I just finished a curious little book. More of a collection of short stories, and rather more fiction than “mystery” as the library has cataloged it. But still…interesting.
Hisashi Kashwai – The Kamogawa Food Detectives
200 pages; US translation published in 2023; original Japanese publication in 2013
A retired detective turned gourmet chef recreates the virtually impossible from the least memory of beloved food experiences.

The “detective” work is laughable – pure suspension of disbelief. Frankly, somewhat annoying.
But the window into Japanese culture and cuisine is excellent. And the depiction of the human interactions between an individual, their memory, and how food can be a link between one’s past self and their present person…while a tad melodramatic and sometimes even purely schmaltzy…is still entertaining and sufficiently affecting.
It’s worth a couple of afternoons, if you can hunt it down at your local library.