Books & Podcasts
APR 2023
I want to highlight this book about Japanese mushrooms because I have spent the last month traveling around this incredible country. Many things fascinated me about this foreign place, especially its rich food culture and love of きのこ (kinoko).
“Kinoko: A Window into the Mystical World of Japanese Mushrooms is a comprehensive guide to Japanese mushrooms and their place in Japanese culture. Written by Nathaniel Guy, a professional Japanese translator and interpreter with a decade of mushroom hunting experience, this book explores the rich history and cultural significance of mushrooms in Japan.
Inside, you’ll find colorful and interesting etymologies of Japanese mushroom names, translated essays and stories from Japanese authors, new translations of a hundred Japanese haiku about mushrooms, cultural insights about mushrooms in Japan, and a glossary and phrasebook of Japanese terms related to mushrooms and mycology.” (order here)