If you're interested in travel, food, or where the integral human experiences intersect, you are likely familiar with Anthony Bourdain, a renowned chef, writer, travel documentarian, and television personality. Much of his career centered around globe-trotting, consuming local cuisine, and connecting with the individuals living wherever he visited.
Bourdain kept the company of other like-minded chefs and authors, among them being food journalist Matt Goulding. The pair created the Roads & Kingdoms
trilogy of culinary travel books written by Goulding and published by Bourdain and HarperCollins. The first book in the series, titled "Rice, Noodle, Fish," explores Japan's rich food culture with firsthand storytelling from Goulding's travels throughout the country. After the first book was published in 2015, the succeeding "Grape, Olive, Pig" and "Pasta, Pane, Vino" delve into Spanish and Italian food culture, respectively.
In popular travel destinations like Italy, there are plenty of costly tourist traps to avoid while picking a restaurant. Luckily, Goulding's Bourdain-approved three-part series is an essential guidebook for the best eats and an experienced traveler's inside scoop into the cultural gastronomy of those countries. If you're serious about food and getting an authentic taste of a different culture, or if Bourdain's stamp of approval is one of your travel guide requirements, each book in the Roads & Kingdoms series is more than worth its salt.
Read more: The 13 Most Beautiful Destinations In The World Sadly Ruined By Overtourism
The Origins Of The Roads & Kingdoms Series
The idea for the series began when Goulding traveled through Japan. He grew enamored with varied cuisines and cultures throughout the nation, and after emails back and forth with Bourdain -- which are the introductions of each book -- his culmination of expertise and intel came to life on the page. The writer's advice from his experiences abroad is not what you'd find in a typical travel guide.
"Rice, Noodle, Fish" breaks Japan into seven regions, from Tokyo's sushi experts to Fukuoka's ramen chefs. Rather than providing a laundry list of restaurant recommendations, Goulding digs into regional specialties through portraits of chefs and artisans, bites that remain uncelebrated in the West, and the best foods to try from a corner store. The other books in the series follow this format as well, exploring the various areas of each country.
Similar to the deeply intentional stylings of Bourdain, Goulding's writing paints a vivid picture of each location he visits through the lens of chefs shaping the food culture and the patrons keeping eateries alive. Bourdain and Goulding's work, both separately and together, is thoroughly inspired by the intricacies of each bite they consume and the individuals who bring the meals to fruition.
Each of Goulding's books holds invaluable insights worth learning prior to taking off for those countries. Before you book your plane ticket to Tokyo to taste the authentic sushi, Japan is combating overtourism in Tokyo by offering free flights for travelers. You should also be familiar with Spain's latest efforts to tackle the rampant issue. Above all else, in the ethos of Anthony Bourdain, understand the difference between being a traveler and a tourist.
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