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Aesop's fables all have important lessons to learn. The Tortoise and the Hare taught us that slow and steady wins the race. The Boy Who Cried Wolf taught us that if you cry for attention, help may not come when you really need it. The Ant and the Grasshopper taught us that hard work will prepare and protect us during hard times while idleness brings suffering.

Oishinbo is like a collection of modern-day fables, but instead of telling stories about a pair of animals, the stories center on the culinary arts. Some teach the subtleties of cooking, such as the freshness of fish. Others reach further to show us that labels don't matter; it is who we are that determines our worth.
 
In Oishinbo: Fish, Sushi & Sashimi, the Tozai News is attempting to create an Ultimate Menu in celebration of its 100th anniversary. The menu will be a collection of meals that truly embody Japanese culture. Journalist Yamaoka Shiro is generally lazy and unmotivated, but his refined palate and vast knowledge of food makes him an ideal candidate to find the perfect foods for the menu. He also has the guts to say something to a master chef when he doesn't believe a dish is as prime as it could be.
 
Most of the time, Yamaoka is right and teaches the masters a thing or two. Then again, even he occasionally needs to be the one learning a humbling lesson. While the reader learns about cooking techniques, there is always a subtle moral to enlighten them about life, self-confidence, and appreciating the simple pleasures in life. Who knew a little fish could bring so much joy to an old man?
 
Akira Hanasaki's artwork is very much a classical cartoon style, but the food is portrayed with fine detail, allowing the reader to see it all as Yamaoka does. Each story is short and simple, yet every one of them is complete and wholesome with characters coming out better in the end. There is something very satisfying in that. Plus the culinary knowledge gained is nothing to sneeze at. Oishinbo goes beyond the basics, granting insight rarely found in common cookbooks.
 
Oishinbo is a series appropriate for any reader. Whether they are a master chef or a kitchen disaster, anyone can learn from these books. Because each volume is filled with a variety of stories, it is very easy to read at a casual or swift pace. Read it however you like…it is a la carte after all.
 
Bon appetit!

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