Table Of ContentFly to Japan and come discover all there is to
know about sushi. After revealing the secrets
of chocolate to us, Franckie Alarcon offers a
gourmet panorama of this exceptional dish
that has conquered the planet!
But do you really know sushi? The author
traveled to Japan to meet all the players
involved in the making of this true work of
culinary art. From the traditional starred
chef to the young cook who is shaking up
Do you
the rules, including all the artisans and
producers involved, this book covers the
rmeoast lemlbylem aktic nof Jaopawnes e spruoducstsh froim ?
A to Z. Nothing is missing: making soy sauce,
growing the rice used in sushi, making sake,
F
it’s all here! R
A
A fascinating journey of discovery that, along N
C
the way, tells a lot about Japan itself. You’ll K
never believe the precision and detailed IE
obsession with quality ingredients involved. A
L
Recipes included! A
R
C
O
N
GG
RR
AA
PP
graphic novel/cooking/sushi $24.99 HH
ICIC
N N
OO
VV
EE
LL
SS GGRRAAPPHHIICC NNOOVVEELLSS
SCRIPT, ART AND COLOR
FRANCKIE ALARCON
GRAPHIC
NOVELS
Nantier • Beall • Minoustchine
N E W Y O R K
A very, very big thank you to Rica, without whom this book would never have seen the light of day.
To David, with whom it is my great fortune to share a love of sushi and sake.
To Chloé Vollmer-Lo for her magnificent photos that inspired me.
To Marilyne, my first reader and provider of daily moral support throughout the entire process of creating this book, I could not
have finished it without her help, commitment, and kindness.
A very big thank you to:
Yannick Alléno for his expertise and his generosity
Chihiro Masui for her precious advice
Hachiro Mizutani for his kindness and his singular knowledge
“Taku” and Nina Nikhou for welcoming us
Daisuke Okada for an unforgettable lesson and sushi dinner
Yasunari Okazaki for an exceptional culinary experience
Koko Okuda, guide to all the twists and turns of Tsukiji
I will never forget, in Japan and in France:
A meal of sushi and song with Hide and Kana, the gargantuan dinner and the nighttime fishing trip with Kenji and his family,
the ceramics lesson with Shikamaru Takeshita, discovering rice paddies with Mr. Yamazaki, sake tastings with our friend
Hiroyuki Toshikubo, eel fishing and dinner with Yoshiyuki Saita and Mrs. Tanemura, the smells of shoyu at Yohishi Yaguta’s
and of nori at Maruyama’s, the wasabi lesson with Olivier Derenne, our meetings with Mr. Fujita, France Ikejime, Sylvain Huet,
Toshiro Kuroda, Tsunahiro Yamamura, Kayoko Shibata…
Franckie
www.franckiealarcon.com
ISBN 9781681122854
Library of Congress Control Number: 2021944934
Originally published in the French language under the title L’Art du Sushi by Franckie Alarcon
© Editions Delcourt, 2019
© 2021 NBM for the English translation
Translation by Peter Russella
Assistant Editor intern Stephanie Brooks
Lettering by Ortho
Printed in China
1st printing
This title is also available wherever e-books are sold (ISBN 9781681122861)
Also available by Alarcon:
The Secrets of Chocolate: A Gourmand’s Trip Through a Top Chef’s Atelier
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3
SUSHI’S POPULARITY HAS IN 2013, FRANCE, FOR THREE YEARS LATER,
UNDERGONE A RAPID UPSWING INSTANCE, BECAME THE TOP SUSHI HAD BECOME
ACROSS THE GLOBE. CONSUMER IN EUROPE. FRANCE’S SECOND
FAVORITE FISH DISH.
WHAT BROUGHT ABOUT TODAY THERE ARE OVER BUT IT’S IN JAPAN THAT THIS
THE MAJOR CHANGE WAS 200 SUSHI BOOTHS IN EXCEPTIONAL DISH, CRAFTED
PAIRTSIS ,P ARNODLI FITESR APTRIOESNE INNC E FRENCH MARKETS. WITH RESPECT TO TRADITION,
REVEALS ITS SUBTLETY
IN SUPERMARKETS…
IN THE HANDS OF GREAT
SUSHI MASTERS.
HOWEVER, AMATEUR
COOKS GIVE IT A
TRY IN THEIR HOMES
AS WELL…
ALRIGHT,
WHERE DID I
PUT MY MAT
AND NORI?
3
ROASTED
SEAWEED
NORI
FOR SUSHI
TADA!
R OLL
SLICE!
ROLL
ALRIGHT!
HERE
WE GO,
JUST LIKE
THIS…
PERFECT! I’M GOING TO PUT THEM ON FACEBOOK.
MY FRIENDS ARE GOING TO BE SO JEALOUS!
4 5
P
HA HA BEE
HA!
AND… ALREADY?
SENT!
CCLILICCKK C LIC K
CLICK
PEOPLE ARE
LIKING MY
MAKI LIKE
CRAZY!
CHIHIRO: YOUR MAKI ARE WHAT DO YOU
BEAUTIFUL, BUT THEY’RE ROUND. MEAN, MAKI SHOULD
A MAKI SHOULD BE SQUARE. BE SQUARE? IT’S
YOU MUST BE HOLDING YOUR SUPPOSED TO
MAKISU WRONG! BE A ROLL!
SO YOU THINK YOU
COULD TEACH ME HOW HE’S ONE OF THE LAST GREAT
TO MAKE MAKI RIGHT? SUSHI CHEFS IN TOKYO, AND
IF YOU ASK ME, THE BEST:
HACHIRO MIZUTANI!
ME, NO!
BUT I CAN
PUT YOU IN
TOUCH WITH A
MAJOR SUSHI
MASTER IF THAT’S PERFECT! I’M
YOU’D LIKE. GOING TO JAPAN SOON
FOR MY GRAPHIC NOVEL
ON SUSHI!
4 5
A FEW MONTHS LATER, IN TOKYO…
A FORMER FISHING VILLAGE PREVIOUSLY
KNOWN AS EDO; TODAY THE CITY IS ONE OF
THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED IN THE WORLD.
6 7
IT WAS HERE, IN
THE CAPITAL, THAT
MODERN SUSHI
WAS BORN!
BUT BEFORE BECOMING THE SYMBOL OF JAPANESE FOOD
TO THE WORLD, IT UNDERWENT YEARS OF EVOLUTION.
IN THE 8TH CENTURY A TECHNIQUE IN THE 12TH-CENTURY, THROUGHOUT THE 18TH CENTURY,
ORIGINATING FROM CHINA WAS THE METHOD EVOLVES. THE FERMENTATION TIME IS REDUCED
INTRODUCED TO JAPAN: FISH NOW FERMENTATION CAN TO JUST A FEW DAYS. THE RICE
COOKED AND CONSERVED IN LAST A MONTH AND THE AND THE FISH ARE PRESSED IN A
COOKED RICE FOR SEVERAL RICE CAN BE EATEN WOODEN TRAY WITH VINEGAR TO
MONTHS BEFORE BEING EATEN. WITH THE FISH! GET THE FERMENTED TASTE OF
THE RICE IS LATER DISCARDED. YESTERYEAR.
MODERN SUSHI, ALSO CALLED NIGIRI SUSHI, THE LARGER, ORIGINAL SUSHI IS THEN SPLIT IN TWO TO
APPEARED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 19TH- FORM SMALLER BITES WHICH ARE SOLD IN PAIRS. THE
CENTURY IN TOKYO. STREET FOOD FOR LABORERS, INVENTION OF REFRIGERATION ALSO ALLOWS FOR THE
IT IS CRAFTED WITH FRESH FISH, COOKED OR USE OF OTHER RAW FISH WHICH HAD BEEN, UP TO
MARINATED, FROM TOKYO BAY, PLACED THIS POINT, UNEXPLOITED OR UNSUITABLE FOR
UPON A LARGE BALL OF VINEGARED RICE. SERVING (MAINLY BECAUSE OF BACTERIA).
6 7
TODAY SUSHI IS AVAILABLE IN DIFFERENT FORMS.
THE BEST KNOWN, NIGIRI HOSO MAKI MEANS “LITTLE ROLL.” THE FUTO MAKI, ITS BIG
SUSHI, IS THE MAIN IT’S RICE ENVELOPED IN SEAWEED BROTHER, CONTAINS
BENCHMARK FOR EVALUATING NORI WITH ONLY ONE INGREDIENT MULTIPLE INGREDIENTS.
A GREAT JAPANESE TABLE. INSIDE (EITHER FISH OR A
VEGETABLE).
TEMAKI SUSHI IS A CONE NARE SUSHI IS THE GUNKAN MAKI GETS ITS NAME
MADE OF NORI DRESSED CONTEMPORARY VERSION OF FROM ITS ARMORED FORM
WITH RICE AND OTHER THE ORIGINAL FERMENTED (GUNKAN IN JAPANESE). IT
ELEMENTS. IT’S EATEN SUSHI. IT MAKES FOR A BITE HOLDS TOGETHER RICE AND
OFTEN AT HOME WHERE THAT IS STRONG IN TASTE ANOTHER INGREDIENT TOO
EVERYONE CAN PUT IN IT AND IN SMELL, FOR THOSE DIFFICULT TO CONTAIN IN
WHAT THEY WISH. WITH SEASONED PALATES. SUSHI OR MAKI (LIKE FISH
EGGS OR SEA URCHIN).
TEMARI SUSHI BATTERA SUSHI (OR OSHI THE CALIFORNIA ROLL IS
COMES IN THE FORM SUSHI) IS PRESSED (BUT NOT THE MOST WELL-KNOWN
OF A LITTLE BALL. FERMENTED) IN A WOODEN VARIANT OF URAMAKI, OR
MOLD. IT CAN BE MADE UP INVERTED MAKI. THE RICE
OF DIFFERENT LAYERS OF SURROUNDS THE SEAWEED
INGREDIENTS. AND OTHER INGREDIENTS.
THE RICE IS SPRINKLED
WITH SESAME SEEDS.
8
Mizutani
