A fast-paced, entertaining travelogue, peppered with compact history lessons that reveal the surprising ways dishes become iconic - New York Times

This voyage into culinary myth-making and identity is essential reading. Its breadth of scope and scholarship is conveyed with such engaging wit. I couldn't love it more -- Nigella Lawson

This dazzlingly intelligent examination of how foods become national symbols . . . so enlightening - as well as so much fun to read . . . Von Bremzen is a superb describer of flavours and textures - but she also understands that food is never just about food -- Bee Wilson - Financial Times

For all its dry wit and vivid descriptions of puttanesca and tortillas, this is a serious book - a skilful blend of academic research and lived experience. It's a sparklingly intelligent examination of, and a meditation on, the interplay of cooking and identity - Spectator

A playful, erudite and mouthwatering exploration of ideas around food and identity. With the help of a diverse cast of characters and dishes, Anya von Bremzen highlights the intricacies and the contradictions of our relationship with what we eat -- Fuschia Dunlop

Enchanting, fascinating, thought provoking and humorous -- Claudia Roden

'In this lively blend of travelogue, food writing and cultural critique, Anya von Bremzen explores the idea of the "national dish" ... [and] calls for food preparation, writing - and of course eating - to be treated with greater political significance than we typically give it' - New Statesman

Anya von Bremzen's new book reads like an engrossing unputdownable novel about the perpetual soup of humanity. And it made me think so much! -- Olia Hercules

A quest to get to the heart of culinary identity and myth-making, von Bremzem's knowledge is staggering and her writing witty, urgent and personal. I couldn't put it down -- Diana Henry

Entertaining - Independent

Revealing and richly detailed exploration of six national cuisines . . . Fans of food and travel writing will want to sink their teeth into this - Publishers Weekly

Every dish tells a story. A powerful storyteller herself, Anya von Bremzen blends historical research and beautiful writing into this absorbing crazy-smart book about how food defines who we are and where we come from. Whether she's decoding pizza in Naples or tortillas in Mexico, Anya is your perfect guide to the profound subjects of nationalism, food, and identity. And she's often funny as hell. -- René Redzepi, chef and co-owner of NOMA

In this piquant platter of a book, von Bremzen tackles questions of culture, history, and the meaning of a good meal . . . Her vivid narrative is packed with intriguing characters, and in some countries, conversations about the food can be as important as the dish itself - Kirkus Reviews

Vivid . . . for readers who appreciate a sensorial journey and eschew arriving at easy conclusions, this will hit the spot - Booklist

Anya von Bremzen, already a legend of food writing and a storytelling inspiration to me, has done her best work yet. National Dish is a must-read for all those who believe in building longer tables where food is what bring us all together -- José Andrés

Nobody writes about food like Anya Von Bremzen. In this smart, personal, and compulsively readable book she takes on history, politics, love and flavor to show us the real meaning of what we eat -- Ruth Reichl

Anya von Bremzen is the winner of three James Beard Awards for her books and journalism. She is the author of six acclaimed cookbooks and a memoir-Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking-which won the Guild of Food Writers 2014 Food Book of the Year. She has written for Food & Wine, Travel+Leisure, Saveur, the New Yorker, and the Guardian among other publications. She was born in Russia and emigrated to the USA as a child. When not on the road, Anya divides her time between New York and Istanbul.