10 books all foodies should read

Kitchen Confidential transformed how the world thinks of dining out, demystifying what goes on in the sweltering kitchens of venerated restaurants. Bourdain’s collection of scandalous anecdotes from his time spent working in high-end restaurants gives readers a glimpse into the underbelly of the enigmatic culinary world.

The book was a first for its time, released at the turn of the century, and uncovered the restaurant business to be thankless but an adventure nonetheless. In it, you’ll learn what days to order fish, why meat should never be ordered well-done, why you should substitute shallots for onions, and that garlic crushers aren’t worth your time. 

What happens when a culture is on the brink of eradication? Slow Noodles answers this question with a vulnerable memoir in which food is a language of love, reclamation, and rebellion. Based on the author’s lived experience of growing up during the Khmer Rouge’s regime, Slow Noodles discusses the pivotal role food played during Ngoun’s upbringing, providing not only sustenance but also hope.

Family recipes find their way into this book and are interspersed through Ngoun’s recollections. Read this for a sentimental, food-centric tale of one of the most tragic eras of Southeast Asian history. 

National Dish allows us to follow the author’s quest to discover how certain foods come to symbolise nationhood. She speaks to the culinary figureheads of six cities, from Naples and Tokyo to Oaxaca and Istanbul, to pinpoint the makers of a national dish and how exactly food expresses history. As she delves into culinary culture across the globe in a unique anthropological travelogue, readers will discover the origins of Neapolitan pizza, the politicisation of gazpacho, and the secret to perfectly cooked rice. 

See also: Bak kut teh is now a national heritage food in Malaysia

Wine People is, first and foremost, a coming of age story. Two young women working in the highly competitive wine industry find themselves becoming reluctant allies in a male-dominated space. The novel grapples with the complications of female friendship made even more tricky by the unforgiving world of wine and the pressures to sell, sell, sell. Expect to be taken on a trip through wine country from Italy to California, complete with unparalleled descriptions of food and wine. 

Before the acclaimed Netflix series came Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat, a cookbook that explores the integral elements of any great dish. The cookbook goes further than its predecessors, getting readers acquainted with ingredients and their traditional uses instead of recipes. The book distils cooking into the art of balancing four elements. Nosrat blurs the lines between home-cooks and professional chefs, providing an illustrated guide to ingredients, techniques, and culinary science. It is a must-have on any bookshelf, especially those of foodies. 

Discussing the commodification of the world’s most valuable fungi, The Mushroom at the End of the World interrogates how humans interact with the natural world. Matsutake mushrooms are one of the world’s most expensive ingredients. Found growing in forests affected by human intervention, these mushrooms flourish in damaged landscapes. It uncovers a peculiar aspect of capitalism, taking readers through the worlds of Japanese gourmands, mushroom traders, Hmong jungle fighters, and Finnish nature guides. Read this to discover how rare ingredients wind up in high-end restaurants and for a deep dive into a world impacted by urbanisation. 

Have you ever wondered how the world’s most authoritarian individuals liked their seafood? How to Feed a Dictator by Witold Szabłowski takes a look at the lives of dictators through the perspectives of their personal chefs. This book is an extremely original take on history and carves out space for those often forgotten by textbooks: chefs. You’ll probably end up finishing this one in one sitting, especially when you find out that people ate Saddam Hussein’s burnt barbecue and overcooked rice, just to be polite.

Heartburn stands as a fictionalised memoir of Nora Ephron’s marriage, from power couple status to infidelity and then divorce. In it, the protagonist finds herself seeking comfort in food, turning to a soulful serving of mashed potatoes for solace. Hopeless romantics who relish a decadent dessert or find respite in the kitchen need to read this. This book will teach you how to treat heartache, the most dramatic way to throw a key lime pie at your ex, and a foolproof vinaigrette recipe. 

An anthological collection of fiction, Cooked Up platforms food as its primary subject. The book is a collaborative venture that views food as the beating heart of culture, family, and community. Written by a diverse group of authors, you’ll find that this book goes beyond describing nostalgic meals but positions food as a means of connection, self-exploration, and finding the common denominators of humanity. 

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