ACF 208: Japanese Food Manga Oishinbo available from VIZ Media

OISHINBO A LA CARTE © Tetsu KARIYA, Akira HANASAKI/Shogakukan Inc.

Here's some "tasty" manga news from VIV Media:

San Francisco, CA, January 23, 2009 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will delight fans of Japanese cuisine and culture with the debut of the critically acclaimed OISHINBO available now, under the VIZ Signature imprint, the company’s dynamic outlet for classic and literary manga titles aimed at more mature and sophisticated readers.

Written by Tetsu Kariya and illustrated by Akira Hanasaki, OISHINBO is considered to be the epitome of food manga and defined the genre while selling more than 100 million copies in Japan since its debut in 1983. OISHINBO is rated “T” for teens and carries an SRP of $12.99 U.S./$15.00 CDN.

OISHINBO (or “The Gourmet") depicts the adventures of journalist Shiro Yamaoka, who writes for the fictional newspaper Tozai News. When the paper’s top executives decide to create “The Ultimate Menu” to celebrate the paper’s 100th anniversary, Yamaoka, known for his reputation as a foodie with culinary skills to match, is given the daunting assignment. With the help of his coworker Kurita, Yamaoka begins an epic saga to find unique and tasty dishes that will compose this ultimate bill of fare. The subject of the debut volume is classical Japanese cuisine, and features delicious stories on subjects like how to prepare a proper dashi (the broth that is one of the building blocks of Japanese cooking), green tea, and red snapper sashimi. Each subsequent volume of OISHINBO focuses on specific foods and culinary trends such as sake, sushi, vegetables, rice dishes, ramen, and izakaya (pub) food.

“OISHINBO is a series where cuisine is put front and center and food is the star,” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President Sales & Product Marketing, VIZ Media. “Each volume introduces readers to the proper preparation and presentation of a variety of Japanese dishes, while also detailing their history and cultural significance. We’re serving up selected highlights from this epic 100+ volume series and compiled them into seven a la carte editions that can be enjoyed individually or as a series. Each volume also features full-color instructions on how to prepare the unique dishes presented. It might even inspire some to begin culinary adventures of their own!”