4 Japanese novels that feel like a fever dream
Kobo Abe's most renowned work, The Woman in The Dunes (Penguin UK, pages 256, Rs 499), tells an absurd story about an entomologist trapped in a sandpit alongside a mysterious woman shovelling seemingly endless sand in the hope of not getting buried. The setting with the shifting sand dunes and the repetitive act of shovelling sand add a dream-like surreality to the story. As the days blur together, the characters descent into an entrapment that is both physical and existential.
Composed of a dual narrative, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (RHUK, pages 416, Rs 599) by Haruki Murakami is a genre-defying narrative with a blend of science fiction, detective story, and postmodern surrealism. The two narratives are entirely different in setting and tone, with one set in a semi-futuristic Tokyo following a data specialist entangled in a secret project, and the other set in a quiet town where reality feels dreamlike. The novel features a blend of the bizarre and mundane that is characteristic of Murakami's works.
Earthlings (Granta Books, pages 256, Rs 1049) by Sayaka Murata can be considered an coming-of-age story reimagined through the lens of surreal horror. The novel follows the life of Natsuki, a girl who believes she is an alien, as she grows up and rejects conforming to societal standards. Plunging into psychological horror, the story gets increasingly disturbing and uncanny as it progresses, resulting in an eccentric and disconcerting tale.
A collection of three novellas, Asleep (Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press, pages 192, Rs 1443) contains stories featuring characters that gradually retreat from reality, both literally and symbolically, into their memories and dreams. The characters' mental detachment from reality is mirrored in the novellas' quiet and dreamlike tone. Asleep is less about its plot and more about the introspective and dissociative atmosphere created by the narrative.
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The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Wild Foods Festival 2025 will champion native, forest flavours
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'Conversations and discussions at the festival will be centred on climate action — not in an abstract way, but grounded in the lived realities of communities who forage, farm, and protect these ecosystems,' says Thomas, who is bringing together foragers, chefs, scientists, and policymakers 'to explore how climate change is impacting forest foods, and what collective action can look like'. Wild foods you should know Akarghoda: It is delicate, has a limited window of availability, and a short shelf life in its traditional format as an ingredient. But like all ferns, it has an amazing resilience that allows it to retain its texture through longer cooking and cooks to a beautiful emerald colour in this format. The idea of a pickle that would harness this quality, its beautiful flavour and texture, and make it available well past its season was very exciting. I typically make an akkarghoda pickle with the fern; this year I am making an akkarghoda chilli crisp as well. Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, culinary custodian, Ishaara Mahua: It is popular mainly as an ingredient to make country liquor, but it is so much more than that. From a culinary perspective, mahua has a subtle sweetness with a spicy undertone of dried ginger, and its aroma goes very well with baked wheat. Hence, the decision to incorporate it into a Japanese shokupan (milk bread). Even in the villages, people make a roti with mahua paste and jaggery, which was the inspiration behind the sando we've created. Chef Nikhil Menon, head pastry chef, Mizu Izakaya Loth: I've used the stalk of the loth along with roselle (ambadi) as a dessert. Loth is not be eaten raw as it gives an almost allergic response, and your throat becomes super prickly like eating a cactus with thorns. But after cooking it for an hour with lemon or kokum, those properties vanish. Inspired by tutti frutti, the dessert has loth soaked in a syrup of Japanese plum wine, spices, and it is served with a ginger crumble and a roselle jam. Chef Ali Akbar Baldiwala, Slink and Bardot In addition, chefs across Mumbai and Pune will commemorate the Festival by curating a menu spotlighting indigenous ingredients at their respective restaurants. In July this year, these chefs participated in a field trip to Palghar to learn about wild foods. 'In just a few hours, the women from the community helped us identify over 25 wild ingredients — greens like kadak teri and akkarghoda; vines such as ulshi cha vel; stems like terda; and rare finds like shitoli alambi, an edible mushroom that appears near anthills in the monsoon,' says Thomas, who was on the trip as well, 'Trips like this are the best way to connect chefs to these foods: taking them to the source, letting them walk through the forests, spend time with the people who know these ingredients best, and cook alongside them. It leaves them more invested in the relationships, more inspired in their cooking, and more committed to bringing these ingredients and stories into their own work.' Here are the event's top 5 highlights: From Forest to Classroom This is a fundraiser for the Prabha Hira Gandhi High School, Vadoli, in Palghar, which is located approximately 100 kilometres from Mumbai. The school is attended by many children from the families of community members who are part of the festival. With a special focus on adolescent girls from the adivasi community, the fundraiser will help build new girls' toilets and learning infrastructure. Wild Food High Tea Students at Bunts Sangha's Ramanath Payyade College of Hospitality Management Studies (RPH) will be mentored by Shailesh Awate, co-founder, OOO Farms, and Thomas, to serve over 450 guests. The student-led menu will comprise savoury dishes such as kurdu chaat, khurasni gyoza dumplings, pendhra Bombay sandwich, and desserts like mahua patolya, mahua sandwich biscuits, to name a few. From learning about wild ingredients and traditional recipes, to experimenting with formats that would work in a high tea setting, and then testing and refining dishes together, Thomas says the process of curating the high tea is as much about the food as it is about mentorship and collaboration. Wild Foods Dinner This year's dinner will see about 30 home cooks from the Kokni, Warli, Mahadeo Koli, Katkari, and Bhil communities come together. The menu will feature close to 30 dishes such as pendhara raanbhaji, terda pumpkin tuvar dal, brined kharshinga, akkarghoda fern pickle, mahua kheer, vaaste (bamboo shoot), terda patrode, mahua fritters, mahua ladoos, black rice pudding, nachani bhakri, khurasni chutney and more. All these ingredients are sourced within 100 kms of Mumbai and prepared in the ways these communities have done for generations. For many guests, it will be their first time tasting such dishes outside the communities themselves, making it a rare and memorable experience. Educational materials In 2022, a Wild Foods Zine was created with 20 volunteers over four months. It was later translated into Marathi so the communities themselves could use it as a resource. This year, the team is creating wild food flashcards in English and Marathi for schools and homes in tribal areas. Each card features a photo of the ingredient, its local name, where it grows, when it is in season, and how it is cooked. These are simple tools to help children recognise, name, and take pride in their food heritage. Special Menus Through August, chefs from the likes of Mizu Izakaya, Folk, Ground Up will be curating a wild food-led menu at their restaurants. New names on the list are Malaka Spice, The Bombay Canteen, Ishaara, and Slink and Bardot. For instance, Ishaara's menu (August 20-22) has vaaste (wild bamboo shoot) chawli aloo curry, khurasini (wild karhale leaves)-Ambaadi (wild sorrel) saag mutton, among others; Heena Punwani at Maska Bakery is working with mahua to create a mahua sticky toffee pudding and mahua cinnamon roll; and Chef Nikhil Menon at Mizu Izakaya is also turning the mahua flowers into an ice cream sando with honey butter toasted mahua shokupan, mahua ketchup, and mahua nectar. On August 23, from 2 pm to 9 pm. At Bunts Sangha's Ramanath Payyade College of Hospitality Management Studies (RPH), Kurla, Mumbai.
India.com
4 hours ago
- India.com
Meet Japanese Man Who Fearlessly Decided To Animate Ramayana On $6.7 Million Budget With ‘Father Of Indian Animation', Here's Why He Chose To Work On The Indian Mythology Movie, His Film Was Banned Because....
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Economic Times
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Black Myth: Zhong Kui official trailer release cements China's gaming revolution and next global hero
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