The Best Travel Cookbooks

Tamara Gane is a freelance food, drink, and travel writer based in Seattle. In addition to Smarter Travel, she has bylines in The Washington Post, NPR, Reader's Digest, Wine Enthusiast, Lonely Planet, Fodor's Travel, and more.

See recent posts by Tamara Gane

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When I reminisce about my favorite vacations, what I often long for the most is the food. Those delicious meals rooted in place, culture and shared with family and friends. These amazing cookbooks are my favorite way to relive my most treasured travel experiences over and over again while I’m at home.

Washington Wine and Food: A Cookbook

Washington state is home to beautiful vistas, endless activities, an incredible dining scene, and over 1,000 wineries. If you can’t visit in person, Washington Wine and Food: A Cookbook by Julien Perry will transport you there. The book features recipes from Seattle’s most celebrated chefs alongside pairings from Washington’s best wineries. As an added bonus, it’s gorgeous enough to double as a coffee table book with page after page of stunning photographs.

Made in Mexico: The Cookbook: Classic and Contemporary Recipes from Mexico City

One of the best things about Made in Mexico: The Cookbook, is the wide range of the recipes. Rooted in the mouth-watering fare of Mexico City, legendary chef Danny Mena has created recipes inspired by everything from the city’s fanciest restaurants to its humblest of taco stands. The result is a delicious, versatile cookbook with a recipe for nearly every budget and occasion.

Gullah Cuisine: By Land and Sea

It’s hard to overestimate the impact of Gullah culture on Southern food. Charlotte Jenkins was raised in Awenda, South Carolina, where ancestral African cooking techniques are still used to this day. In Gullah Cuisine: By Land and Sea, she shares authentic Gullah recipes with stories of life in the Lowcountry alongside striking illustrations and photographs. Now in its third edition, it’s an essential book for anyone who wants to add a new layer to their appreciation of Southern cuisine.

Chaat: Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India: A Cookbook

If you can’t get to India for vacation, at least you can immerse yourself in its vibrant flavors through James Beard Award winner Maneet Chahaun’s sublime cookbook, Chaat: Recipes from The Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India. Part cookbook, part beautifully photographed travelogue, the food pays delicious tribute to India’s myriad cuisines while taking you on a historical and cultural journey through the country.

The VeryVera Cookbook: Recipes from MyTable

Augusta, Georgia is best known for playing host to the Masters Golf Tournament every year, but it also happens to be one of the most underrated places in the United States thanks to its incredible food and culture scene. Local luminary Vera Stewart shares stories from her life alongside her favorite recipes in the VeryVera Cookbook: Recipes from My Table. Delectable highlights include the carrot cake that beat Bobby Flay in the Food Network’s Throwdown, flaky buttermilk biscuits, and main dishes like shrimp and crawfish. It’s comfort food at its best.

Miami Cooks: Recipes from the City’s Favorite Restaurants

Miami is a gorgeous city with one of the most dazzling and diverse food scenes on the planet with influences from Cuba, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Jamaica, and Peru, among other cultures. The result is a kaleidoscope of flavors and a food lover’s dream. In Miami Cooks: Recipes from The CIty’s Favorite Restaurants, Sarah Liss rounds up the best of Miami food culture so cooks of all skill levels can create cocktails and dishes from Miami’s best restaurants at home.

Ethiopia: Recipes and Traditions from The Horn Of Africa

Ethiopia is home to one of the most dramatic landscapes of the world with rolling green hills, towering bluffs, and majestic waterfalls. In Ethiopia: Recipes and Traditions from the Horn of Africa, Yohannis Gebreyesus helps you recreate the beauty of his home country in your own kitchen. This book immerses you in Ethiopian culture with stories, recipes, and spectacular photographs of the land, architecture, and people that make Ethiopia a must-visit.

Vietnamese Food Every Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors

One of the most challenging parts about creating cultural dishes is having access to the right ingredients, especially if you don’t live near a specialty store. This is what makes Vietnamese Food Every Day: Simple Recipes For True, Fresh Flavors so unique. Andrea Nguyen’s tantalizing recipes have been engineered to create the authentic food of Vietnam with ingredients you can find in your pantry and local grocery store. The dishes are delicious, packed with flavor, and most of all, accessible.

Tailgreat: How to Crush it at Tailgating

Tailgating is a way of life in Oxford, Mississippi and there’s perhaps no one who knows that better than James Beard award-winning chef, John Currence. The chef is a self-described tailgating fanatic and in Tailgreat: How to Crush it at Tailgating he has created an indispensable guide for anyone who wants to take their game-day food to the next level. Expect bold recipes for local favorites like sweet mustard pulled pork and easy oven-baked ribs.

Portland Cooks: Recipes from the City’s Best Restaurant and Bars

Portland, Oregon is renowned for restaurants helmed by some of the most creative chefs in the country. Luckily, you don’t have to travel there to get a taste of what the city has to offer. Portland Cooks: Recipes from the City’s Best Restaurant and Bars allows you to explore the culinary delights of the city without leaving home. The book includes recipes for cocktails, special occasion dinners, and casual fare. It’s a cookbook you can turn to any day of the week.

Season: A Year of Wine Country Food, Family, Farming, and Friends

California wine country is famous throughout the world for its wineries, farm-to-table restaurants, and astonishingly beautiful scenery. Although we can’t help with the scenery, you can experience the food and wine at home through Season: A Year of Wine Country Food, Family, Farming, and Friends. The recipes have been created by Justin Wrangler, Tracey Shepos Cenami, and Tucker Taylor of the iconic Jackson Family Wines. Filled with lavish photographs, the book is organized by season to help you utilize the freshest possible ingredients. Standouts include recipes for unique dishes like buttermilk pie and staples like sumptuous beef tenderloin. Cheers.

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