Bibliographic Information:
Title: Let’s Make Ramen!
Author: Hugh Amano and Sarah Becan
ISBN: 9780399581991
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Copyright Date: 2019
Genre: Nonfiction, cooking, Japanese culture
Format: Graphic novel
Reading Level/Interest Level: 10+ (based on my judgement)
Awards and Honors: Long listed for the Best Art of Eating Prize, one of YALSA’s Great Comic Books for Teens, Goodreads Choice Award nominee for food and cookbooks
Plot Summary: This is more than just a cookbook; it’s a passionate ode to ramen. It begins with a history of ramen, explores the necessary equipment and ingredients the savvy ramen chef has in their kitchen, talks about Japanese culture, explains how to make proper broths, noodles, meat and vegetable accompaniments, as well as various shortcuts those of us with less time and space can take, using pre-made ingredients or pressure cookers. The book finishes with classic recipes as well as “riffs” on ramen like curry ramen and shrimp and roasted tomato ramen.
Author Backgrounds: Hugh Tadashi Amano was raised by an American mother and Japanese father in Colorado. He has traveled the world, learning about food; he graduated from the New England Culinary Institute and was the opening sous chef at Chicago’s Fat Rice restaurant (Amano, n.d.). Sarah Becan collaborated with him on The Adventures of Fat Rice, and their partnership began. Sarah loves to draw food; she has written and illustrated numerous graphic novels as well as illustrating for many publications including Saveur, Eater.com, and Tasting Table (Becan, n.d.). She has twice been nominated for an Ignatz award and lives in Chicago.
Critical Evaluation: When researching ramen for my 13-year-old son, this was one of the most frequently recommended cookbooks for aficionados and it’s easy to see why. This book is a joy to read. Conversational and fascinating, the book assumes its readers are intelligent and interested. No detail is too small or obscure, and Amano explains nuance with clarity and a dash of fun. Becan’s illustrations are vivid and luscious; you’ll be drooling just a few pages in. Her work is meticulous but also playful; noodles loop around text and full-page spreads alternate with orderly frames.
Creative Use for a Library Program: Cooking workshop! While full-scale ramen is a day’s-long enterprise, with pre-made broths and hot plates teens can make a passable ramen they can customize with their preferred toppings, such as boiled eggs, pre-made noodles, chopped green onions and mushrooms, etc. If they enjoy the process, they can borrow the book and make the whole thing from scratch!
Speed-Round Book Talk: Ramen is more than just those little packets in plastic wrap everyone has at the back of their pantry. Learn about ramen’s long history as well as the details you will need to make world-class ramen in your own home.
Reason for Inclusion: All the teens I know love to cook and watch cooking videos on YouTube and TikTok, so I felt I had to include a cookbook on my list! This is a fabulous one; more than just a cookbook, it’s a history book, cultural and kitchen primer, and mouth-watering temptation all in one.
Want more? Here’s “A Day in the Life of a Japanese Ramen Chef”:
References
Amano, H. (n.d.) About. Retrieved from https://www.hughamano.com/
Becan, S. (n.d.) About Sarah. Retrieved from https://sarahbecan.com/about/
Publishers Weekly (n.d.). Let’s Make Ramen! [starred review] https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780399581991
Rachelbookgirl (September 22, 2021). Let’s make ramen! By Hugh Amano and Sarah Becan. Retrieved from https://theyalibrarian.com/2020/09/22/lets-make-ramen-by-hugh-amano-and-sarah-becan/
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