From Hiroko Shimbo, the well-known and widely admired authority on Japanese food, here is the most comprehensive, engaging, and instructive book that has ever been written on the fascinating world of sushi—the delights of eating it, preparing it, and savoring it in its many forms.

Shimbo introduces you first to the history of sushi (it started out as a way of preserving fish) and shows how it has evolved into the phenomenon it is today, relished by food lovers the world over. She then takes you into a typical sushi bar—guiding you in all aspects of the experience, from the ordering of sushi and the etiquette of eating it to the appropriate exchange with your sushi chef—all in Japanese, of course (you can tear off this sheet and the one on the back flap to tuck into your pocket so you’ll have these valuable tips with you the next time you visit a sushi bar).

For the home cook there are step-by-step illustrated instructions on how to make sushi rice properly and how to shape the rice around a variety of delicious fillings (primarily of cooked and preserved fish and seafood, omelets, vegetables, and seasonings). There are sauces and accompaniments to complement the sushi meal. A new world will open up as you discover sushi pouches, tossed and arranged sushi salads, sushi for the lunch box, and sushi dolls to make with your children.

Now, along with the professional chef, you are ready to tackle raw fish and seafood, and Shimbo gives you all the tools—what fish to buy, how to be sure that is safe to eat raw, and how to slice it expertly.

It’s all here in this all-encompassing, gloriously illustrated book, along with stories about fishermen, knife makers, tea growers, wasabi farmers, and sake brewers, to inspire American cooks to create, and enjoy, our own perfect sushi.