National Dish
Around the World in Search of Food, History and the Meaning of Home
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Pushkin Press
Published:7th Sep '23
Should be back in stock very soon
This insightful exploration reveals how food shapes cultural identity, as seen in National Dish, where Anya von Bremzen travels across various nations.
In National Dish, award-winning food writer Anya von Bremzen embarks on a captivating journey to explore the saying, 'we are what we eat.' Traveling from Paris to Tokyo, she delves into the culinary landscapes of various cultures, examining how food shapes national identity. Through her vivid storytelling, she highlights the decline of France's pot-au-feu amidst globalization, the surge of ramen, the mythos surrounding pizza, and the complexities of Mexico's mole. Each dish serves as a lens into the social and political narratives of its nation, revealing the intricate relationship between cuisine and identity.
Von Bremzen's exploration extends to the communal aspects of tapas and the multicultural influences that define a meze feast. The book culminates in her return to Queens, New York, where she reflects on the significance of Ukrainian borscht, a dish that has become laden with personal and cultural meaning. Rich in research and infused with humor, National Dish peels back the layers of culinary myths and misunderstandings, reassessing the integral role of food in our cultural heritage.
The narrative is further enriched by an epilogue dedicated to Ukrainian borscht, which has recently been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage dish. Throughout National Dish, von Bremzen invites readers to appreciate the depth of flavors and textures while pondering the profound connections between food, culture, and identity.
'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
'Enchanting, fascinating, thought provoking and humorous' - Claudia Roden
'Anya von Bremzen's new book reads like an engrossing unputdownable novel about the perpetual soup of humanity. And it made me think so much!' - Olia Hercules
'A quest to get to the heart of culinary identity and myth-making, von Bremzem's knowledge is staggering and her writing witty, urgent and personal. I couldn't put it down' - Diana Henry
'Entertaining' -Independent
'In this lively blend of travelogue, food writing and cultural critique, Anya von Bremzen explores the idea of the "national dish" ... [and] calls for food preparation, writing - and of course eating - to be treated with greater political significance than we typically give it' -New Statesman
'New and compelling... 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
'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, Financial Times
ISBN: 9781911590880
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
352 pages