Meal

I am not a foodie. I tend to cook and eat the same dozen bland meals over and over. I don't watch cooking shows. I actively dislike going to restaurants.

And yet some of my favorite manga right now are about cooking: [book:Food Wars!, Vol. 1|21486133], [book:Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 1|32856010], [book:Silver Spoon, Vol. 1|35959705]. And now I can add this book, which centers on the cooking of insects of all things.

Yarrow wants to be part of a new insect-themed restaurant so badly she moves across country just to apply. Her enthusiasm is contagious to the other characters in the book and to this reader too. It's a gentle slice of life story with lots of educational bits about cultures that eat insects. And there's a sweet LGBTQ love show more story to boot.

I'm not going to eat insects anytime soon, but I would certainly gobble up a sequel to this book anytime the creators would care to serve one up. show less

Conflicted -- on the one hand, I loved the blooming romance between Yarrow and Milani, and the subject of being passionate about any kind of food, loved reading about entomophagy in cultural contexts and the general excited foodie bliss. Also loved many of the characters, and their snarky, loving relationships, and the murals, and the inclusivity -- all a big yes, yes, yes.

What I did not love -- the scene where Chanda utterly rejects Yarrow's application to work in the restaurant. -- I see how the book hinges on this conflict, I see/know that there is a harsh kitchen heirarchy, where abusive/adamant behavior is allowed or expected, I see where Yarrow benefits from rethinking how she is approaching what she wants to do and why she wants show more to do it. I still found it triggering and upsetting, and it made it hard to enjoy the rest of the book, because of those feelings. I can intellectualize, but I still feel all my feels. show less

A short quick graphic novel that explores a young foodie wanting share her love of insect based foods with the world. Yarrow moves to a new town where she hears a insect based restaurant will be opening soon. She interviews with the head chef, but the chef is wary that Yarrow doesn't fully appreciate their food traditions and just wants to exploit it or turn it into a fad. Not only does Yarrow have to win over the chef, she has to win over one of her new neighbors and friends. She's pretty sure sparks are flying between them but what if she's wrong? An interesting look at food, culture, and romance all told through the lens of a short, well illustrated graphic novel.

kinda odd how the cultural, instructional, and romantic threads are all put together in such a small book; the cultural and instructional parts could've gone together well, but i think it's held back by the prominence of the unnecessary romantic sub-plot. i started to get invested in the lives of these characters only for the book end abruptly, with hardly any payoff or noteworthy character development. likewise, the romantic subplot is hardly developed beyond queer millennial tropes, bc it plays an awkward supporting role to the main thrust of the work--the food.

its fun, entertaining, and educational, but i think a little confused and unconfident in its presentation

ALSO they said that opening up a bee hive / removing drones / removing show more honey doesn't affect the hive health!!!! which is simply false!!! not much of a permaculture ethos :/ show less

*Received via NetGalley for review*

Entomophagy (eating insects) is a passion of mine, and I am incredibly excited that this graphic novel focused on it has come out.

Yarrow is also passionate about entomophagy - so much so that she's moved cross-country for the chance to work at the first prominent entomophagy restaurant. Chanda, the head chef, for unclear reasons, refuses her application. Yarrow then ropes in Milani, the cute girl who helped her move, to create a dish that will change Chanda's mind.

The characters are realistically drawn and Yarrow and Milani are very cute together. The information on entomophagy is well-researched and presented in an accessible way.

The timeline is a bit confusing at the beginning (it seems like Yarrow show more and Milani had just met when Yarrow offers to cook her dinner, but then they act like they've know each other for weeks?) and some of the information is a little info-dumpy (meaning it's a lot at once and stifled; no one really delivers whole paragraphs on the history of insects as food or what they've learned working at a restaurant in response to simple questions), but if that was fixed this would be 5 stars for sure. show less

Interesting. A good snapshot of the various cultures and brief history of bug-eating and using bugs in the kitchen. I think this book is really trying to cement that people have been eating bugs for years before this becomes the new hipster thing.

I ended up liking this more than I thought I would.

3.5

A queer graphic novel about eating bugs?! Could this BE any more relevant to my interests?! I loved it!