Booknotes : The Kamogawa Food Detectives
A Journey Through Memories and Culinary Delights
🛒 The Kamogawa Food Detectives
Book Details
Published in 26 Oct 2023
208 pages
Japanese fiction
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
Atmosphere
Low stake, cosy, wholesome, makes you hungry too!
Perfect if you love Before Coffee Gets Cold
A gist of thoughts
Warm & Fuzzy, Low-Stakes, Delicious and Cosy – this fiction is set in our world, in a quaint backstreet of Kyoto. It unfolds as a story of everyday life brimming with wholesomeness, offering beautiful descriptions of Japanese seasons and nature, along with an abundance of mouth-watering native dishes. The main characters are a father-daughter duo who run a detective agency specializing in recreating people’s favorite meals. Nagare, the food detective and a loving father figure, with his daughter Koishi, a brilliant cook who enjoys teasing her father. Together, they operate a restaurant, accompanied by their resident cat, Drowsy, who makes occasional appearances throughout the story. Their art of recreating food goes beyond the culinary realm; it makes a big difference in people's lives, bringing back cherished memories or offering a glimmer of hope to those seeking to move forward
Favourite quotes, words & others
The image I found and added to the blog serves as an illustrative representation to help convey the essence of what I read.
Dead leaves swirled in the chilly air. That must be the famous Mount Hiei wind, he thought to himself, knitting his brows as he waited for the signal to change. It was just like people say, in Kyoto the cold cuts through the bone.
Walking from Higashi Honganji temple, Suyako Hirose cross the wide avenue of Karasuma-dori and came onto Shomen-dori. The colours of spring - pale blues, lemon yellows, pastel pinks - were also on display in the clothing of people passing down the narrow street.
You’re right, I am not going to have any brainwaves sitting here twiddling my thumbs. - I love the way Nagare showed his productive traits to quickly get on with his work.
‘Very true, That’ why I chose my current profession - because I wanted to make people happy’ - Sense of life purpose in Nagare’s word. It’s clear shows how important it is the job as food detective for him is.
My reflections
Beauty of Japan : Charming escape in the heart of Kyoto
Heartfelt Moments: Explore the touching father-daughter relationship with brilliantly written characters.
Preserving Traditions: Discover the importance of keeping native dishes' traditional processes and flavors alive.
Behind-the-Scenes: Peek into the emotions of cooks when their efforts in making food are genuinely appreciated.
Life's Purpose: Uncover the Japanese philosophy of finding fulfillment in 'doing something good for others.'
Balanced Tone: While touching on emotional scenes and past hardships, the story maintains a low-stakes narrative.
Recreating Memories: Follow a journey of pain and desperation to recreate old memories, adding a poignant touch.
Cherishing Moments: Remind yourself of the importance of being present and appreciating time with loved ones.
Food as a Medium: Beyond memories, the book emphasizes the unique taste and process of food-making.
Moving Forward: The narrative helps characters acknowledge changed lives, easing the process of moving on.
Culinary Solace: The story beautifully combines storytelling and gastronomy, offering solace through memories.
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5 Stars. Solid Hermione Granger’s Intelligence for me! Clever plot, characters, and setting, but not as enchanting as expected. It has decent charm in offering a knowledge about Japan, their traditional dish and a peek of their culture; but it is not enough of anything extraordinary for me.
Here’s how I rate books I read #JanuaryInJapan #JapaneseLiterature #AsianLiterature #Fiction #HisashiKashiwai
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