Categories: booksFood & Drinks

Sasha Issenberg’s The Sushi Economy

Book Cover

Here’s an interesting book about globalisation – explained through the evolution of sushi (寿司), going from a local delicacy in Japan to become a worldwide dining phenomenon.

A generation ago, sushi had a narrow reach due to the nature of the cuisine which is entirely reliant on the freshness of the fish or seafood. This meant that fish caught locally had to be eaten locally. Sports fishermen who caught tuna in most parts of the world sold the meat for pennies as cat food.

Today, the fatty cuts of tuna known as toro are among the world’s most coveted luxury food, worth hundreds of dollars per kilogram and capable of losing value more quickly than any other product on earth, by the minutes, due to the perishable nature of the gourmet food item.

What made this possible was globalisation and the advent of modern transportation. There are now cargo planes with built-in fridge to specially fly tuna from one end of the world to the other, just to make sure you get your toro sushi served fresh, with tuna caught from the ocean just a day or even hours before.

The Sushi Economy is a riveting combination of culinary biography, behind-the-scene restaurant detail and a unique exploration of globalisation’s dynamics. A must-read for sushi fans. 🙂

Technorati Tags: sasha issenberg, the sushi economy, book review, globalisation and the making of a modern delicacy, globalization and sushi, toro sushi, tuna, culinary biography

alvinology

Alvin is a marketer by day and blogger by night. He is a 100% geek who spends too much time surfing the web.

View Comments

Recent Posts

Leica Unveils SL3-P and Two New Lenses, Expanding Its Most Advanced Full Frame Imaging System Yet

Leica has strengthened its renowned SL-System with the launch of the new Leica SL3-P, its…

5 hours ago

Meta Brings Digital Dialogue IRL to Singapore, Encouraging Families and Teens to Talk About Online Safety

Meta has launched Digital Dialogue IRL, a new interactive public experience in Singapore aimed at…

9 hours ago

Income Insurance Launches EV Drive-In Comedy Festival at Sentosa with Kavin Jay, Hossan Leong and Pam Oei

Electric vehicle owners can look forward to a unique entertainment experience this July as Income…

14 hours ago

Boutiques Singapore Expands Regionally with First Ever Bangkok Edition Showcasing Over 120 Independent Brands

Singapore's renowned independent design platform Boutiques Singapore is set to make its regional debut with…

17 hours ago

&TEAM’s First VR Concert Arrives in Singapore This July at GV Bugis+

Fans of Japanese global group &TEAM can look forward to an immersive new way to…

19 hours ago