Reading this felt like taking a peaceful walk in nature and then coming home to assemble a delightful meal from foraged ingredients.

It’s unusual to find atmosphere in a food related piece of nonfiction, but I find that the best of the genre manages it, as this book does.

The essay component of the book is a mixed bag. I found most of the entries to be delightful to read, and a few to be a bit bland. The guide to plants and herbs section is worth perusing for reference as well, though it’s the recipes that really sold this one for me.

We absolutely loved the rolled omelet, and I’m working my way through a number of the recipes that appealed to our family. I would caution readers that some of the required ingredients are difficult to find if you’re an American like me, and probably even more difficult if you’re not in a city. As a New Yorker, we have access to a number of groceries and markets that carry Japanese ingredients and I still had to do some substitutions.

Great guide and fun to ready collection of essays, illustrated plant guide, and recips - all around foraging. This would make a perfect gift for anyone interested in food and other cultures.

5 stars - Beautifully compiled essays and useful information about foraging in Japan

Winifred Bird has put together an absolutely wonderful book on the cultural history of foraging food in Japan, completed by a guide to plants, recipes and a very thorough bibliography for anyone interested in further reading.
It is rounded off by absolutely beautiful illustrations by Paul Poynter.

The first half of the book is made up by 5 essays which focus on single plants or plant groups with the greatest historical relevance and impact, like the horse chestnut, bamboo shots or seaweeds. Those chapters are beautifully written and elegantly weave together the tales of her research travels, the cultural history of these foods and further musings on the philosophies of foraging. For anyone who likes foraging this will be a wonderful read, even if you have never been to Japan.

Next is a guide to the many plants mentioned in the previous chapters which provides plenty of useful information like the scientific name of the plant as well as the Japanese name(s) and also advice on how to prepare this plant and what type of recipes it lends itself to. This part will probably only be useful to a limited number of readers but I think it might work well for experienced foragers who will probably have access to several similar plants in their neck of the woods, since the scientific name makes it easy to identfy their international cousins. Bird herself mentions which plants in other parts of the world fall into those categories.

Finally, the last part of the book are the recipes. Since Japanese cooking uses categories of dishes who are all prepared similarly, this is a trove in disguise. The recipe section may look deceptively simple, but it covers all basic preparation methods (dressed foods, simmered dishes, pickles, braises, tempura, rice dishes etc.) with basic recipes and plenty of information which plants or plant types work for which type of preparation. Since Japanese condiments are readily available all over the world, the recipes can be used to prepare local foraged (or bought) food Japanese style.

The whole book speaks loudly of Winifred Bird's love of Japan and nature, her culinary curiosity and is throughly researched. It left me longing to go back to Japan was a joy to read. I am sure I will refer to it time and again to try out some of the recipes!

This was a fascinating look at foraging culture in Japan, and manages to be three books in one - a collection of personal essays, a field guide to identifying wild herbs and vegetables and how not to die eating them, and a small collection of recipes using these wild herbs and veggies. The essays are incredibly well written, especially the footnotes, the field guide is accessible. The odds that you’ll be in Japan and using these to cook is low, but the recipes are still very well done. Definitely pick this up if you get the chance.

Thanks to Netgalley, Winifred Bird, and Stone Bridge Press for the advance digital copy of Eating Wild Japan in exchange for my honest review. It is a wonderful compilation of history, plants and recipes. I'm a longtime gardener, really good home cook, and I love history, so this book hit on all points for me.
With the availability of food TV, Instagram, and apps (all of which I use and enjoy), I do still enjoy real books. This is one I would recommend as a detailed reference to Japanese regions, edible plants and how to cook with them. I especially enjoyed the extensive descriptions of plants, even though most aren't available in my region. Thank goodness for online suppliers, so I can try some of the great recipes.

Do you ever find those specific books you have to have for yourself, annotate all over it, and go back to savor? This is one of those books. It goes beyond enthusiasm for cuisine and delves deeper into the heart of the cuisine and the region. The author goes into extensive detail mixed with personal essays to really capture the environment and experiencing these wild unconventional vegetables firsthand.

Not only was this informative, it was also really fun reading experiences and stories that accompanied recipes! I love foraging and this definitely taught me a lot about it, albeit only being about Japan. It was a bit wordy at times but once you get used to it, you can learn a lot. Recipes, history, anecdotes, poetry, foraging tips, what more could you ask for?

A beautiful look into a rich foraging culture few get to see in our modern age, this book shows the authors journey into foraging in Japan, a deeper examination of the plants themselves, and a brief section of recipes that can be used with the foraged wares.

This investigative and engaging book educates, enthralls and entices the reader to explore what Japan’s rich woodlands have to offer. Separated into three sections, (Essays on Eating Wild, Guide to Plants, and Recipes), Eating Wild Japan is an extensive encyclopedia of Japan’s foraging traditions and those who keep it alive today. Wrapped in beautiful storytelling and paired with delicate illustrations, Bird brings us closer to the wild landscapes and the glorious edible bounty they hold. An absolute must-read for those interested in Japanese fare.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

<b>PROS</B>
-- Well written
-- Author passionate about the subject
-- Informative
-- Entertaining
-- Wonderful poetry
-- Recipes
-- Beautiful illustrations

<b>CONS</b>
-- Very specific to Japan so I am not sure how easy it would be to make a lot of the recipes

**ARC Via NetGalley**

I read this book as an American forager. Our family forages hundreds of pounds of wild foods a year and they make up a big part of our diet. We forage wild asparagus, mushrooms, elderberries, acorns (once processed they make a fantastic flour), ramps, lambs quarters, apples, pears, gooseberries, raspberries, wood sorrel, dandelions and their flowers, nettles and much more. I wouldn't want to live without foraged foods, not just because they're free and incredibly healthy but also because they just taste so much better than most grocery store produce. We also forage for a lot of medicinal plants like plantain, elderberries, mullein, etc.

I was hoping to find a sort of kinship in this book and learn how people on the other side of the world use wild plants in similar and different ways from the ways we do. This book didn't really hit that mark. There's more talk of a few people doing really complicated ways of foraging and processing foods in traditional ways than just modern Japanese people subsisting on the delicious and healthy wild plants that are all around.

At one of our local foraging spots, we frequently run into Hmong families that harvest completely different greens than we do. One morning, my teenage daughter and one such family tried to communicate with each other about what they were each harvesting. For our family, it was spring ramps and nettles (one of the healthiest wild plants in the world, and surprisingly tasty once you blanch them and remove the sting or blend them in smoothies). My husband and daughter didn't recognize the greens they were harvesting but they seemed very enthusiastic about them. I was hoping to learn more about the plants that might be loved in other places and go unappreciated here, or to even learn new ways of enjoying plants that are found in both regions.

This was definitely an interesting book. I was often saddened about how much is being lost in Japan in terms of both nature and traditions (Bird describes massive trees that are being purchased from rural families so companies can use them to make one-slab tables for very rich people from the giant trunks, for instance). It almost seems like a tribute to the past rather than a modern foraging guide for Japan. It is fascinating and well written, but probably not ultimately helpful for those interested in actually foraging either in Japan or elsewhere.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

As a reader, I approached this book with some skepticism, as the author is a Westerner writing about an important aspect of Japanese culture, but I was excited to find many references to other books that are written by Japanese people, which support and expand upon the points she makes. The layout of the book itself is very well organised, beginning with five short stories about different plants and their various uses, and then transferring to more of a strict reference-type format with a plant index and recipe list. The stories made it clear that the author was passionate and well informed on the subject, and the information in these sections was presented in an interesting yet still informative way. Overall, I really appreciated the time that went into learning about the native plants mentioned, as well as all the research she did while traveling to document some of the recipes.

Knowing where our food comes from is important to many people. In Japan many restaurants can tell you where every ingredient is from and some can tell you who harvested that ingredient. This was a lovely further exploration of Japan's food culture. There is so much information to glean here on the people and the foods themselves. It was fascinating and a book I know I will revisit.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me an ARC on NetGalley.

Winifred Bird's Eating Wild Japan is one of those books about a hyper specific subject that draws you in and allows you to explore an alternate reality for a brief period of time. Before I began reading this exquisitely researched and detailed book, I was aware of the foraging culture in Japan but I had no idea of the extent to which it infuses Japanese culture. So much of the writing about Japan can be fetishizing and problematic, it was wonderful to see someone pour their love and warm memories into a book. Bird has the ability to make the reader feel the weight and warmth of the hands that forage and process these bits of nature into delicate morsels of traditional food, the simple pride they take in their work, and the gratitude with which it is all consumed. I definitely intend to buy a physical copy of this for the illustrations and recipes. Recommended for all who love to read about food culture.

*This book was received from NetGalley as an advanced reviewer's copy.

Foraged foods have always been an interest to me. I can remember being little and going mushroom hunting with my uncle and dad. And later as an adult, I've attended foraging classes at a nearby homestead. Learning about other foragers in other areas is right up my alley as a result. And what better place than Japan, where ingredients are treated with respect in most cooking.

Bird, who lives in Japan, undertakes several trips to see the various foraging areas and specialties of Japan. This can range from ferns in the mountainside, to seaweed from the coast, with plenty of other edibles along the way. She also describes the history behind the foraged item (due to famine, scarcity, etc.) and how it has evolved in the culture.

Overall, it was a very easy reading book. Not too technical when describing the foods, but still with enough information to get an overall sense of what was being eaten and how it persisted in diets. The book also had a guide at the end (and recipes throughout) to give it a holistic approach.

Very interesting, and I can only hope if I ever get to travel to Japan, I will be able to try some of these foraged foods.

Review by M. Reynard 2021

I loved this book about wild foods in Japan. Brilliant descriptions of the food, history context, the people behind it -- whether they are local experts and practitioners of foraging or scientists -- all make me want to go to places that serve "sansai" in Japan or simply go explore the landscapes with these people.

I have no doubt this will be an immensely popular book.

Winifred Bird's <I>Eating Wild Japan</I> is several things at once: travelogue, field guide, and cookbook, and does all of them well. A former journalist, Bird has a keen eye for the personalities, landscapes, and foods she encounters; her vivid descriptions and lively prose make for an engaging read. Bird wisely chooses to focus on the foraging and culinary subcultures of several locations on Japan's four main islands instead of writing an encyclopedia of every wild plant that has ever been foraged in the country. This lets her really dig into the history and sense of place of her chosen locations, and the people who live and forage there. This travelogue section of the book makes for fascinating reading. I particularly enjoyed the sections on seaweed and the food culture of northern Japan's indigenous Ainu.

The next section contains practical information on the plants Bird's discussed in the first section: what they're called, where to find them, what other plants one might confuse them with, and how to harvest and prepare them, and what Japanese foods they work best with. This section is information dense but still easy to read. The final section presents traditional recipes using each of Bird's featured plants. The instructions are easy to follow and the ingredients can be found in most major supermarkets. It also shouldn't be too difficult to substitute more commonly found vegetables or even foraged plants for anyone who doesn't have access to the wild Japanese plants Bird uses.

In several appendices, Bird lists the plants by Japanese, English, and scientific names, which will aid readers in identifying the plants or (for readers outside of Japan) their nearest available substitutes. I very much appreciated the inclusion of Japanese characters for the wild plants, and readers without a Japanese background will enjoy the thorough glossary explaining culinary and other terms.

This book is informative and a pleasure to read, and I'm eager to try these recipes.

For those of us who've spent time in Japan, this book is a gold mine to enable us to identify the sansai that we often found in our soba. I was nervous that it was going to be all field guide and beyond my understanding, but that is not the case since it includes essays and recipes as well. This book fills a niche in the Japanese food book genre and will appreciate the foodies amongst us. The writing is also poetic and charming. Now, if we could only eat these delights outside of Japan!

I come back from 7 years living in Japan and all I can say is how much I wish I’d had this book with me. This is an exquisite walk, research, cookbook on Japanese foraging culture. I lived in Tokyo so my contact to nature was not as extensive as if I’d been in a more rural area, but even then you can’t help but feel over there the importance of seasons and nature. It is not in any kind of sense that fight we forever portray in the West: nature vs culture, but it is very much an integral and celebrated part of life.
When it was the season I did foredge ginkgo seeds (they are so delicious - i don’t know how I will live without) and wild purple shiso. And even in the middle of a megalopolis I enjoyed seeing strange seasonal vegetables appear in the supermarket. Ones I had never seen before with cryptic names like “mountain greens”... which were real wild plants. I enjoyed trying them out at home but would have loved having a guide and recipes which I never found online. The recipes in this book are simple and very authentic. I was glad to also see some Ainu recipes.
This book is everything I would have wished to have and more!

I found this little book to be a really fascinating read. There was something comforting about Bird's food based adventures and I have added a lot of things to my culinary bucket list because of this book. However, a lot of the "wild produce" discussed within these pages would not be available where I live, but there are a lot of related species that could be used as a substitute along with some more readily available specialty ingredients from the local Asian supermarket. I don't come from a background of foraging myself, but I'm feeling inspired to take a closer look at what could be available in my area. It's interesting to think that I could be supplementing my diet with some foraged local ingredients and get a bit of variety that other would overlook. Which, since I can't try Fuki, Gyoja Ninniku, and Warabi (at least right now), I think would make the author happy in a different way.