Asian Pickles: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Cured, and Fermented Preserves from Korea, Japan, China, India, and Beyond [A Cookbook]

This is an excellent book. I have been making Japanese and Korean pickles for almost 30 years, and I have to tell you that her explanations of proper equipment, ingredients, techniques and storage are top-notch. For me, the real gems are the Chinese pickles. I will never have to buy funky bags o' pickles at the Asian grocery, which in and of itself should be enough impetus for any Asian food lover to buy this book. The salt-cured long beans with with ginger are some of our faves (I ramp up the garlic in these for my daughter), and the XO sauce! The Tomato tamarind Chutney is a hit on grilled sharp cheddar cheese sandwiches. I could go on and on. The one caveat (and it's not so much a caveat as a heads-up) for the average western pickle fiend is that the majority of these pickles are NOT long term keepers,-they do not undergo processing to keep for years on a shelf. But I find that to be the absolute genius of the recipes in this book...buy fresh, eat fresh, stay fresh! Karen's writing style is light and humorous, and it is really easy to engage in her recipes and the book as a whole. I seriously love this book, and I think you will too.

I am having the greatest time with this book! The instructions are clear and easy to follow, and give the option to ferment or use vinegar (I ferment). There are pickles here I'd never heard of but now love, and they are from several different culinary traditions. Finally I can have the pickles I loved when I lived in LA and can't find now that I'm out in rural Michigan! This author did her research, and has brought much culinary joy into my life. A perfect way to spice up your tired old food.

Exactly what I was looking for! Great book with tasty recipes.

SOME REALLY GREAT AND NOVEL RECIPES ARE INCLUDED IN THIS CHOICE BOOK. i AM PARTICULARLY EXCITED TO TRY THE PICKLED PINEAPPLE WITH PEANUTS RECIPE. AS I OFTEN SERVE THE AMISH 7 SWEETS AND 7 SOURS AT MY PARTIES, THIS BOOK GAVE ME A LARGE NUMBER OF DISHES TO INCLUDE IN SUCH PLATTERS. ONE DIFFICULTY WITH THE RECIPES, PARTICULARLY WITH THE JAPANESE SECTION WAS OBTAINING SOME OF THE INGREDIENTS , MANY COULD ONLY BE OBTAINED EITHER ON LINE OR FROM A JAPANESE GROCER. OVERALL THOUGH, I FIND IT TO BE A GREAT EDITION FOR NEW AND EXCITING RECIPES TO TEMPT THE PALATE.

yum, yum, if you like pickles, you should buy this book. the recipes are super easy to follow, and for the most part the ingredients are all things available at the grocery store. there are pickle recipes that are ready in as little as an hour, or recipes you can let ferment for months. each chapter is about a different region in asia, and provides a little history about the region, as well as how the region typically uses pickles. i love this book because you can make a few styles of pickles and just serve them with some plain rice and you have an easy, delicious dinner using cheap, easily accessible ingredients!

On a rainy day in Seattle, I sat in a book-filled delicatessen waiting for a friend's eye surgery to be completed. I never would have picked this up and looked at it except that I had hours to kill. It's so obscure, and yet, I found it to be the most inspiring cookbook I've come across in a long time. I want to make nearly all of the recipes in here. It's not just pickles, there are loads of condiments. There's even a recipe for XO sauce that I'm thrilled to have because it's gluten-free, unlike the commercial sauce. Some salads are included too. The photographs of each dish makes them seem more approachable and compelling. I was so intrigued by the new ideas in this book that I had to buy a copy. I think my lunches are about to get a whole lot more interesting. I highly recommend this cookbook. FWIW, every single recipe in this book is either naturally gluten-free or can easily be made gluten-free by substituting g-f soy sauce and g-f miso.

This is one of the more unusual cookbooks I own and well worth it. The recipes vary from 'calm' to 'OMG that's just wrong'. But the directions are easy to follow, the descriptions & history are fun to read & the pictures are great. In addition to all that, there is a ton of history & educational value.

I'm really happy with the recipes in this book, I bought it in order to make some pickled Daikon Radish and the recipe in this book was perfect. It's so easy to do and super tasty!

A very helpful book, it focusses on pickles from Japan, Korea, China, India, and Southeast Asia. There are several examples in each section, and the national name for each dish is given with the recipe. Karen also explains the context for each pickle and when it might be eaten. There are dishes as varied as pickled nashi pears {yum, yum!} and rice bran pickles - there are also seven different kimchi recipes {which was the reason I'd bought the book}. I have lots of other preserving and pickling books, but in truth their recipes are rarely as exotic or colourful as this. I'm off now to make the 'wasabi' pickled carrots...

Excellent book with lots of informations.

.. aber steht ja auch in der Beschreibung. Ansonsten ein sehr interessantes Buch. Bin schon auf die Ergebnisse gespannt

Very well written and full of excellent descriptions.

Un indispensable pour qui veut se lancer dans l'aventure des pikles et kimchi et autres lacto fermentation. Je l'adore. Les Vraies recettes !