Forgive me if I say anything silly here, because I know almost nothing about manga. While researching an upcoming column about sake, however, I punched the word “sake” into my local library catalog and came up with a few guides to sake (of which the best is [The Sake Handbook](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0804834253/?tag=mamstesgrubshack) and something called [Oishinbo A La Carte: Sake](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1421521407/?tag=mamstesgrubshack).

Oishinbo is a Japanese comic series about a newspaper food writer named Shiro Yamaoka. To celebrate its 100th anniversary, his paper is putting together the ultimate menu of Japanese cuisine, and Yamaoka is in charge of the project.

Yamaoka is a total hothead, driven to tantrums by food snobs and bad food alike. At one point in the first book, he impresses a visiting Japanese-American US senator by serving him a simple cup of cold-brewed [gyokuro](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyokuro). While reading this, I happened to be drinking a glass of cold-brewed gyokuro. Really.

Two Oishinbo anthologies have been released in new English editions so far. The first is about [Japanese cuisine in general](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1421521393/?tag=mamstesgrubshack) (but especially sashimi and dashi), the second about [sake, shochu, and other spirits](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1421521407/?tag=mamstesgrubshack). The third, and I cannot wait, is about [ramen and gyoza](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1421521415/?tag=mamstesgrubshack).

The story of Oishinbo (Yamaoka is always butting heads with his estranged father) is secondary to Yamaoka’s informative tantrums (this supermarket is storing its sake incorrectly!!!). I have a feeling more than a few of my readers are intolerant of bad food and in love with Japanese food. You are going to love these books.