Author Talk + Demo: Yoko Nakazawa, The Art of Japanese Pickling + Fermenting

We are thrilled to welcome James Beard Award nominee Yoko Nakazawa to the shop on Monday, June 22nd at 6:30pm to celebrate her cookbook, The Japanese Art of Pickling and Fermenting, with an author talk, pickling demonstration, and calligraphic book signing! Yoko will talk about the age-old practices of Japanese pickling and fermenting, and teach you how to make delicious preserved vegetables at home. From simple quick pickles (Asazuke) to longer fermentation projects, this gorgeous book is full of Yoko's inherited knowledge and recipes for savoring all kinds of seasonal produce. 

Reservations are non-refundable and can include a signed copy of the $35.00 book. Applicable sales tax and a $2.50 transaction fee are also included. Can't attend but still want a signed book? Order here for shipping or in-store pickup.

About the book: *2026 James Beard Award Nominee* Preserving expert Yoko Nakazawa shares her lifelong passion of pickling and fermenting ingredients using age-old techniques that have been passed down the generations. Nakazawa grew up in rural Japan and helped her parents preserve the glut of their vegetable patch every season, using ancient Japanese fermenting techniques to make Amazuke (sweet vinegar pickles); Asazuke (quick pickles); Kasa zuke (sake lees pickles); Misozuke (miso pickles); Nukazuke (rice bran pickles); and more. Upon moving to Australia, Nakazawa started to grow and preserve her own vegetables and became inspired to share her knowledge and recipes for pickling and fermenting, including daikon, cucumber, cabbage, carrot, onion, garlic, ginger, umeboshi, even eggs!

Nakazawa guides us through the preserving process, from salt ratios and chopping techniques to fermenting times and storage, and shares personal stories from her childhood growing and fermenting vegetables, making this volume not only a practical guide filled with valuable knowledge, but also a book filled with love.

Yoko Nakazawa was born and raised in Japan and has lived in Australia since 2013. Growing up with a father who cultivated vegetables and a mother who expertly cooked and preserved them, Nakazawa developed a profound appreciation for traditional Japanese practices and fermented foods. Her expertise includes miso pastes, fermenting, furoshiki wrapping, calligraphy, and kintsugi. As a cultural ambassador, Nakazawa conducts cooking and cultural workshops using the vegetables she grows, emphasizing the celebration of seasons with fresh produce.