Home › Europe › Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain's Food Culture

Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain's Food Culture

by Matt Goulding

Spain, told through its food

Regular price $30.09 USD
Regular price $50.15 USD Sale price $30.09 USD
Save 40%

Hardcover New English

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.

Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

Awards & Recognition

  • Award recognition

    Winner of the 2017 IACP Award for Literary or Historical Food Writing

    2017 IACP Award for Literary or Historical Food Writing

  • Editorial selection

    Amazon Best Book of November 2016: Cookbooks, Food and Wine

    Best Book of November 2016 in Cookbooks, Food and Wine

  • Critical praise

    Financial Times praise for the book's immersive food-and-travel approach

    Praise for Goulding's new book on Spain, describing its approach to food and travel.

AlbakiReads Editorial

Spain, told through its food

Matt Goulding maps Spain through the meals, ingredients and local traditions that shape daily life across the country. The book moves among Barcelona’s tapas bars, Madrid’s small-plate culture, Cádiz’s tuna fisheries, the seafood-gathering coast farther north, San Sebastián’s avant-garde cuisine and foodways in regions including Asturias, Salamanca, Granada and Valencia. Alongside dishes such as acorn-fed ham and paella, it brings in the people and histories connected to what is eaten. Color photography complements this account of Spain’s varied culinary and geographical landscape, making food a route into the country’s regional cultures.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Travelers interested in Spain’s regional food cultures and culinary traditions
  • Food-focused readers who enjoy cultural and geographical context
  • Readers planning a trip to Spain or revisiting it through its food

Themes

Spanish food cultureRegional identity and traditionTravel and placeFood history

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Winner of the 2017 IACP Award: Literary or Historical Food Writing

Gourmand World Cookbook Award Winner: Culinary Travel

Amazon Best Book of November (2016): Cookbooks, Food and Wine

Financial Times Best Books of 2017: Food and Travel

"Goulding is pioneering a new type of writing about food. His last book, Rice, Noodle, Fish, took an immersive approach to Japan that combined travel, social observation and food lore. His new book on Spain offers little cooking advice but an inquisitive foodie intellectual's experience." (Financial Times)

Crafted in the same "refreshing" (AP), "inspirational" (Publishers Weekly) and "impeccably observed" (Eater.com) style that drove Rice, Noodle, Fish, Roads & Kingdoms again presents a book that will change the way readers eat and travel abroad. The second in their series of unexpected and delightful gastro-tourism books, Grape, Olive, Pig is a deeply personal exploration of a country where eating and living are inextricably linked. As Anthony Bourdain said: "Any reasonable, sentient person who looks to Spain, comes to Spain, eats in Spain, drinks in Spain, they're gonna fall in love. Otherwise, there's something deeply wrong with you."

Matt Goulding introduces you to the sprawling culinary and geographical landscape of his adoptive home, and offers an intimate portrait of this multifaceted country, its remarkable people, and its complex history. Fall in love with Barcelona's tiny tapas bars and modernist culinary temples. Explore the movable feast of small plates and late nights in Madrid. Join the three-thousand-year-old hunt for Bluefin tuna off the coast of Cadiz, then continue your seafood journey north to meet three sisters who risk their lives foraging the gooseneck barnacle, one of Spain's most treasured ingredients. Delight in some of the world's most innovative and avant-garde edible creations in San Sebastian, and then wash them down with cider from neighboring Asturias. Sample the world's finest acorn-fed ham in Salamanca, share in the traditions of cave-dwelling shepherds in the mountains beyond Granada, and debate what constitutes truly authentic paella in Valencia.

Grape, Olive, Pig reveals hidden gems and enduring delicacies from across this extraordinary country, contextualizing each meal with the stories behind the food in a cultural narrative complemented by stunning color photography. Whether you've visited Spain or have only dreamed of bellying up to its tapas bars, Grape, Olive, Pig will wake your imagination, rouse your hunger, and capture your heart.

Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews