Take a Break from Culinary School with Comics About Cooking

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In Japan, comic books (also known as manga) address the gamut of age ranges and tackle just about every topic, theme and audience imaginable—including cooking enthusiasts. If culinary school is on your radar, or you're already enrolled in a culinary school, consider relaxing with some light reading that's still food-related: garume, which is manga by and about gourmets.

One popular example, "Oishinbo," is chock full of drama, humor, and even cooking tips. The series, which has won awards in Japan, is now being published in English translation by San Francisco publishing firm VIZ. Other series are also entering the U.S. market, such as "Kitchen Princess" published by Del Rey, about a little orphan girl developing her cooking skills and seeking romance with the "Flan Prince," and "Iron Wok Jan," about an Iron-Chef-style cooking competition. Culinary school students interested in Japanese cuisine won't want to miss "Manga Cookbook," which provides easy, even kid-friendly instructions for classic Japanese dishes.

"By championing an exquisite cuisine, this manga celebrates Japan's edible heritage," says Peter Rowe of the "San Diego Union-Tribune." And who knows? The comics format might end up being the next big thing in culinary school instruction—or at least give culinary students some entertaining light reading.