It cannot be said that the gastronomic genre exists as such within the immense world of literature; However, since the word has been printed, a table, an ingredient, a drink or a bite has served as a reason to stir a plot. Of mystery, love, travel, encounters or deaths. Cervantes, Proust, Bécquer, Espronceda, Emilia Pardo Bazán… and, if we continued, we would have a long list of established writers who, at some point in their career, found in what we call gastronomy the leitmotiv for some of his stories.
Eating and drinking are part of the way we relate, even, as Alain Ducasse would say, it is a political act. Therefore, here is our tribute to the most tempting narrative in our bookstores, these are the 16 novels that will awaken your appetite or thirst.
For travelers
Before the coffee cools, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Editorial B De Bolsillo). Here is a novel that is easy to read, where we find small stories that happen in a hidden cafe in Tokyo, famous for its excellent coffee and also because one of its tables hides a passage to the past. In the prologue of the book we find the rules to be able to undertake that trip, just a note: whoever leaves cannot return until his coffee cools down, and when this happens, he will return to the present without anything having been modified, no matter what. the diner has been able to live on that trip. Without a doubt, surprising and entertaining.
Between Gunpowder and Cinnamon, by Eli Brown (Salamandra publishing house). It places us in 1819 and puts us in the story of a cook who is kidnapped by a pirate ship whose captain is a woman, the fearsome Hannah Mabbot. The story is about how the cook manages to save his skin, and to do so, every Sunday he has to prepare a succulent and delicious menu for his captain. All this happens in a political and social background that denounces issues such as the slave trade or abuses in the marketing of silk or silver. A good literary, critical and delicious journey.
For movie buffs
chemistry lessons by Bonnie Garmus (Salamandra publishing house). We are set in the 60s and immerse ourselves in the story of Elizabeth Zott, single mother and star of one of the most watched culinary television shows in the US. However, the protagonist's real passion is to be a chemist. And it is through that passion that Zott finds her way to raise awareness, to demonstrate that through chemistry and cooking you can fight for equality, for women's rights and to achieve your dreams. Broadly speaking, wonderful.
My life in France (Anchor Books publishing house). Without a doubt, it is one of the fundamental books for those who want to know the life of one of the most important women in world gastronomy and American cuisine in particular, Julia Child. This book (will only be found in the English edition) tells of the years that Julia lived in Paris, where she began receiving her cooking classes at Le Cordon Bleu, and where she would begin to fall in love with French cuisine. This is the beginning of the story of the ambassador of French cuisine.
For lovers
Aphrodite by Isabel Allende (Debolsillo editorial). Without a doubt, one of the great books where love and gastronomy form an indissoluble tandem, where each phrase exudes seduction. The magic of the ingredients, their exciting and lustful gift, which in combination in the kitchen results in the magic potion of pleasure. A very personal and fascinating story of love, sex and food. As an added bonus, the edition, now only in paperback, is wonderfully illustrated.
Man, by Kim Thúy (Periférica publishing house). A little book that tells the story of a young refugee, Mãn, who travels from Vietnam to Montreal to be married to the owner of a Vietnamese restaurant also exiled in Canada. What begins as a sad and heartbreaking story becomes a story where memories and affections are revived in every small gesture in the kitchen. The coconut, the juice of a tomato, the cut of a pepper… A novel, simply delicious.
For classical readers
Like water for Chocolate, by Laura Esquivel. There are episodes in this novel that have marked not only the history of literature, but also of cinematography: the moment preparing the quail with rose petals, the dough to make matches, the turkey mole with almonds and sesame seeds, to name a few. . The novel is a love story, full of seduction, where the recipes push the stimuli of its protagonists, where the act of eating becomes a manifestation of love or hate, pleasure or sadness. Simply masterful.
The House of Lucullus by Julio Camba (Reino de Cordelia publishing house). One of the great journalists of the 20th century, Camba wrote this travel book in the first person, without hesitation, giving his opinion on ingredients, aromas and ways of eating from different parts of the world. The book continues to be seen in bookstores as one of those classics for lovers of stories about eating and drinking.
For those who like gruesome stories
The bouquet from fear, by Xabier Gutiérrez (Destino Editorial). An alleged crime, a camera operator of a successful reality kitchen, a cook and a winemaker. A classic story of a cop looking for the murderer, told with freshness and tension. Any book in the gastronomy and mystery saga written by the former chef from the R&D area of the Arzark restaurant is always good entertainment.
Mom for dinner. A cannibal novel, by Shalom Auslander (Blackie Books). He leitmotiv It is brutal: a mother's last wish, after her death, is for her children to eat her; If not, they will not collect the inheritance. This increases when among these supposed heirs there is a vegan and a Jew who only eats food. kosher. In the pages of this wild novel, problems of morality are raised, taboos are questioned and prejudices are sprinkled with malice, all with certain notes of black humor that alleviate the internal conflict it provokes in the reader. Overall, pretty amazing.
For lovers of wine and other drinks
To drink or not to drink. An Ethyl Odyssey, by Lawrence Osborne (Gatopardo Ediciones). A fictional, realistic and sincere journey that the author undertakes around the world searching for the alcohol culture of each place. An entertaining and at times full of humor story, which leads one to reflect on the prohibitions of certain religions, the success of certain spirits and the deep-rooted customs subject to a drink.
The Bottle 18, by Ferrán Centelles Santana (Dionisíacas editions). A small book in size and great in content written by one of the great sommeliers of our country. This book is the proposal to enter a kind of narrative film where, through the author's meeting with several friends-professionals from the world of wine, they trace the dialogue, the history, the anecdotes surrounding the wine that unites them. A little gem halfway between essay and narrative, which can also be purchased at a pack with the mysterious '18' bottle of wine.
For the misunderstood
The vegetarian, of Han Kang (Rata Books). “If you don't eat meat, everyone will eat you,” reflects the protagonist of this novel, who struggles to maintain her vegetarian diet in a hostile environment with her decision to be different, at least at the table.
Gourmet Rhapsody (Seix Barral). It was Muriel Barbery's second novel and one of the classics of narrative with a gastronomic background. Here is the story of a hated food critic who, before his death, cries out to be able to taste the only bite that made him happy. What was it? We will have to get into this story: a trip down taste memory.
And also for 'kitchenettes'
A writer in the kitchen, by Laurie Colwin (Asteroid Books). Without a doubt, it is one of those books for those who truly have a passion for cooking. Everyday stories, moments of intimacy between the stove, unforgettable bites, dinners with friends, or how to get the little ones to eat vegetables, the book spreads passion for the act of eating, for the purity of the ingredient. Inspiring for those who want to start writing with a culinary theme and a relaxed and fun story for those who like taste stories.
Against gourmets (Hightide), by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán. We could fill our gastronomic bookstore with the author's books, but, among all of them, every cook who cares should read this reflection on man and his need for food. About how what we eat defines us. Is eating a necessity or an art? The first edition of this book came out in the 90s and, even today, it deserves rereading and reflection.
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