The Sushi Economy

Sasha Issenberg's "The Sushi Economy" is required reading for any fan of raw fish. I'm reminded with every page why picking books at random is such a necessary gamble. Ironically, I dig this book not because it's just sushi porn. In truth, it's fascinating because it demystifies so much about Japan's foremost culinary export, and makes you think about why you actually like the sushi experience so much. Here's a taste of what I'm talking about...

"Sushi draws our attention to a changing landscape of consumption. From the food's 19th century origins - when the acidity of vinegared rice offered a method of preserving fish that could not be eaten right out of the market - restaurants that serve it have always been jewels of civilization, not nature, located according to the vagaries of urban economics, not topography. Sushi has historically found itself, then, wherever human beings have applied their expertise to transform natural resources. Jewelry stores, after all, don't set up near quarries; sellers of fur coats install themselves far from the trapper's stations. From the cozy confines of the sushi bar - where the raw bar's defensive iconography of steam clippers and captain's wheels is thankfully absent - diners are comfortable deputizing their sushi chef to act as middleman between them and nature. The distances that matter in sushi are personal, not geographic... The centers of of the sushi economy in the twenty first century are sites of exchange and connection. Today, the places with the freshest fish - and, often, the telltale aroma that draws attention to such privileged locations - are airport cargo hangars and refrigerated storage facilities located near highway interchanges. No one itches to tie on a lobster bib there."