Yoshiko Tatsumi's Rice and Soup: Food I Want to Pass Down to Future Generations

Rice and Soup: A Message for Japan from the 95-Year-Old Author of "Soup of Life"

Japan's food self-sufficiency rate in 2018 was approximately 37% on a calorie basis, a significantly low level even among developed countries. We must recognize that we live in a "have-not" country. However, with rice and soybeans, this country can somehow get by. Rice is the staple food, "rice," and soybeans are the ingredients for "soups" such as miso and soy sauce.

This book introduces and emphasizes the importance of seasonal rice and soups, including germ rice and clam miso soup in April, bamboo shoot rice and chicken with soft-shelled turtle in May, pickled plum rice and pea kenchinjiru in June, mixed rice and tempura miso soup in October, barley rice and grated yam soup in November, and mixed sushi and clam clear soup in March. The author came to realize the importance of soup through eight years of caring for her father, who collapsed from a cerebral thrombosis and is now paralyzed on one side of the body and has a speech impediment. The book also includes two representative soups: brown rice soup and dried shiitake mushroom soup. Additionally, Toshiyuki Hamaguchi, a director and advisor at Higeta Soy Sauce Co., Ltd., who is a friend of the author, has contributed an article titled "About Soy Sauce," and Kyuemon Hayakawa, representative partner of Hatcho Miso LLC (trade name: Kakukyu), has contributed an article titled "About Hatcho Miso," emphasizing how soy sauce and miso are essential seasonings in Japanese food culture. This book not only contains recipes for rice and soup, but also makes you think about how to interact with rice and soybeans.