annieb123's Review of Vegan Japan

by Julia Boucachard

Warming soups and slurp-able noodles. Refreshing vegetable sides. Indulgent street foods. Adorable bite-size desserts.

Japanese French chef Julia Boucachard grew up devouring all of the above. When she went vegan, she was determined not to give up any of her childhood favourites. In Vegan Japan, she shows that cooking nourishing, flavour-packed plant-based Japanese food doesn’t have to be complicated.

With an emphasis on seasonality, balanced flavors, and simple techniques, this is her plant-based celebration of Japanese cuisine and the myriad vegetables that make their way onto the Japanese plate. Inside, you’ll find:

The classics, including Kabocha Stew, Miso Butter Ramen, Yakisoba, Onigiri, Gyoza, Melon Pan, and many more.
Yoshoku (Western dishes given playful Japanese spins) like Napolitan and Japanese Potato Salad,
Cleverly veganized takes on meat and seafood dishes like Karaage and Maguro Don,
Even-better-homemade condiments and sauces such as Ponzu Sauce, Mentsuyu, and Japanese Mayonnaise,
Plus tempting street foods, wholesome vegetable sides, sweet desserts, and an illustrated guide to must-have Japanese pantry staples.
With beautiful photography and charming illustrations throughout, Vegan Japan is your one-stop ticket to authentic plant-based Japanese home cooking.

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Vegan Japan is a well written and tantalizing collection of plant based recipes with a Japanese flavor profile developed and curated by Julia Boucachard. Released 15th Oct 2024 by The Experiment, it's 160 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a colorful and versatile cookbook which is vegan/vegetarian friendly. The author does a good job of introducing the ingredients and special prep methods as well as giving the recipes a solid Japanese flavor profile and aesthetic.

The introduction includes a primer on pantry staples and ingredients, followed by recipes arranged thematically: basics, main dishes, side dishes, street foods, and desserts. Ingredients are listed in a bullet point sidebar, with descriptions, yields, and step by step instructions. Ingredient measurements are listed in imperial (American) units, with metric measures in parentheses (yay!).

Nearly all the recipes are accompanied by color photos.The styling is appealing and appropriate. Additionally, there are colorful pastel illustrations scattered throughout the book. Graphically it's beautifully done.

Four and a half stars. This would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, or gift giving.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reading updates

29 October, 2024: Started reading

29 October, 2024: Finished reading

29 October, 2024: Reviewed