*This book was received as an Advanced Reviewer's Copy from NetGalley

I wasn't sure how to feel when I learned that they were combining the food and travel writing anthologies for 2024. I'd enjoyed the previous years books (having only read the food and not the travel) and thought there was more than enough content from just that standpoint. I think this one is still technically food, but with a few travel stories thrown in. It more seems a disservice to the travel anthologies and writers.

The collection of stories in this one were ok. I can't say that any were hugely impactful for me, but I think they were well chosen. Lakshmi chose a variety of stories that spanned typical food writing about the food itself, to more sociological topics that touched on culture along with food. The one that comes to mind most after reading was about avocados and its impact on drought in Mexico. As a lover of avocados, it means that I'm going to look into sourcing more sustainably when I do have them.

Not a bad anthology but I'm not a fan of combining with the travel. While I enjoy travel writing, and I recognize that a lot of journeys have food incorporated, for me they are separate and deserving of their own editions.

Review by M. Reynard 2024

These essays used to be two separate books but combining food and travel works well. I appreciate being able to find new authors from this series.

As usual, this is an incredible collection of stories about the power of food and people — highly recommended.

In this collection of Best American Food and Travel are twenty-one robust and arresting pieces from around the world that invite readers in to little slices of life. From cheesesteaks in Philly and fast food in Mississippi to avocados in Mexico and grapes in Palestinian vineyards.

These essays, though packed with mouth-watering meals and exquisite travels, offer much more to savor. In the introduction, we witness Lakshmi wrestle with the grief of her absent father’s death. In “The Science of Savoring”, Andrews explores how mindful eating can lead to a more fulfilled life. In “The Gay Roots of (Ugh) Friendsgiving”, Birdsall explores the origin of Friendsgiving—originally Queer Thanksgiving—in America in response to the 1980’s AIDS crisis in San Francisco. In “My Favorite Restaurant Served Gas”, Laymon describes finding a love for food in a gas station. In “Meet America’s Godmother of Tofu”, Sen relays an inspiring tale of one woman’s determination for Americans to embrace tofu.

As with most essay collections, there are hits and misses; some I enjoyed more than others. Still, each piece was written well and the writers chosen for this year’s collection are excellent contenders. The themes of food and/or travel stay present throughout each essay. At the root of these essays is the human desire to connect, specifically over our shared need for food.

Thank you Mariner Books and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review! Available 10/22/2024.

The Best American Food and Travel Writing incorporates multiple different authors for each sections which creates an interesting approach. There’s a lot of history immersed into the book. It was interesting to learn about how food is an important part of history.

One of the sections "India's Beef with Beef” was fascinating to learn about how government policies had such a role in extreme acts of some Hindu groups.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

I read a past book in this series, 2022's Best American Food Writing. I remember it being an excellent read with some stand-out works. This new edition, that now incorporates the best travel writing as well? Astonishing. Piece after piece was educational and enlightening, each one unique.

Some of the works that left me the most impressed:

- "India's Beef with Beef" - an insightful piece about the role of beef within Indian society and how some extreme Hindu groups are using beef as an excuse to persecute Muslims.
- "The Hungry Jungle" - I thought this would only be about a trek into the Guatemalan jungle for a wedding, but it included a piece of evocative body horror that has lingered with me for days. I will NOT be making a similar journey myself, let me tell you.
- "Notable Sandwiches #75: Grilled Cheese" - a rapturous short work on the glory of the grilled cheese sandwich. It made me crave.
- "My Catalina" - a meditation on grief and memory revolving around the author's mother's reliance on Catalina dressing. "Eating Badly," the very last piece in the book, took a different angle on the theme of grief through a Chinese-American perspective, with a final line that was breathtaking.
- "The Titan Submersible Was 'An Accident Waiting to Happen'" - A deeply-researched piece on the Titan submersible and its bombastic creator, who died when the submarine and its passengers were lost over the wreck of the Titanic. Really, a piece about arrogance and innovation, and the lack of industry safeguards. I had no idea how hard a whistleblower fought to end this project.
- "Unsafe Passage" - a first-person account from a Palestinian man who tried to get out of Gaza with his family. Heart-breaking and infuriating.

Really, I could cite something that was noteworthy about every story. There is not a dud in the bunch. The curators did an incredible job.

I'm not sure how to review a book like this. Will everyone find a few pieces of writing that they enjoy? I do think that they will. Take a look at the table of contents, because it is likely that you're considering this book because you're interested in a certain place or kind of food. But I would also urge you to take the opportunity to visit a new place, try a new food and make some new discoveries. It's that kind of book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. Always a pleasure!

A wonderful collection of essays compiled by Padma Lakshmi .Padmas essay about her connection to food family and the heartbreak of her fathers abandonment was outstanding.#netgalley #marinerbooks.