Seductions Of Rice

by Jeffrey Alford

Chinese stir-frys, Spanish paellas, Japanese sushi, Indian thorans, Thai salads, Turkish pilafs, Italian risottos, Senegalese yassas, American gumbos: if rice isn't the heart and soul of all these diverse dishes, rice can be found piled right there at the side of the plate, or in a bowl. To say that Alford and Duguid, authors of the award-winning Flatbreads and Flavors, deliver the world of rice is much too simple an understatement. Your days of buying one rice to serve all purposes will end with even a cursory reading of this lovely book.

The authors are photographers as well as writers, but their greatest skill may be to travel the world at the level of the culture they visit. They seem able to drop away from Western culture and hunker right down with rice vendor or cook, no matter where.

Seductions of Rice opens with all the basics of rice, everything a reader would want to know and then some. Then on to the cultures of rice: Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Central Asian, Mediterranean, Senegalese, and North American. Recipes either made from rice or to accompany rice range from Chinese Congee to Thai Green Papaya Salad to Japanese Quick Morning Miso Soup to South Indian Lentil Stew to Cuban Black Beans to Mexican Green Rice.

And in between? The authors fill in all the space between these diverse grains of rice with traveler's tales from the road. It is a luxurious book, a delicious book, a ripe combination of travel and taste. You leave off thinking that the world must be the shape of a rice ball. --Schuyler Ingle

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Reference, Travel, Culinary

474 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

TEN STARS!!
Got this book for a QUARTER at a library book sale - a hundredth of the list price. It is the EXACT resource I was looking for to take my rice cooking to the next level. After spending the evening perusing it, I think it is worth the list price and then some. It isn't just a cookbook. It is also a travelogue/food anthropology. (I seriously believe parts of the Japanese chapter should be subtitled "Dishes from Studio Ghibli Movies.")

[Telly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember eating in dinner in Japan; I had finished everything except a few grains of rice. The gracious Aoyama family that was hosting me continued waiting for me to finish my meal. When I explained that I was "stuffed," they suspiciously eyed the few remaining grains; one of the elders of the family finally spoke up and told me that in Japan they give thanks for everything, including the farmer who is sacrificed so much for one little grain. I quickly ate up those few remaining grains because the message was loud and clear: To not eat the rice would've been disrespectful to the labors of the farmer who had helped put them on my plate.

This story is my own, but this book tells countless other stories that are related to this "simple grain." I intentionally select the word "book" because it is more than a "cookbook." This book walks us through the different regions of the world and explains what rice means to each region. We're provided not only culturally specific recipes, but local stories and lore around the incredible grain that is rice.

This deserves to sit on coffee tables and be something of a conversation piece, not a mere cookbook stuffed onto the shelves of someone's kitchen.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had this cookbook for about two years now and I still love reading it and cooking from it. Every single recipe has become a family favorite so I had to add it to my book list. It is an award winning cookbook filled with hundreds of recipes for meals to eat with rice from all over the world. One night we eat Italian. The next night Mexican, or Thai, or Persian, or Bengalese. It's so much fun to eat meals from this book, especially if you love rice. Our favorite is the Thai grilled beef salad, "yam neua" with fried rice. Yummy!

[Elijah Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowowow. This is one of the most fascinating cookbooks I’ve ever read. I know so much about rice cultivation, rice cultivars. More than I ever thought I would. Full of fascinating cultural information and stories from the authors. Recipes seem solid and exciting. Can not recommend enough.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite cookbooks. The recipes are authentic but most use easily available ingredients, and there is a comprehensive glossary for understanding any ingredients or terms that are new. The sections of the book are accompanied by a detailed and entertaining story about the recipe or the travels of the authors.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some truly awful recipes in here--the writing and photography are beautiful, but the cooking part leaves alot to be desired--they went on to write some great cookbooks, tho.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about rice? I got excited just to hear that. I love eating rice and have been eating it every single day since I was born. This book talks about different varieties of rice, how it is cultivated etc. it also has sections for various countries like China, Thailand, Japan, India, Persia, Mediterranean, Senegalese and North American. Then the author lists various recipes from these countries to along with some descriptions about rice grown in these regions. It’s good but has way too many non veg recipes and that’s why I am deducting a star. Recipes in this book weren’t too useful to me personally.

[Aasinathena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid's books are one of my favorites! I read them without much checking what's in it, because all their books are so rich in culture! This book is from my personal library, and I love rice!

[Angelar · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've ever wanted to learn how to cook virtually every readily available variety of rice, this book is very useful, but the other recipes are consistently mediocre and the two authors insert crappy travelogue-type pieces among them. I keep this around for reference more than anything else, because every time I've tried a non-rice recipe I've been vastly disappointed.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cookbook about rice and all its variations and what to serve with it, with recipes from around the world. Entertaining chapters about the authors' adventures and cooking methods and history of rice and other things round out this memoir-cookbook. It seems pretty indispensable if you're a rice lover (and who isn't?).

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cookbook that you'll actually want to sit down and read. Beautiful pictures and stories from the authors' extensive travels. Very well researched, lots of information on how rice is grown, milled, etc. Explains all the different varieties and the best way to prepare them.

It is inspriring me to buy some fresh vegetables, cook some rice and eat a little healthier.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read and became obsessed with their flatbreads book first, but to tell the truth this is closer to how I really eat (or wish I ate, anyway). Not vegetarian, but with lots of veggie recipes and examples. Beautiful and inspiring and yet still practical enough for daily life. One of my favourite cookbooks.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

great cookbook/travel book--the couple who write and do the photography for this and their other books include wonderful stories and details about where they found the recipes or inspiration for them...

[Julie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobody can combine the delights of foreign travel, true appreciation for people, fascinating food, glorious photography and workable recipes the way that Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid do. This early cookbook has black and white photography but it shines even so.

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bookmarked several recipes, mostly from the India chapter... will update after we try them...

Tried 2 recipes from the Indian chapter and I liked them. But the best part of this book is the information about the history and culture of rice in so many countries.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books I like having on my shelf more for its beauty than its recipes, but that is probably not entirely fair to the book. It is really interesting how much information there is in the book about rice. Who knew?

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horrifying title, great concept & excellent recipes that are not often found in standard Chinese/Indian/Thai cookbooks (cannot speak to the other numerous cuisines covered in the book, which include the Mediterranean and Central Asia, since I'm less familiar w/ cookbooks covering those regions).

[Fishface · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh, this was only so-so. Not really about rice, it was about what people in various countries pour over their rice. Not as many recipes as I'd hoped and full of exotic, hard-to-find ingredients. I won't be keeping this one.

[liza · Rating 5 out of 5]

anything you need to know about rice and how to cook it perfectly.

[Bax · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic blend of cookbook, travelogue & philosophy tome.

It does what great cookbooks do, got me really excited about making food. This book + my new ricecooker = greatness.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! I want this book!

Great recipes, cultural information from around the world, pictures, information about rice. Yes, please.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has got to be one of my favorite cookbooks ever! I love rice, and any recipes that goes with or contains rice...LOVE! I plan to cook everything in this cookbook at least once!

[Eileen Lee]

I own it. Love it. Good recipes, gorgeous photos and great stories. I love all their books.