...and the top-rated book around the world in 2024 is Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh, Tara Wigley and Verena Lochmuller

This is our 16th year of compiling the Best of the Best. We search the globe to come up with the definitive list of the best books on food and drink of the year. Not just one reviewer's opinion but an amalgamation of every list we could find.

In this year's Best of the Best list we combined 353 best food and drink books of 2024 lists from TV, Radio, Newspapers, Magazines, Websites, Blogs and Booksellers across the world (there are links to all of them below).

For those of you interested in data:

  • From 353 lists there were 3,640 votes
  • 880 different books made the list
  • 382 books had only one vote

Check out the Best cookbooks of 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009 lists.

Indexed

1. Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh, Tara Wigley and Verena Lochmuller reimagines comfort food through the authors' lens of bold flavors and innovative techniques. Familiar dishes are elevated into extraordinary culinary experiences. This collection of over 100 recipes weaves together cherished memories from the authors' childhoods, culinary travels, and professional experience.

Indexed

2. Sift: The Elements of Great Baking by Nicola Lamb is a masterpiece containing 115 pages of comprehensive baking knowledge, diving deep into the science of ingredients, their roles in baking, ingredient substitutions, and detailed information about yeast and fermentation - all before introducing a single recipe. What sets this book apart is its meticulous attention to timing - each recipe includes a detailed timeline for planning purposes. The recipe selection is comprehensive and well-curated. This is an indispensable resource for any baker, earning a permanent place in our cookbook collections.

Indexed

=3.  Amrikan: 125 Recipes from the Indian American Diaspora by Khushbu Shah is a vibrant exploration of Indian American cuisine features Shah illuminates how Indian food has evolved in America. At its heart lies the art of adaptation - a cornerstone of diaspora cooking. Shah masterfully reinvents cherished classics like upma and dosas while introducing innovative fusion dishes that speak to the Indian American experience. The cookbook's practical approach shines through in its clever use of pantry staples, showing home cooks multiple ways to transform everyday ingredients like lentils and instant noodles.

Indexed

=3. Bodega Bakes: Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store by Paola Velez is a heartfelt homage to the author's Dominican heritage and New York City upbringing. Featuring over 100 recipes, it showcases an array of confections each infused with the vibrant flavors of her cultural journey. For baking enthusiasts seeking to explore international flavors at home, this collection is a revelation. Paola's thoughtful approach to accessibility is a plus: a dedicated 'Trip to the Bodega' section guides readers through essential pantry items, while Paola's expert tips ensure success regardless of kitchen equipment.

Indexed

=3. Matty Matheson - Soups, Salads, Sandwiches by Matty Matheson reimagines the fundamental trinity of everyday dining: soups, salads, and sandwiches. Though they form the backbone of our daily meals, these dishes rarely receive the culinary spotlight they deserve. That changes here. Known for his bold, innovative approach to cooking, Matheson has crafted a cookbook that transforms these kitchen basics into something extraordinary. He offers signature twists on familiar favorites, designed with an elegant simplicity: minimal effort, maximum flavor.

Indexed

6. Easy Wins: 12 Flavour Hits, 125 Delicious Recipes, 365 Days of Good Eating by Anna Jones focuses on 12 "hero ingredients" to elevate everyday cooking. These ingredients, ranging from lemons and olive oil to miso and tahini, are used in 132 brand new recipes that are both flavorful and simple to prepare. In addition to the recipes, Anna shares her "golden rules" for kitchen success and provides guidance on incorporating more plant-based ingredients into your diet for both personal and environmental benefits.

Indexed

7. Koreaworld: A Cookbook by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard is a vibrant exploration of Korean cuisine that takes readers on a culinary journey through Korea and its Koreatowns around the globe. The book features over 75 bold and flavor-packed recipes, accompanied by stunning photography. This title delves into the exciting evolution of Korean food, showcasing stories of chefs and home cooks who are shaping modern Korean cuisine.

Indexed

8. Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets from Around the World by Ben Mims is a stunning title that covers cookie recipes from 100 countries around the globe. Each recipe begins with a fascinating origin story, followed by clear, step-by-step instructions and notes on regional variations. Organized geographically, Crumbs is chock-full of old-world and modern classics, along with intriguing local recipes. Richly illustrated and easy to navigate, the book features gorgeous photographs and special icons designating dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan recipes, as well as approachable, easy-to-make options that come together in 30 minutes or less.

Indexed

9. What Goes with What: 100 Recipes, 20 Charts, Endless Possibilities by Julia Turshen is an original, inspired, and interactive approach to cooking that takes the guesswork out of everyday meals. Julia offers readers a new way to think about cooking, one that focuses on mastering the alchemy of a meal and then offers endless iterations. Organized into six sections (salads and sandwiches; soups, stews and braises; rice, more grains, and pasta; vegetables; mains; and baked goods), Julia arms readers with 20 charts and 100 recipes that teach them how to build a successful dish, while making ample room for creativity and personal preference.

Indexed

10. Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking: Vegan Recipes, Tips, and Techniques by Joe Yonan brings the richness of vegan cuisine with more than 400 mouthwatering recipes for flavorful staples, weeknight meals, and celebratory feasts. The book opens with an in-depth pantry section, showing how to create homemade versions of foundational ingredients like milks, butters, stocks, dressings, and spice mixes. In addition the photography is stunning and recipes will appeal to any person around your dinner table.

Runners Up

Top British/Irish Picks

   1. Easy Wins by Anna Jones
 =2. Dinner by Meera Sodha
 =2. Ottolenghi Comfort by the Ottolenghi team
   4. Sift: The Elements of Great Baking by Nicola Lamb
=5. Greekish by Georgina Hayden
=5. Nights Out at Home by Jay Rayner
  7. A Thousand Feasts by Nigel Slater
  8. The Food For Life Cookbook by Tim Spector
  9. What I Ate in One Year (and Related Thoughts) by Stanley Tucci
10. Café Cecilia Cookbook by Max Rocha

Top Australian/New Zealand Picks

  1.  Good Cooking Every Day by Julia Busuttil Nishimura
=2. Ottolenghi Comfort by the Ottolenghi team
=2. Salad for Days Alice Zaslavsky
=4. Beatrix Bakes Another Slice by Natalie Paull
=4. Love Crumbs by Nadine Ingram
=4. Some of My Best Friends are Cookies by Emelia Jackson
  7. RecipeTin Eats - Tonight by Nagi Maehashi
=8. Bake with Brooki by Brooke Bellamy
=8. Time for Dinner by Adam Liaw
=8. Tipo 00 The Pasta Cookbook by Andreas Papadakis
=8. Tony Tan's Asian Cooking Class by Tony Tan
=8. Vegan Italian Food by Shannon Martinez

Top Canadian Picks

  1. Soups, Salads, Sandwiches by Matty Matheson
=2. Ottolenghi Comfort by the Ottolenghi team
=2. Chuck's Home Cooking by Chuck Hughes
=2. Flour is Flavour by Dawn Woodward
=5. Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
=5. Bethlehem by Fadi Kattan
=5. Good Food, Healthy Planet by Puneeta Chhitwal-Varma
=5. Justine Cooks by Justine Doiron
=5. Nature's Candy by Camilla Wynne
=5. The Book of Sandwiches

Top Drink Books

    1. The Connaught Bar by Agostino Perrone
  =2. The Martini by Alice Lascelles
  =2. Who's Afraid of Romanée-Conti? by Dan Keeling
    4. One Thousand Vines by Pascaline Lepeltier
    5. The Bartender's Pantry by Jim Meehan
    6. Bourbon Land by Edward Lee
  =7. On Tuscany by Various
  =7. Wine Confident by Kelli A. White
  =9. A Most Noble Water by Anistatia Miller & Jared Brown
  =9. Freezer Door Cocktails by J. M. Hirsch
  =9. The World Atlas of Whisky by Dave Broom

Top Baking & Bread Books

  1. Sift by Nicola Lamb
  2. Bodega Bakes by Paola Velez
  3. Crumbs by Ben Mims
  4. Zoë Bakes Cookies by Zoë François
  5. I'll Bring Dessert by Benjamina Ebuehi
  6. The Elements of Baking by Katarina Cermelj
  7. Very Good Bread by Melissa Weller
=8. Sweet Tooth by Sarah Fennel
=8. Dolci! by Renato Poliafito
10. Big Book of Bread by King Arthur Baking Company

Top Vegetarian & Vegan Books

  1. Easy Wins by Anna Jones
  2. Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking by Joe Yonan
  3. Dinner by Meera Sodha
  4. Big Vegan Flavor by Nisha Vora
  5. The Elements of Baking by Katarina Cermelj
  6. Sebze by Özlem Warren
  7. Joyfull by Radhi Devlukia-Shetty
  8. The Weekday Vegetarians Get Simple by Jenny Rosenstrach
=9. A-Gong's Table by George Lee
=9. PlantYou - Scrappy Cooking by Carleigh Bodrug
=9. Vegetables by Mark Diacono

Top Memoirs & Books About Food

  1. Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
  2. What I Ate in One Year (and Related Thoughts) by Stanley Tucci
  3. A Thousand Feasts by Nigel Slater
  4. Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts by Crystal Wilkinson
  5. Nights Out at Home by Jay Rayner
  6. Julia Child's Kitchen by Paula Johnson
=7. If You Can't Take the Heat by Geraldine DeRuiter
=7. The Gourmand's Lemon by Gourmand
=7. Sylvia Plath's Tomato Soup Cake by Various Authors
=7. Slow Noodles by Chantha Nguon
=7. Cold Kitchen by Caroline Eden
=7. Bite by Bite by Various Authors
=7. A Season for That by Steve Hoffman

Sources for Data

Eat Your Books

Jenny's favorite books, Gift guide for bakers

TV, Radio, YouTube & Podcasts

7 News (Australia), The Current (CBC Podcast), Food Network (gifts), Food Network (baking), Food Network (vegan), Food Network (healthy), The Food Programme (BBC Radio 4), HGTV, KCRW (Celia Sack), KCRW (Good Food team), KCRW (food writing), KQED Bay Area Bites (San Francisco CA), NPR (Books We Love), NPR (Here & Now), NPR - The Splendid Table (fall), Today FM (Ireland), Today Show (NBC)

Newspapers & magazines

USA: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (summer), Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (fall), Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (best drinks books fall), Billings Gazette, Bon Appétit, BookPage (gifts), The Boston Globe, Charlotte Observer, Cherry Bombe Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland Plain Dealer (drinks), Cleveland Plain Dealer (regional), Conde Nast Traveler, Deep South Magazine, Edible South Florida, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, Esquire, Evanston Round Table (gifts), Field & Stream, Food & Wine Magazine, Food & Wine Magazine (spring), Food & Wine Magazine (summer), Food & Wine Magazine (fall), Forbes (summer), Forbes (fall), Forbes (gifts for beginners), Forbes (wine books), Garden & Gun (Southern cookbooks), Good Housekeeping, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, The Local Palate, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times (spring), Los Angeles Times (coffee-table books), The Morning Call (spring), Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, The New York Times Food Section, The New York Times (wine books), The New Yorker, O Magazine (baking books), O Magazine (dessert books), Parade (most anticipated), Portland Press Herald (vegan cookbooks), Publishers Weekly (spring), Publishers Weekly (fall), Publishers Weekly (gifts), Publishers Weekly (lifestyle), Real Simple (gift guide), San Francisco Chronicle (local), Saveur (food writing), Saveur (gifts), Seattle Times, Seattle Times (nutrition), Seattle Times (gifts), Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (local authors), Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (baking), Table Magazine, Twin Cities Pioneer Press (gifts), USA Today (spring), Union-Tribune San Diego, Wall Street Journal, Wall Street Journal (spring), The Washington Post (cookbooks), The Washington Post (food writing), Wired

Canada: Canadian Living, Elle Canada, The Globe & Mail (summer), The Globe & Mail (best books), The Globe & Mail (food writing), The Globe & Mail (kid's cookbooks), The Globe & Mail (wine books), National Post, Toronto Star (gifts)

UK & Ireland: BBC Good Food (baking), BBC Good Food (vegetarian), BBC Good Food (vegan), BBC Good Food (air fryer), Church Times, Cosmopolitan, Decanter (wine & drink books), Delicious Magazine, Delicious Magazine (winter), Delicious Magazine (spring), Delicious Magazine (summer), Esquire UK (best cocktail books), Financial Times, Food & Wine (IE), Good Housekeeping UK, The Guardian, Harper's Bazaar, The Herald (Scotland), House & Garden, The Independent, The Independent (food writing), Irish Examiner, Irish Examiner (gifts), The Irish News, The Irish Times, The Jewish Chronicle, National Geographic UK (autumn), National Geographic UK (winter), National Geographic UK (travel), Observer Food Monthly (best cookbooks), Olive Magazine (coffee table books), Olive Magazine (summer), The Scotsman, The Spectator, The Spectator (drinks books), The Telegraph (wine books), The Times, The Week

Australia & New Zealand: The Australian Financial Review, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Australian Women's Weekly Magazine, Good Food (Sydney Morning Herald) Part 1

International: Harper's Bazaar (India), The Sunday Times (South Africa)

Blogs, websites & online magazines

USA: Afar (summer), BiblioLifestyle, The Blondissima (memoirs), Book Authority, BookBub, BookRiot (favorites), BookRiot (anticipated), BookRiot (gifts), Camille Styles, Chowhound (fall), Civil Eats, Civil Eats (summer), The Cooking World, The Daily Meal, Delish, The Dinner Plan, Eater (spring), Eater (fall), Eater (wine gifts), Eater (food writing), Eliot's Eats, Epicurious (spring), Epicurious (summer), Epicurious (baking), Epicurious (vegetarian & vegan), Epicurious, Fine Dining Lovers, Food52 (community picks), Food Republic, FoodTank, FoodTank, The Fresh Cooky, Kitchen Lit (spring), Kitchen Lit (summer), Kitchen Lit (gifts), K Publishing, Library Journal, Library Journal (fall), Modern Mrs. Darcy (gifts), Mom's Kitchen Handbook, J.P. Morgan, Christina Mueller, Omnivoracious (gifts), Plate (spring), Plate (fall), The Read Down, The Read Down (vegan and vegetarian), The Rebel Chick, Red Sauce America, The Robb Report (spring), The Robb Report (fall), The Robb Report, A Serious Bunburyist, Serious Eats, She Reads, Shelf Awareness (Part 1), Shelf Awareness (Part 2), Shelf Awareness (kids), Simply Recipes (fall), Smithsonian.com (books about food), Tasting Table, Tasting Table (beginners), Tasting Table (baking), Tasting Table (gifts), Tertulia, Tertulia (spring), Tertulia (healthy eating), VegNews, What's Gaby Cooking, Zestful Kitchen

Canada: 49th Shelf, Canada's 100 Best, Constantly Cooking With Paula Roy, Eat North (gifts), Good Life Vancouver, Simple Bites, Vita Daily

UK & Ireland: Big Spud, GastroGays, The Gloss, The Guide (spring), The Guide (autumn), The Guide (gifts), The Happy Foodie (best), The Happy Foodie (vegan), The Happy Foodie (baking), The Happy Foodie (serious cooks), The Happy Foodie (gifts), The Happy Foodie (healthy), The Happy Foodie (preview), Hot Dinners, Susan Low, Muddy Stilettos, MummyPages, Penguin.co.uk (gifts), Shemazing, SquareMeal (restaurant books), Stylist, Tales From Topographic Kitchens, Wallpaper*

Australia & New Zealand: Broadsheet, Broadsheet (Australian), Kulinary Adventures of Kath (Part I), Kulinary Adventures of Kath (Part II), Lamb's Ears & Honey

International: Slurrp (India)

Booksellers, Libraries & Book Awards

Akron-Summit County Public Library, Amazon.com (cookbooks), Amazon.com (mid-year), Amazon.com (bios & memoirs), Amazon.com (food writing), Amazon.com.au (non-fiction), Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.co.uk (summer), Amazon.co.uk (editor picks), The Andre Simon Awards (food books), The Andre Simon Awards (drinks books), Angus & Robertson Bookworld (Australia), Appetite for Books of Montreal, Avid Reader, Brisbane, Australia, Barnes & Noble, Barnes & Noble (memoirs), Bartleby's Books, VT, BEM Books (Brooklyn, NY), Binding Agents (Philadelphia), Blue Willow Bookshop (West Houston TX), Bold Fork Books of Washington D.C., Books-a-Million (UK), Book Larder of Seattle, Books for Cooks of Melbourne, Australia Bookculture of New York City, Bookshop (fall), Bookshop (vegetable books), Bookshop (gifts), Bookshop Marble City Books (spring), Bookshop Santa Cruz of CA, USA, Bookstore 1, Sarasota, FL, USA, Booktopia (Australia), Chicago Public Library (biography and memoir), City of Asylum Bookstore, Pittsburgh, Cook + Book of Arnhem, Netherlands, Cook the Books of Auckland, NZ Cookbooks.hu, The Cookbook Co. Cooks of Alberta, Canada, cookbookbake of Brighton, UK, The Corsham Bookshop, UK, Dymock's (Australia), Fortnum & Mason Food Awards (UK), Golden Poppy Book Awards, USA, Goldhahn und Sampson of Berlin, Germany, Good Egg of Toronto, Canada, Good Reads (memoirs & autobios), Green Apple Books, San Francisco, Harvard Book Store of Cambridge MA, Harvard Book Store (staff favorites) of Cambridge MA, Harvard Book Store (memoirs) of Cambridge MA, Indigo, Canada, Indigo, Canada (gifts), Indigo (Heather's Picks), Canada, Irish Book Awards, Kitchen Arts & Letters of New York, Kitchen Garden Books (Santa Rosa Beach FL), Kitchen Lingo (Long Beach CA), De Kookboekhandel of Amsterdam, Netherlands, Libby Life (celebrity cookbooks), Now Serving of Los Angeles, Omnivore Books of San Francisco, Powell's (staff picks), Powell's (gifts), Read It and Eat (Buffalo NY), Readable Feast Awards (New England books), The Reading Room, Scottish Borders UK, Readings of Melbourne, Readings of Melbourne (dessert books), Readings of Melbourne (food writing), Real Magic Books, Wendover UK, The Regulator Bookshop, Review, Peckham UK, Rossiter Books, Ross-on-Wye UK, Scrumptious Reads of Brisbane, Australia, Sevenoaks Bookshop, UK, Talbott & Arding of Hudson NY, Topping & Co, Bath UK, Vivienne of Portland OR, USA, Walden Pond Books, Waterstones (chefs), Waterstones (general), Waterstones (healthy & easy), Waterstones (food writing), Waterstones (drinks), West Kirby Bookshop, UK, Wivenhoe Books, Colchester UK

Authors

Darina Allen, Anne Byrn (spring), Mark Diacono, Dorie Greenspan, Kathy Gunst, Carla Hall, Nigella Lawson, Andrea Nguyen, Rose Prince, Meera Sodha, Bee Wilson, Andrew Zimmern