Nosrat - The Best American Food Writing 2019

Copyright 2019 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Introduction copyright 2019 by Samin Nosrat

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ISSN 2578-7667 (print) ISSN 2578-7675 (ebook)

ISBN 9781-328662255 (print) ISBN 9781-328663092 (ebook)

Cover design by Christopher Moisan Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Cover photograph flydragon / Shutterstock

Nosrat photograph Grant Delin

v1.0919

Flavors of Space-Time (originally titled New Sentences: From The Noma Guide to Fermentation) by Sam Anderson. First published in the New York Times Magazine, November 1, 2018. Copyright 2018 by The New York Times. Reprinted by permission.

A Kingdom from Dust by Mark Arax. First published in California Sunday Magazine, January 31, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Mark Arax. Reprinted by permission of Mark Arax.

Fainting at the Sight of an Egg by Yemisi Aribisala. First published in Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex and Nigerian Taste Buds, Cassava Republic Press, 2016. Reproduced as The Girls Who Fainted at the Sight of an Egg in The New Yorker, January 2, 2018. Copyright 2016 by Yemisi Aribisala. Reprinted by permission of Cassava Republic Press.

Bean Freaks by Burkhard Bilger. First published in The New Yorker, April 23, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Burkhard Bilger. Reprinted by permission of Burkhard Bilger.

Salty Tooth by Mark Binelli. First published in the New York Times Magazine, October 24, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Mark Binelli. Reprinted by permission of Mark Binelli.

In the Twin Cities, Asian Chefs Feel the Sting of Andrew Zimmerns Insults. They Say His Apology Isnt Enough. by Tim Carman. First published in Washington Post, December 26, 2018. Copyright 2018 by The Washington Post. All rights reserved. Used under license.

The Food of My Youth by Melissa Chadburn. First published in New York Review of Books, July 9, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Melissa Chadburn. Reprinted by permission of Melissa Chadburn. This piece was supported by Economic Hardship Reporting Project.

In Kotzebue, Alaska, Hunters are Bringing Traditional Foodsand a Sense of Comfortto Their Local Elders by Charlee Dyroff. First published in Pacific Standard, July 17, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Charlee Dyroff. Reprinted by permission of Charlee Dyroff.

Why Do Poor Americans Eat So Unhealthfully? Because Junk Food Is the Only Indulgence They Can Afford. by Priya Fielding-Singh. First published in Los Angeles Times, February 7, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Priya Fielding-Singh. Reprinted by permission of Priya Fielding-Singh.

The Maraschino Mogul (originally titled The Maraschino Moguls Secret Life) by Ian Frazier. First published in The New Yorker, April 23, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Ian Frazier. Reprinted by permission of The Wylie Agency, LLC.

Black History at Harlem Hops by Hannah Goldfield. First published in The New Yorker, August 27, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Cond Nast. Reprinted with permission.

Hearts of Cornthe Women of Yoon Ixim by Kate Hill. First published in Saveur, September 10, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Kate Hill. Reprinted by permission of Kate Hill.

Do You Eat Dog? by Soleil Ho. First published in Taste, July 12, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Taste. Reprinted by permission of Taste.

The Life of a Restaurant Inspector: Rising Grades, Fainting Owners by Priya Krishna. First published in the New York Times, June 5, 2018. Copyright 2018 by The New York Times. Reprinted by permission.

Sliced and Diced: Heres How Cornell Scientist Brian Wansink Turned Shoddy Data into Viral Studies About How We Eat by Stephanie M. Lee. First published in Buzzfeed News, February 25, 2018. Copyright 2018 by BuzzFeed, Inc. Reprinted by permission of BuzzFeed, Inc.

Hot Wet Goobers by Shane Mitchell. First published in The Bitter Southerner. Copyright 2018 by Shane Mitchell. Reprinted by permission of Shane Mitchell.

Bison Bars Were Supposed to Restore Native Communities and Grass-based Ranches. Then Came Epic Provisions. by Marilyn Noble. First published in New Food Economy, November 27, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Marilyn Noble. Reprinted by permission of Marilyn Noble.

Big in Japan by Tejal Rao. First published in the New York Times Magazine, October 24, 2018. Copyright 2018 by The New York Times. Reprinted by permission.

Anthony Bourdain and the Power of Telling the Truth by Helen Rosner. First published in The New Yorker, June 8, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Cond Nast. Reprinted with permission.

Food Fight by Kathryn Schulz. First published in The New Yorker, October 1, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Kathryn Schulz. Reprinted by permission of Kathryn Schulz.

The Gay Man Who Brought Tapas to America by Mayukh Sen. First published in Taste, October 18, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Taste. Reprinted by permission of Taste.

The Vegan Race Wars: How the Mainstream Ignores Vegans of Colors by Khushbu Shah. First published in Thrillist, January 26, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Group Nine Media, Inc. Reprinted courtesy of Group Nine Media, Inc.

Sugartime by Ruby Tandoh. First published in Eater, August 6, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Vox Media, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Vox Media, Inc.

I Had Never Eaten in Ghana Before. But My Ancestors Had. by Michael W. Twitty. First published in Bon Apptit, August 16, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Michael W. Twitty. Reprinted by permission of Michael W. Twitty.

On Reading Jonathan Gold by Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft. First published in Los Angeles Review of Books, November 24, 2018. Copyright 2018 by Los Angeles Review of Books. Reprinted by permission of Los Angeles Review of Books.

Generally speaking, the Food Establishmentwhich is not to be confused with the Chef Establishment, the Food-Industry Establishment, the Gourmet Establishment, or the Wine Establishmentconsists of those people who write about food or restaurants on a regular basis, either in books, magazines, or certain newspapers, and thus have the power to start trends and, in some cases, begin and end careers...

The typical member of the Food Establishment lives in Greenwich Village, buys his vegetables at Balduccis, his bread at the Zito bakery, and his cheese at Bloomingdales. He dines at the Coach House. He is given to telling you, apropos of nothing, how many souffls he has been known to make in a short period of time.

Nora Ephron, The Food Establishment, September 1968

One of the most important things to consider about food writing, besides its entertainment value and journalistic virtue, is who is doing it. The subject of Nora Ephrons half-century-old essaythe first in her collection