Gourmet Manga

In a previous post I have written about Japan's most interesting gourmet manga Oishinbo. Now, the SFGate reports, the first few volumes have been translated and are popular in the U.S.:

Oishinbo, or the Gourmet, is considered the comic that defined manga's cooking genre. Created in 1983 by Tetsu Kariya and illustrated by Akira Hanasaki, Oishinbo follows young journalist Shiro Yamaoka on his search for the Ultimate Menu to celebrate his fictional newspaper's 100th anniversary.

The first volume of Oishinbo: a La Carte offers 10 courses or chapters, from "The Secret of Dashi" to "The Principles of Japanese Cuisine." Upcoming volumes include Sake; Ramen and Gyoza; and Fish, Sushi and Sashimi.

This reminds me that last year I have started a small series of posts about such gourmet manga. Besides Oishinbo, I have written about The Solitary Gourmand and Moyashimon. Both are favorites of mine.

The latest issue (No. 59) of Japanese Book News (published by the Japan Foundation) says about Moyashimon:

Since early childhood, Sawaki　Sōemon Tadayasu has had an uncanny　ability to sense the existence of bacteria,　viruses, and other germs and to communicate　with them. This manga series describes　the strange disturbances involving the microorganisms that Sawaki and his unique classmates, older students, and an out-of-touch professor get mixed up in after he embarks on his studies at an agriculture university.

While reading the book, it becomes clear that the real heroes of the story are not the students but the bacteria, yeast,
lactobacilli, viruses, and other germs.

That is the nice thing about manga - you get some information about a new field - here you learn the mysteries of fermentation, including the Japanese terminology (this one has not yet been translated).

And this all reminds me I still have to write about Aji Ichimonme, Ramen Hakkenden, Shota no Sushi and many others... not to forget Natsuko no Sake (see a list of gourmet manga on Japanese Wikipedia).