A Japanese Interlude

Studying a very different cuisine calms the soul and excites the mind

These days, I can’t help but think of that 1980 Vapors’ song “Turning Japanese,” which we all sang when I was a kid. And while no, I am not turning Japanese anytime soon, or, really, ever, I have recently fallen even further in love with that nation’s cuisine.

Why now? Because the techniques and flavors of Japan are so radically different from those of …