The past decade of food writing has proven that cookbooks are just the tip of the culinary iceberg. If our top picks have anything to show for it, modern food books include memoirs of great chefs and nonfiction accounts of different slices of the food industry. Even the best cookbooks call for a dash of personality and a hint of history.

From a gorgeous encyclopedia of signature dishes from restaurants around the world to a deep dive into how food systems will have to adapt to a hotter, more populated planet, this year’s food books offer something for every taste.

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