Two 1960s Japanese Cookbooks "The Pleasures of Japanese Cooking" and "Japanese Recipes" Compiled by the Former Chef of the Japanese Embassy

Tatsuji Tada Japanese Cookbooks

First Edition

Two 1960s Japanese cooking books: Tada, Tatsuji. Japanese Recipes. Rutland, Vermont & Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1967. Revised edition. Printed in Japan. 63 pages. Illustrated with small vignette drawings. Publisher’s yellow patterned wrappers with red title panel; as issued, no dust jacket. 12mo. A compact mid-century introduction to Japanese cooking by Tatsuji Tada, a chef who formerly served at the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., designed to acquaint readers with the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine at a moment when Japanese food was just beginning to enter the global palate. This recipe book positions Japanese cuisine as both refined and accessible, Tada emphasizes the core principles of Japanese cooking, noting that its flavors “are subtle” and that meals are planned “with attention to textures, taste harmonies and contrasts,” a statement reflecting the mid-century American fascination with Japan’s aesthetic and culinary traditions during a period of increased U.S.–Japan cultural diplomacy. The book opens with instructions for preparing sukiyaki, tempura, yakitori, soups and soup bases, rice preparation, and the making of tea, The back-flap description reinforces the book’s goal of demystifying Japanese cooking for Western kitchens, especially at a time when ingredients for Japanese cuisine were beginning to appear more widely in U.S. markets. Light edge wear to wrappers; faint toning to extremities; small crease at lower rear corner. Interior clean and bright. Overall very good condition.

Comes with a first edition of : Tanaka, Heihachi, with Betty A. Nicholas. The Pleasures of Japanese Cooking. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1963. First edition. Illustrated with drawings and photographs. Publisher’s red-and-white cloth in illustrated dust jacket. 8vo. A foundational English-language Japanese cookbook produced at the height of early postwar cultural exchange, authored by Heihachi Tanaka, Head Chef of Japanese Cuisine for Japan Airlines. Published in 1963, The publisher frames Tanaka as a cultural ambassador: a chef whose recipes offering readers “the secrets of how to prepare at home… the delightful Japanese food you’ve enjoyed in restaurants.” Tanaka’s introduction emphasizes the “old Shokujii wa Atarashii Mikata” ethos or “The stomach of the woman is the month of the boat”, highlighting the importance of visual harmony, seasonal color, and formal presentation in Japanese cuisine. Tanaka teaches readers how to prepare authentic meals with both traditional ingredients and American-available substitutions. Recipes are complemented by explanations of cultural practices, table settings, and serving customs, helping readers understand not only how to cook Japanese food but how to present it in its proper aesthetic context. The book’s extensive glossary and festival-food sections position it as an early and influential teaching text in the American adoption of Japanese cuisine, Dust jacket frayed at edges with a few small closed tears and foxing, cloth, and interior clean; binding sound. Price-clipped. Overall very good condition in a good jacket. Two influential early Japanese-American culinary bridge work, valued for their cultural commentaries and shaping American understanding of Japanese food before its mainstream popularity.

Item #22798

Price: $220.00