To me, Butter by Asako Yuzuki is a compelling amalgam of crime fiction and cookbook.
It was a single sleeve quote from the novel that had Jack heading to the till in Waterstones:
‘There are two things that I simply cannot tolerate: feminists and margarine.’
And that, in a succinct nutshell, is the nub of much of the novel. Set in modern-day Tokyo, Butter explores the Japanese attitude to such weighty themes as misogyny, work ethic, sex discrimination, and body shaming, all wrapped up in a delicious fusion of Japanese and Western food.
Synopsis of Butter by Asako Yuzuki
Working in Tokyo’s high-pressure environment of news reporting, Rika Machida is an accomplished and inciteful journalist who works day and night to reach a position on the aspirational editing desk. Although she has a very valuable source who provides her with leads, she needs a big story breakthrough.
Meanwhile, languishing in the Tokyo Detention House, convicted of the murders of three older businessmen whom she allegedly lured with her gourmet cooking and her sexuality before then poisoning them, is Manako Kajii. Representing everything that Japanese culture deplores in its women: she’s independent and feisty; never denies herself anything, from food to sex; and worst of all is woman-shaped, or in the eyes of Japanese society, fat. The story of Manako’s life is gripping the nation but Manako flatly refuses to speak to journalists.
Visiting her friend, Reiko, who lives in the suburbs where she’s an excellent cook and homemaker, Reiko suggests that the way to get Manako to talk is to ask her for the recipe for her boeuf bourguignon. It works, and Rika and Reiko begin to build a relationship based on food, that Rika hopes will lead to an exclusive interview.
The relationship between the two women has a powerful effect on Rika’s life, introducing her to the pleasures of good food, particularly the butter-rich dishes of the Europeans, beginning with butter itself.
My Review
As a foodie, I found the descriptions of food in the book irresistible and invariably found myself salivating and wanting to get into the kitchen and replicate the recipes myself. Much, indeed, as Rika does. Her very first description of a simple ‘rice with butter and soy sauce’ is so enticing it’s positively sensual:
“She perched a sliver of butter on top of the rice. From one of the sachets of soy sauce that came with convenience store Bento boxes… she squeezed a single drop into the bowl.
Just as instructed, she moved the butter and some rice to her mouth before the butter had a chance to melt.
…The cold butter first met the roof of her mouth with a chilly sensation, contrasting with the steaming rice in both texture and temperature. The cool butter clashed against her teeth, and she felt its soft texture right down into their roots. Soon enough, just as Kajii had said, the melted butter began to surge through the individual grains of rice. It was a taste that could only be described as golden. A shining golden wave, with an astounding depth of flavour and a faint yet full and rounded aroma, wrapped itself around the rice and washed Rika’s body far away.
Gradually, over the course of many visits, Rika develops a love of food and cooking, and a deep understanding of Kajii. She finds herself admiring the way Kajii has chosen to live her life, eschewing the straight jacket expectations that Japanese society places on women, and the hostility of those women who choose to live their lives by this enforced moral code.
As the relationship develops, we share Rika’s journey as she delves deeper into Kajii’s world, learning as much about herself as she does about Kajii, and making huge changes to her life as a result.
You don’t have to be a foodie to enjoy Butter by Asako Yuzuki, the narrative and the development of the relationship between Rika and Kajii, and by association between Rika and her boyfriend, colleagues, and Reiko, is every bit as absorbing as the succulent descriptions of food. I found the insight into Tokyo culture, attitudes, and work ethic fascinating, and it fed my long-held desire to visit this extraordinary city, not least, to indulge in its food.
