Sushi - Food for the Eye, the Body and the Soul

'It is clear that serious research, as well as much imagination, went into every page. It has become my new 'go-to' bible when I need a shot of inspiration.'
Ken Oringer, internationally renowned and award-winning chef
Clio Restaurant, Uni Sashimi Bar, Boston
'Congratulations on writing such an aesthetically beautiful, informative and inspiring book. ... I shall not hesitate to recommend your book to those colleagues, who like me, are fascinated by Sushi and who will surely be captivated, like me, turning every page.'
Dr. Ian C. Forster, April, 2011
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In recent decades, sushi has gone from being a rather exotic dish, eaten by relatively few outside of Japan, to a regular meal for many across the world. It is quickly gathering the attention of chefs and nutritionists everywhere. It has even made its way into numerous home kitchens where people have patiently honed the specialized craft required to prepare it. Few have been more attuned to this remarkable transition than Ole G. Mouritsen, an esteemed Danish scientist and amateur chef who has had a lifelong fascination with sushi's central role in Japanese culinary culture.
Sushi for the eye, the body, and the soul is a unique melange of a book. In it, Mouritsen discusses the cultural history of sushi then uses his scientific prowess to deconstruct and explain the complex chemistry of its many subtle and sharp taste sensations. He also offers insights from years of honing his own craft as a sushi chef, detailing how to choose and prepare raw ingredients, how to decide which tools and techniques to use, and how to arrange and present various dishes.
Sushi is irresistible for both its simplicity and the hypnotic performance-art aspects that go into its preparation. With clear prose and straightforward instructions, Mouritsen looks at every facet of sushi in a book that is as accessible as it is informative, as useful as it is fun.


Professor of biophysics, University of Southern Danemark, Director, MEMPHYS - Center for Biomembrane Physics, Adjunct professor, Helsinki University of Technology Principal Areas of Research: Statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, computer simulation techniques, phase transitions and critical phenomena, biomembrane physics and chemistry, surface and interface physics, materials science, nano-science, drug delivery
Published more than 300 original research articles, reviews and scientific reports; the monographs: Computer Studies of Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena (Springer-Verlag, 1984); Life - as a Matter of Fat. The Emerging Science of Lipidomics (Springer Verlag, 2005); Sushi. Lidenskab, videnskab & sundhed (Jepsen & Co, Copenhagen, 2006); Co-edited four books on biophysics.
Awards: Gold Medal in Chemistry, Aarhus University, 1975; A/S De Danske Spritfabrikker's Centennial Award, 1981; Kirstine Meyer født Bjerrum's Mindelegat, 1984; Villum Kann Rasmussen's Research Prize, 1990; NKT Research Prize, 1998, for research achievements in soft condensed matter and biological physics; Hasselblad Foundation Research Award 1998; National Danish Research Communication Prize 2007; University of Southern Denmark Research Communication Prize 2007; Royal Society of Chemistry Bourke Award and Silver Medal 2008; European Lipid Science Award 2011.