Take a Bite, Eat your way around the World

Take a Bite is the perfect companion to Maps, the gorgeous atlas that is hugely popular in my home. When it first published, my son was young and loved exploring maps, atlases and delving into geography. Maps was bought for him and we spent ages investigating the world.

Take a Bite, Eat your way around the World has just published and is as delightful as its sister, Maps. Busier and full of brilliant details, you could easily lose hours travelling and salivating over the food, recipes and traditions from around the world.

I began with countries I had visited before, seeing if I had experienced any of the foods highlighted and then I moved into places I haven’t visited to see what would entice me on a flight, train or car journey. Having spent a couple of weeks travelling Italy, my husband and I tried several of the foods mentioned.

We travelled extensively in South East Asia and we both loved Vietnam. Travelling through the pages dedicated to this country made our mouths water for Pho, a traditional soup.

I think what sets this book apart from its competitors is the attention to detail and the illustrations. Each country is represented with their food and aspects of their culture, which appear to me to be very well researched. Gatherings of friends and family are shown in many of the places showing the importance of food to a sense of belonging and community.

I will place the pair of these books in the library, knowing already how popular Maps is, and I have no doubt Take a Bite will disappear into someone’s curious hands.

With a sense of history, tradition and cultures, this is a rich and inviting text. I am still reading it days after writing this review. There are several recipes I want to try, including, Chocotorta from Argentina and Layered apple trifle from Norway.

Wonderful books! Check them out and get cooking, travelling via food from the comfort of your own home!