My mother’s side is from the South, so there are certain regional staples that we cling to (shout out to the “meat and three” and fried fish sandwiches!), just as there are dishes we like that seem to be more mainstream American. But we also never shied away from trying different cuisines that popped up in our neighborhood, on TV, etc., and then trying to make those same dishes at home. I remember watching a Jamaican stew with dumplings being made on the Cooking Channel with my grandmother sometime in the early 2000s. Within a few days, she had procured the ingredients and whipped herself up a mean stew that I think could rival anyone’s in the Caribbean.
I’ve carried this love of trying new-to-me food with me well into adulthood. That’s why I was excited to write a list of suggestions for the Read Harder Challenge Task #12: Read/try a recipe from a cookbook about a culture whose food you’ve never eaten. There were a few things I had to consider, though. For one, not everyone makes it a point to try new cuisines like I do (which is kind of the reason the task exists, but I digress), or lives in a diverse area where a multitude of cuisines are available. This just meant that since I’m writing a list for others to try, I’m not following the task 100%, and have added cookbooks by cultures that I have eaten from.
To make this list, I thought of where a majority of our readership is (the US) and then thought of the most mainstream cuisines across the country to exclude them. You may think this means I included a lot of cookbooks that feature non-Western cuisines in this list, and you’d be right. Mostly. But there are also a few cookbooks that look at cuisines that belong to cultures—like the Navajo and Gullah Geechee, for example—that are inherently American, but whose food is not widely known across the country.
Whether you want to keep things local or spread out, these must-read cookbooks will take you from Navajo fry bread to Ethiopian injera and beyond.
Maangchi’s Big Book Of Korean Cooking by Maangchi
Apparently, Maangchi is known as “YouTube’s Korean Julia Child,” which I didn’t know. What I do know is that following her recipe for kimchi has awarded me the best-tasting kimchi of my life, and that I would follow her and her cute personality to the ends of the earth. Here, her bubbly charm shines through as she shares recipes and techniques for beginner Korean recipes, like seafood scallion pancake and various banchan (or side dishes). —Erica Ezeifedi
My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi
Kwame Onwuachi is one of the biggest names in today’s culinary world. He’s won the James Beard Rising Chef of the Year award, competed on Top Chef, and opened five restaurants by the age of 30 — and he’s just getting started. My America is Onwuachi’s first cookbook, although you may have heard of his acclaimed memoir, Notes from a Young Black Chef. Raised in New York City, Nigeria, and Louisiana, Onwuachi is particularly interested in how the African diaspora has shaped global cuisine. His recipes are a celebration of African, Caribbean, and American flavors, and in between, he includes stories of his personal travels and ruminations on the connections between food and sense of place. This cookbook eschews shortcuts in favor of homemade sauces, stocks, and seasonings, so it’s perfect if you’re looking to really elevate your “from scratch” expertise.
Recipes to try from My America:
Ethiopian Braised Shortribs
Puerto Rican Red Bean Sofrito
Satsuma Chess Pie
—Susie Dumond
All access members continue below for more must-read (and must-eat-from!) cookbooks
Pakistan: Recipes and Stories from Home Kitchens, Restaurants, and Roadside Stands by Maryam Jillani
Pakistani food is as varied as the cultures that make up its people. With over 100 recipes, Pakistan features incredible curries, chutneys, sauces, and spiced vegetables. The book itself is gorgeous, with stunning photography and the perfect cover.
Jillani, who grew up in Islamabad, introduces each section with short essays about her personal connection to the recipes she presents. Her writing is full of stories of her family and how the food she makes reminds her of home. —Kendra Winchester
In Edith’s Kitchen: Recipes from My Mostly Mexican-American Home to Yours by Edith Galvez
Social media darling Edith Galvez takes her abuela’s cooking, her mother’s kitchen skills, and her summers spent on her family’s ranch in Mexico and distills them into this collection of mouthwatering Mexican American recipes. —Erica Ezeifedi
The Modern Navajo Kitchen: Homestyle Recipes that Celebrate the Flavors and Traditions of the Diné by Alana Yazzie
It’s wild to think of how little we’re taught about groups of people who were on this land way before this country ever existed, but at least with Yazzie’s cookbook, we get to learn about Navajo culture in a really intimate and hands-on way. With beautiful pictures, we see how to make traditional Navajo dishes, as well as other recipes with a Navajo spin. Get ready for Navajo boba milk tea (!), fry bread, Navajo burgers, and more. —Erica Ezeifedi
Gursha: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens, from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and Beyond by Beejhy Barhany with Elisa Ung
I love love love Ethiopian food, here, Barhany uses it and other cuisines to show the journey she made through life. Born in Ethiopia, she fled with her family to Sudan when she was just four, then she lived in Israel, and eventually, in Harlem. We follow along with her as we learn how to make traditional Ethiopian doro wat, Sudanese doughnuts, and even fusion dishes like injera fish tacos, in one of the New York Times’ Best Cookbooks of 2025. —Erica Ezeifedi
Tomorrow’s Kitchen: A Graphic Novel Cookbook illustrated by Shuangshuang Hao
This Gourmand Award-winning graphic cookbook beautifully illustrates recipes from a variety of immigrant creators, coordinated by Küche, a food-led organization in Glasgow that helps cooks who are navigating the UK immigration system. Even better, the recipes come with personal stories and reflections on heritage and culture from their creators, who are professional chefs, food writers, activists, and more. Illustrated by BAFTA nominee Shuangshuang Hao, it’s a powerful cookbook that will make you want to try something new. —Susie Dumond
Peru: The Cookbook by Gastón Acurio
This is considered the Peruvian cookbook. With its 500 traditional recipes by acclaimed chef, Gastón Acurio, I totally see why. Peruvian food is a cuisine I see occasionally here and there, but I’ve yet to make anything Peruvian myself, but I will remedy this soon—the potato dumplings Acurio writes about are calling to me. —Erica Ezeifedi
Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes from the Matriarch of Edisto Island by Emily Meggett
The Gullah Geechee are a group of people who exist because of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Because of their location—that is, in the Southern Lowcountry—they were isolated, and as a result, the traditional West African culture they brought with them remained more intact.
Here, Emily Meett, known as “the matriarch of Edisto Island,” shares recipes that reach back hundreds of years. Her recipes have a lot in common with those of other Southern regions, but are generally a little lighter and based around fresh-caught seafood and local game. Let me just say: getting into her collard greens, fried oysters, and stone-ground grits will get you right. —Erica Ezeifedi
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