National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History and the Meaning of Home

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In National Dish, award-winning food writer Anya von Bremzen sets out to investigate the eternal cliche that 'we are what we eat'. Her journey takes her from Paris to Tokyo, from Seville, Oaxaca and Naples to Istanbul. She probes the decline of France's pot-au-feu in the age of globalisation, the stratospheric rise of ramen, the legend of pizza, the postcolonial paradoxes of Mexico's mole, the community essence of tapas, and the complex legacy of multiculturalism in a meze feast. Finally she returns to her home in Queens, New York, for a bowl of Ukrainian borsch - a dish which has never felt more loaded, or more precious.As each nation's social and political identity is explored, so too is its palate. Rich in research, colourful characters and lively wit, National Dish peels back the layers of myth and misunderstanding around world cuisines, reassessing the pivotal role of food in our cultural heritage and identity.

Reviews

'A fast-paced, entertaining travelogue, peppered with compact history lessons that reveal the surprising ways dishes become iconic' - New York Times

'This voyage into culinary myth-making and identity is essential reading. Its breadth of scope and scholarship is conveyed with such engaging wit. I couldn't love it more' - Nigella Lawson

'This dazzlingly intelligent examination of how foods become national symbols . . . so enlightening - as well as so much fun to read . . . Von Bremzen is a superb describer of flavours and textures - but she also understands that food is never just about food' - Bee Wilson

'For all its dry wit and vivid descriptions of puttanesca and tortillas, this is a serious book - a skilful blend of academic research and lived experience. It's a sparklingly intelligent examination of, and a meditation on, the interplay of cooking and identity' - Spectator

'A playful, erudite and mouthwatering exploration of ideas around food and identity. With the help of a diverse cast of characters and dishes, Anya von Bremzen highlights the intricacies and the contradictions of our relationship with what we eat' - Fuschia Dunlop

Author Bio

Anya von Bremzen is the winner of three James Beard Awards for her books and journalism. She is the author of six acclaimed cookbooks and a memoir-Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking-which won the Guild of Food Writers 2014 Food Book of the Year. She has written for Food & Wine, Travel+Leisure, Saveur, the New Yorker, and the Guardian among other publications. She was born in Russia and emigrated to the USA as a child. When not on the road, Anya divides her time between New York and Istanbul.