vein of Mark Kurlansky, and this was not it.

History and information about sushi culture informative and useful (especially when I was in Japan!) I followed the etiquette as explained here and in the movie Jiro:Dreams of Sushi and was asked if I was a professional chef in restaurants in Japan because I looked like I 'knew sushi'. However the story following the rise and fall of a mediocre sushi school was far from inspiring.