Mina Holland is Editor of the Guardian's Cook supplement and a food and drink writer. Travelling and living (and eating) abroad inspired her to write about what and why people eat as they do around the globe. The Edible Atlas is her first book; it has been shortlisted for the 2015 Fortnum & Mason Food Book Award and won the 2015 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards Best Culinary Travel Book in the UK. www.minaholland.com Twitter @minaholland

If you're the sort of person who likes to read a cookery book rather than just flick through the recipes, this is one for you

Glorious. A terrific read, and really inspiring to dip into . . . a literary amuse bouche, if you like

There are cook books that teach you to cook, others that help you to understand gastronomy. The Edible Atlas feeds your soul

A fascinating project, telling some fantastic stories about a broad range of cuisines. Mina's style is engaging and illuminating and the food cries to be cooked

Mina has managed to present world cuisine on a plate in this marvellous book

Gastronomic heaven...glorious. Her writing is pleasurably evocative

A fascinating look at who's eating what, and why, across the globe. Author Mina Holland provides a heady mix of history, anecdotes and recipes for beginners to confident cooks alike

An anthropological exploration of food . . . The fusion of history, literature and food even manages to weave in recipes and words of wisdom from some world-famous chefs en route

The Edible Atlas deserves a place on every serious cook's bookshelf. Intelligent, informative, entertaining and very handsome. Mina Holland's prose is as engaging as her recipes. She is an exciting and authoritative new voice in the world of cookery and food writing

Here is a nice idea for a cookery book, amiably executed and attractively plated up . . . Holland is a resoundingly enthusiastic guide . . . Where she's visited, or even lived in, the places she's writing about, Holland puts in welcome splashes of autobiographical colour . . . Intriguing little facts are scattered hither and yon . . . the most appealing aspect of the book is its practical emphasis on cooking these cuisines at home . . . Most importantly, The Edible Atlas makes you hungry

The Edible Atlas is not only a delight to read but also peppered with delicious recipes, facts and flavours from around the world

The Edible Atlas explores what and why people eat as they do. Delving into 39 global cuisines from Catalan to Calabrian to Cantonese, the book is not only an enjoyable trip around the culinary world, but it also gives you the chance to try them yourself with three recipes from each region at the end of each chapter