Ar could just be a matter of statistics, but that would mean working only with concepts that can be illustrated in excel, and that's not the case. In recent years, the literature with and about gastronomy has left the confines of the niche field and outsourced its services to the multidisciplinary area.
It's a good sign, of market health and maturity, of specializations and different approaches from authors and publishers that also benefit from encouraging feedback from readers. Thousands of copies of many titles are sold, which is not to be ignored. And I'm not just talking about recipe books, most of them utilitarian, but also about volumes popularizing science through gastronomy, about foraging & botany, fighting against food waste, monographs and even a doctoral thesis in the sociology of culinary practices.
For those who have more patience and more interest, I leave here two links to the articles in which I wrote about all the important titles that appeared in 2022-2023: 8 must-read foodie books of 2023 and 14 other recent food books. From wines to leurda and from polenta to shaorma in verse.
Unfortunately, these books do not have a category of their own at the literary and book awards and are ignored by most of the cultural media (the exceptions remain happy coincidences). From time to time the authors are invited to participate in a thematic file from Dilema and to give an interview to the general media.
Moreover, the awards and galas of the culinary industry here do not pay attention to them. There is only one exception and I would like to thank Mrs. Daniela Nicoleta Sima who, last year at the Romanian Chefs Gala, awarded the special prize of the organizer Adriana Sohodoleanu for the book "What's new in the New Romanian Kitchen". And there is one more exception: the GastroArt awards (organized by me myself), but which are currently on hiatus until new forces and/or sponsorships. Basca, these awards (GastroArt) often have in their jury the people who would deserve such an award, and I would like to avoid dividing the trophies between us.
The volume "Zămuri - soups, soups and soups; Transylvanian recipes from old people" by Mircea Groza, published by the GastroArt publishing house in 2023, was nominated in two categories at the Gurmand Awards 2023 - The best in the World: Food Heritage book and Eastern Europe book. He won the second category. In our country, I think only the Sălaj County Council took it into account.
It's both flattering (and I say this as both editor and author) and encouraging. And I'm only talking about a diploma, a trophy, not material prizes, although maybe for some of the authors the money would help them write more eagerly. As far as I know none of them (and I'm not talking about making a living from…) receive substantial financial rewards for their research and effort, but all books are, in fact, personal enthusiasms. People just think they have to.
Gastronomy (which, of course, also includes wines, distillates, craft beers, but also pottery or raising snails, etc.) needs as many books, researches, dedicated articles as possible.
I'm going to lobby for a series of food research grants, for feature article rewards, or maybe a dedicated contest, for prizes, etc. But remember, I'm pretty much alone in this endeavor, and I need help. For any idea, advice or contribution you can write to me at cosmind1982@gmail.com (I leave the personal address because it's much simpler that way).
I'm writing this article while reading "Science with salt and pepper - the chemistry you don't learn in school" by Dan C. Vodnar, "Imperfect - how to improve our relationship with food and waste" by Ruxandra Gavrilescu and I'm waiting for the courier to bring me " Delicious story of the Romanian cozonac" by Tatiana Niculescu. I am writing this material with the three or four books that the GastroArt publishing house is going to release this year.
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