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

Matt Goulding's Deep Travels Through Food Culture

by Matt Goulding

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.

Genres: Food, Travel, Nonfiction, Spain, Cookbooks, Cooking, History

368 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 2016

Reviews

[V.E. Ulett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just for foodies this interesting book, written by an adopted son of Spain, considers the country from a historical, cultural, and geographic perspective.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book like "Grape, Olive, Pig" should carry a warning level and that warning level should say something like "Do not read on an empty stomach." I would also be inclined to add "Make sure you already have a future trip to Spain planned." Unfortunately for me, I do not have a trip to Spain booked... yet but this book makes me think that Spain needs to be a little higher up on my list.

This book is a exploration of all of the delicious food that Spain has to offer. The author lives in Spain and is married to a Spanish woman. He is from the United States but fell in love with the gastronomic culture of the country and treats readers to a first hand look at what makes Spain such a rich food culture. In the tradition of shows like "Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain" (who put his name on this book!), this book explores in a way that will make readers feel like they're right alongside of the author as he eats delectable seafood for a late night dinner and steaming, hot churros for breakfast in the morning.

The writing is soooo very detailed in the book and all of the detail leaps off of the page. This is exactly why you can't read this book on an empty stomach. The book is broken down by regions, which really made me appreciate how different the menus and food culture is throughout Spain where people are more inclined to associate themselves with region rather than country. In addition to just talking about delicious food, I really liked that the author included tips for traveling to Spain as well as profiles of various people associated with the food world in Spain.

This book is travel writing done right. Goulding fully immerses readers in a new world where the writing is so detailed that you can taste the food and picture exactly what the world of the Spaniards looks, feels, and sounds like. This was a true treat for me! This book is the definition of what armchair traveling should feel like!

This is the second book in a series from "Roads and Kingdoms," a website that brings together travel, food, and culture. The first book was "Rice, Noodle, Fish," which was an exploration of food culture in Japan and after reading this book, I'm very excited to read the first book!

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are people who can tell you about a restaurant or dinner they went to and you think, "that sounds good." Then there are passionate food lovers who can describe what they saw, smelled, ate and tasted in such exquisite detail that you are convinced that you must have whatever it is that they are describing, or you simply cannot go on living. Matt Goulding is the second kind of person. There is no way to walk away from Grape, Olive, Pig without craving the food and drink of Spain and longing to be there. It is clear that Goulding is in love with Spain and his passion for the history, the people, and of course the food pour out of every page.

The book is set up mostly by geography, beginning in Barcelona where Goulding met, pursued and eventually won the heart of his wife. It meanders on through Salamanca, Valencia, Basque Country, Cadiz, Asturias, Galicia, Madrid and Granada. Within each region, he covers the specialties of the cuisine like jambon and cured meats, paella, and the pan con tomate, cheeses, wines, cocktail, tapas, and seafood; uncovering the details and origins of the food and drink and introducing the reader to the purveyors large and small, known and unknown. Along the way he throws in tips for things to know before you go, how to eat and drink like a Spaniard, the rules of a good tapas "crawl" and my favorite "Amazing Shit in the Middle of Nowhere." The fascinating stories and tempting food descriptions are accompanied by beautiful black and white photographs that capture the mood, people and food of Spain.

I initially signed up for this book tour thinking Grape, Olive, Pig was a cookbook and it definitely isn't--although if you love to cook it will have you looking online or running to your cookbook shelves, the library, or a bookstore for recipes to recreate the dishes you read about. Grape, Olive, Pig is a more of a travelogue, reference book and a bit of a love story to a country--capturing both the magic and the realities of travel. Spain was near the top of places I want to visit and this book may have just moved it to the top. (Having extensively visited Japan, I will definitely be checking out Goulding's first book Rice, Noodle, Fish as well). If you are planning a trip to Spain or just want to feel like you went there, add this book to your TBR pile--just don't read it on an empty stomach!

You can see my review, along with a recipe for a merienda (afternoon snack) of Toast with Olive Oil, Chocolate & Sea Salt on my blog here: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...

Note: A review copy of "Grape, Olive, Pig" was provided to me by the publisher, Harper Collins and TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Christine Zibas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grape, Olive, Pig- Deep Travels Through Spain's Food Culture begins with Matt Goulding as a high school senior traveling with his class on a trip to Spain in 1998. Goulding fell in love with Spain and on a return trip in 2010, he fell in love with a Catalan woman named Laura, a woman he was destined to marry.

Goulding takes the reader on a journey through Spain through the eyes of someone who has found his calling and his home. In addition to taking us on a culinary tour of Spain, Goulding gives the reader a historical perspective, from the Romans who built Barcelona to the flourishing of Barcelona in the early 14th century to the dark days of fascism under Francisco Franco to the desire of the Catalan province to succeed from Spain that exists today.

We start in Barcelona, home to to the now-defunct El Bulli, considered for years to be the best restaurant in the entire world. Many of world's greatest chefs passed through the kitchens of El Bulli and four of the top six restaurants on the 2015 list of the World 50 Best Restaurants are run by chefs who worked in El Bulli.

Goulding takes us through the streets of Barcelona, stopping in The Boqueria, one of Europe's best, biggest and oldest food marketplaces, where each day people shop for fresh seafood, fresh-baked loaves of bread, cheese and charcuterie.

We go to Salamanca, where we meet Fermin Martin who shares the secret to jamon iberico (Spanish ham)- it's the diet of acorns fed to the pigs that give the jamon its deliciousness. Martin discusses the the problems in dealing with the USDA and all its myriad rules and regulations that are keeping us in the US from enjoying this delight.

We learn how to make the perfect paella in Valencia, and how the sushi craze in Japan has caused an explosion in bluefin tuna fishing in Cadiz. We travel with world famous chef Jose Andres to the cheese caves in Asturias.

The most interesting people we meet are a trio of sisters, the Gonzalez sisters. They are percebeiras, "hunters and gatherers of the gooseneck barnacle of the Spanish Atlantic". Gathering barnacles is a difficult and dangerous job, and the fact that they are women has created conflict with the men who do the same job. Their story is fascinating.

Grape, Olive, Pig is an essential book for foodies, armchair travelers and anyone who is planning a trip to Spain. Goulding's love for his chosen home is evident in this fascinating book, filled with great stories, lots of fun facts and lists and mouth-watering photos of food and drink one must try when visiting Spain. After finishing Grape, Olive, Pig, you will be checking online flights to Spain. I highly recommend it.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

In each section, Goulding tackles a specific region of Spain and dives deep into the regional food culture and the people driving it. His descriptions are delicious--I didn't know food writing could be this good (clearly I underestimated the genre). I also loved how his personal life (he married a Catalan) intersects with the events of certain chapters.

This made me so nostalgic for my year in Spain (shh we're forgetting about the bad parts for now). It was so fun to read about foods I'd eaten (thanks to my host family) with no idea what they were (they actually fed me quite a broad spectrum of regional foods!). This gave me a lot of context for understanding the significance of what I had experienced as I ate my way around the country, so to speak.

[Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've lived in Barcelona for around 5 years and Grape, Olive, Pig expertly captures the exhilaration of exploring the incredible culinary and cultural diversity of Spain. While I don't think it would be of much help to anyone unfamiliar with Spain trying to use it as a guide book (although it has some nice introductory infographics), as a food-inflected reportage of life as a curious foreigner in Spain this book it is absolutely a gripping read.

It unfortunately starts by putting its worst foot forward - the chapter in Barcelona awkwardly segues between a love story and a guide to Catalan cuisine, not really doing a service to either. Despite it being the most significant part of the chapter (and arguably a major influence on much of the rest of the book), you get little sense of what the food at El Bulli was really like, while the budding relationship with his future wife feels half sketched.

The book is at its best when it keeps a sharp focus on a particular theme. In the Granada chapter Goulding uses his wife's Andalusian family roots in a tiny cave village to movingly explore the slow death of traditional ways of life. I also appreciated his in depth reporting on specific food themes that touch on wider social issues - the tourism-induced battle over "authentic" paella in Valencia, the sexism faced by barnacle hunting sisters in Galicia and the spectacular but damaging rise of the blue fin tuna economy around Cadiz.

It might be a matter of individual taste, but I enjoyed significantly less those chapters which primary consisted of Goulding hanging out with famous chefs in expensive restaurants (Asturias, the Basque country and Madrid). While Spain may be internationally famous for its Michelin starred restaurants, for me the most remarkable thing about Spanish food culture is how democratic it is - almost everyone enjoys and has access to high quality food, no matter their social background. This is not a point Goulding makes much of in this book, but I would say it is the single most important thing I've learned about Spanish food culture and one of the reasons that I feel far more comfortable here than almost any other country I know.

A few topics are also conspicuous by their absence. The book barely mentions migrants or migrant cuisine, despite the fact that they now make up over 15% of the population. This is a lacunae for the Spanish population at large, and it's a pity Goulding did not shed some much needed light on it. But most mysterious to me is the title of the book: grape, olive, pig. Where is grape?! We get a two page guide to Gin Tonic but not even a single paragraph about Spanish wines! No book on Spanish food culture can be complete without a reckoning with perhaps the most fundamental product of Spanish life.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part travelogue, part history, and all food, Grape, Olive, Pig offers an in depth look at the culture and cuisine of Spain. Beginning in Barcelona, where Goulding not only fell in love with everything edible but also the woman he'd eventually marry, the book takes readers through a crash course in Catalan history and the literal lesser known hot spots for the best drinks and tapas. From there, he takes readers on a winding trip throughout the country: Salamanaca and the story behind jamón ibérico; Valencia and paella; Basque Country and Goulding's own education in their dishes and techniques; Cadiz and the famed bluefin hunters; Asturias with José Andrés; percebes in Galacia; cocida and cocido variations in Madrid; and finally migas in Granada.

Of course there's more to each section than the dishes and people I mentioned above. Enough to inspire the traveler in you to book a ticket and begin planning a feast!

Goulding's focus on spots beyond tourist favorites is one of the highlights throughout the book, giving readers interested in a real Spain experience tips on how and where to accomplish that. But of course the best part of the book is the food. Unfortunately, if you're looking for recipes for the dishes Goulding mentions throughout, you're kind of out of luck, but behold the beauty of the internet!

My favorite pieces, beyond Goulding's own personalized tales and the honestly stomach-growling inducing descriptions of the food, were the bits in between chapters. Anatomy of a Dish pieces, Life Skills: Eat Like a Spaniard, Amazing Shit in the Middle of Nowhere, profiles of chefs, and Tapas Truths: Tapas Taxonomy.

Grape, Olive, Pig is the latest collaboration between Anthony Bourdain, Roads & Kingdoms, and Matt Goulding, which kicked off with Goulding's Rice, Noodle, Fish. Again, if you're in search of a Spanish cookbook, this is not the book for you. If you're in search of mouthwatering and insightful travel writing, though, you can't go wrong with Grape, Olive, Pig.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admittedly am a bit biased as I went to high school with the author but Grape, Olive, Pig reads as a love letter to his adopted home. It’s not just about the food, which will undoubtedly make you want to hop a plane to Spain immediately; it’s about the stories and the history behind it. The whys and hows of a bustling city or a tiny village and the rich food culture that lies in the vastness of España.

[Lizzey McFarlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to be more into this than I was

[Rick Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s good. It prioritizes fanboying over cooks rather than recipes or restaurants. And after awhile all the passages read the same.

Pick it up to get a good overview of Spanish food. Read the section on wherever you’re going. Don’t do what I did and read it all cover to cover.

[Alli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great blend of food writing mixed with a bit of Spanish history, which is such a fun way to learn about a country. I learned a lot listening to it as I roamed the streets of Barcelona. Sometimes the food writing got a little pretentious for my taste, but I did enjoy it and will read more of his writing. Would recommend for foodies, but if you're not a foodie, this probably isn't for you.

Content: probably 10 f-words

[Marshall Wootton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic storytelling coupled with the perfect contextualization of Spain through the country’s profoundly diverse food and regional cultures.

[Tim Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engagingly written travel essay/foodie book on Spain, second in the _Roads & Kingdoms_ series by Matt Goulding. The first installment was on the foods of Japan and though a few things are mentioned about that first book very early on in _Grape, Olive, Pig_, it isn’t necessary to have read it.

It is an enthusiastically written, the author traveling all through the country sampling Spanish cuisine, everywhere from the trendiest restaurants of Madrid and Barcelona all the way to people’s homes in very rural Spain. A bit autobiographical too, as the author talks about how he came to love Spain and see it as his adopted home (his wife Laura is a Catalan woman).

Chapter 1 focused on Barcelona and was the most autobiographical of the chapters. We see one of the most famous restaurants in the world at that time (El Bulli), tour Barcelona food markets (the Boqueria), and learn some basics about Spanish cuisine. Chapter 2, set in Salamanca, the star is jamón, Spain’s famed dry-cured ham, the author discussing the historic importance of pork in Spanish cuisine (with its roots in assimilation of Jews and Muslims in Spain), how jamón is made, and its various uses. Chapter 3 is in Valenica and is all about paella. A fascinating chapter, the author discussed how paella is both not a national dish (it is thoroughly Valencian and one of a number of rice dishes from the region) and yet, is, as it is a microcosm of Spain, with Roman olive oil, New World tomatoes, and Moorish vegetables and rice. The author discussed traditional ingredients (which include rabbits and snails) and the three Spanish rice varietals used in the dish. Chapter 4 is the Basque food scene and a discussion of northern Spanish foods such as aged beef and baby eels. It also covers more of the author’s life and how for a time he was a chef. Chapter 5 is in Cadiz, a city in Andalusia, in southern Spain, and is all about the Spanish bluefin tuna fishery, covering everything from its ancient Phoenician routes all the way to a fascinating coverage of “tunanomics” and the history of how bluefin tuna went from being really cheap food fish to highly sought after by Japanese buyers to the crash in the tuna fishery. Really enjoyed the coverage of very traditional methods of tuna harvesting. Chapter 6 is the food in Asturias in northern Spain, visits cheese caves, and spends a lot of time with famed Spanish chef José Andrés. Chapter 7 was on Galicia, namely their seafood, and of that, most especially the percebes, the goose neck barnacles that are a prized delicacy, with the author spending time with a group of sisters who in a male-dominated field excel at the dangerous job of percebes harvesting. Chapter 8 was on the food scene in Madrid, including coverage of its traditional chickpea soup known as cocido and the “arm race of innovation” between various trendy Madrid restaurants, some of it excellent “stoner food with a PhD” and quite tasty and creative, others fun to look at maybe but all “smoke and mirrors” as too much attention is spent on making it look hip and Instagram worthy but not necessarily even edible. Chapter 9 is on Granada, shepherd cuisine, which is often poverty cuisine, simple but hearty fare that also apparently leads to very long lives. Interesting coverage of people who dwell in caves in the region as well as a bit on the Spanish Civil War.

Though each chapter had a central focus, many closed with some short interesting sidebars on other regional delicacies. Chapter 3 for instance was all about paella, but the very end had a bit on churros (served with chocolate, never cinnamon, and were a breakfast and snack item, not a dessert) while chapter 5 tuna was the star but closed with a bit on the three traditional Andalusian cold soups, gazpacho, ajoblanco, and salmorejo.

The writing was engaging and evocative and made pretty much every food in it sound delicious. I liked how the author took time to show how the various foods reveal things about Spanish history and culture, about that region, and showed overall trends in Spanish cuisine such as a having the main ingredient be the star and often only simply seasoned, not covered in sauces and spices (especially seafood might be little more than salt and olive oil, not even lemon or black pepper). Though food was the star, the author spent time with a number of people in Spain, from famed local chefs fixing paella in Valencia to the last of the traditional shepherds around Granada.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reeeeeally really did not like the un-self-consciously over-the-top prose and hated the way he talked about women at many points but I did learn very much, which was the goal.. and affirmed my rural chauvinism in a deep way. So much tradition starts and survives only in el campo :)

[Luis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested by the history of the food, but not too impressed by the writing. A lot of personal stories, some were a bit cringy and others reeked of privilege. The best chapter was about Galicia and then the final chapter on Andalusia.

[Chuck Kress · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will now be accepting new applications for donors to pay for me to eat my way through Spain while writing a book about my ventures. Will offer Spanish passport in return.

[Alena Navarro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mouthwatering homage to Spain. I’m giving it a 4.5 though knocking off half a star because as a proud Cantabrian, I feel he could’ve written a bit more about the anchovies.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part memoir, part investigative journalism, part history - it was a really nice blend. It's interesting stories and I really liked that each chapter really digs into a different region and type of food. Can't wait to read another in advance of travel.

[Derek Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grape, Olive, Pig is a glorious ode to both Spain and food culture generally. I wish I could construct a narrative with such clarity and passion as Goulding does with just how fundamental to his being Spain’s food culture is to him. He weaves his courtship of his Andalusian wife, his withdrawn dream of being a chef in Catalonia, and his deep passion for all things food in a book that is deeply personal, without injecting so much about his own narrative as to distract from the primary subject of Spain’s food culture.

Going into this, I hadn’t known of Goulding. Neither his similarly-titled Noodle, Rice, Fish about Japan nor the Eat This Not That mega-series that put him on the map. Nor his deep connection and partnership with the late Anthony Bourdain. My initial impression was that this was just another white dude Columbusing another food culture (especially seeing the one about Japan first). Assuming this was a series of the hot foodie trends, I looked for the one about France. None to be found, I figured I’d start with Spain, because reading some weeb’s digging at Japanese food was a little too much for me.

From the get-go, I realized I was wrong. I expected some milquetoast analysis of tapas and jamón, and what I got was a series of deeply-personal stories about how Spain connects with food on a level Americans simply don’t. Goulding is not fawning over Spain, either. He roundly criticizes Spain sexist machismo culture, pokes fun at regionalist biases and elitism, and takes a surprisingly biting stand against gastronomic deconstructionism in trendy Madrid restaurants.

Goulding describes the jamón with excruciating lust, the gooseneck barnacles with reverence, and the Valencian paella with a teach-the-controversy mindset, certainly. But food porn this is not. That would be degrading to what this book is and would debase what Grape, Olive, Pig really is.

It is a love letter. An exquisitely-written love letter from someone with the devotion of a convert, and the humility to know he won’t ever truly understand it completely.

[Vannessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many travel and food tomes avoid politics assiduously. Avoid too much controversy so as to sell more books. Anthony Bourdain blazed a trail, many years ago now, in giving people more credit for their ability to think and their curiosity about the societies in which travel, cooking and eating take place. Bourdain wrote books and made TV shows in which he travelled to various parts of the world, including those that have been affected by war and violence, and investigated what people ate. He smoked, talked politics, even shared a piece of wild boar anus and an ostrich egg omelette with Kalahari bush tribes. It is no wonder, therefore, that Matt Goulding counts Bourdain as a friend and a source of inspiration for the company he set up, Roads and Kingdoms that meld travel, food and politics together in book and travel app format.

The presentation of the book might lead you to think this is just another semi coffee table book, but with words. Yes, it comes with pictures, and plenty of words. Goulding travels to the nine regions of Spain and brings the reader in-depth essays on the food, history, politics and culture of each region, focusing sometimes on one thing per region. The ritual of tuna trapping, wrestling and catching in Cadiz, the cave and shepherd communities (also including Goulding's Spanish family) of Granada, and the women goose barnacle collectors of Galicia are just some of the topics he delves into. The lack of food in Spain in the 1940s, leading to all kind of 'poverty/misery cuisine' in the wake of the Spanish Civil War, as well as the diminishing catch in the Mediterranean today are all topics that Goulding addresses. Plenty to read about and learn in this book, including a tapas taxonomy and how to drink cider in Asturias. "The Trip in Spain" should have read this book first!

[Danielle T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Roads & Kingdoms put together a gorgeous food travelogue in book form. Matt Goulding takes the reader on a geographically sweeping yet intimate tour of España through her regional foods and practices. I've never been to Spain or really gotten into the nuances of its food, so I'll have to take his well-written word on how well the book fits the country.

Of the two HarperCollins Anthony Bourdain books (his imprint, not his own works) I read this month, I felt a stronger pull to this one over Eating Korea: Reports on a Culinary Renaissance- maybe because I feel like with 7+ years of experiences Matt's more embedded in the country he writes about compared to Graham's journey to discover what exactly the soul of a country is.

Oddly, of the three titular focal points, I'm not sure grapes really got their due compared to the worship of the pig and omnipresence of olive oil. Sure, wine is mentioned as being a must at some meals...but it very much felt like proteins took the lead in most of this.

[Garnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, exactly the kind of food writing I’m looking for. Gould takes the reader on a tour of Spain, covering the dishes most characteristic of the different regions. It’s part memoir, part travelogue, a book without recipes that nevertheless manages to convey the essence of Spanish food, placing it in historical, geographical and cultural context. Following the story on a map, I have a much clearer picture of the different regions in Spain. The entire book engaged my attention but the section describing tuna fishing and the global trade was masterful, combining tuna biology, culinary history, history of technology and economics. I’m exploring Spanish cuisine for the first time, and I do need to supplement this with cookbooks, but this book provides a fuller, richer picture, explaining who, what, when, where and why rather than just how to. The best part: he has two similar books, one on Japan and one on Italy, so more great reading (and cooking) to come. This is an excellent read for travelers planning a trip to Spain, but equally interesting for armchair travelers. It might even inspire an exploratory voyage or two to the kitchen to expand your culinary repertoire.

[Karole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply some of the finest writing I’ve ever read. I’ve traveled to Spain many times and now I realize how little I know of this extraordinary country. The subtitle of the book is “deep travels through Spain’s food culture “ and that’s true but this book is so much more. Even if you think you don’t like food or Spanish food, read this book. You’ll yearn to have been with Matt on his travels and to recreate his unique food experiences for yourself. You’ll realize how much you’ve missed as a traveler and vow to be more observant, more curious, more daring, more reverent and more embracing of opportunities to experience the world of another. Travel should broaden us and food gives us that chance to do so while exploring pleasures. I’m going to do my best to be a better traveler emboldened by Matt’s extraordinary example.

[Dusty & Julia James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring

This book makes me want to move to Spain. The authors fluid and evocative prose beautifully captures the magic of the many food traditions of such a fascinating part of the world. I've never been to Spain, so I'm no authority on the book's authenticity, but it certainly "felt" right. I want to give it 4.9 stars, with .1 star deducted for the frequency with which the author uses the Spanish word for a particular dish or drink without any translation. definition, or explanation, leaving an uninitiated reader completely in the dark as to what the author is talking about.

[Beth Jusino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: do not read while hungry.

This is so much more than a book about food. It's a love letter to the culture, history, and people of Spain, all wrapped up in the things that make Spanish food some of the best in the world. It's a tour of the unique cultures of the Iberian peninsula, from Catalonia to Galicia. It's both charmingly personal and good journalism, with profiles of curious characters and gorgeous photography.

Okay, the emphasis on the high-end, over-the-top modern cuisine was a little much. And Roads & Kingdoms really needs a better copy editor.

Still, don't read while hungry. The photos of jamon iberico alone will inspire you to buy a plane ticket.

[Jeffrey Wu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grape,Olive,Pig is a context-dense frenetic wormhole to dive into. Very often, I found myself lost in the detail and the vast amount of information I didn't know about Spanish food. Nowadays, that type of intense feeling of mystery and wonder is very welcome. If anything, it replicates the actual feeling of traveling throughout the coasts, plains, and mountains of Spain only to gather what you can by osmosis and intense curiosity. The possibilities are endless, the people are interesting, and the food is unforgettable.

I think many artists train their entire lives to find the golden opportunity to pour who they are into one book and Grape, Olive, Pig is that book for Matt Goulding.

[Melanie Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book as part of my research before a trip to Spain in a few weeks. I now have total food anxiety knowing I will not be there nearly long enough to eat everything. I think a key part of true traveling to a new place is knowing a bit of it's history and the ideas and passions that make it unique. This book gave me just that - a look inside not only what to experience while in Spain, but why. I will be wandering though Madrid, Basque Country, and Barcelona. I hope it seeps into my soul as it did for Matt Goulding.

[Mysteryfan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a slow read in the best possible sense. It's a deep dive into Spanish culture via the food but it is much more than that. I got a sense of the people and the culture and the wide variety of regions. There's some history (I now know more than I did about the Catalan independence movement) and a lovely chapter featuring Jose Andres, the beloved DC restaurateur. The photographs are amazing. No recipes, but that's as it should be. I've never been to Spain and if you have been, this should be even more enjoyable.

[Kathryn Dodson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a frequent traveler to Spain, I found that this book accurately portrays the heart and soul of the country through its food and people. It also contains one of my favorite sentences ever, when the author talks about the running of the bulls:

One day, after spending all night out in Pamplona drinking and all morning being chased by giant beasts down narrow streets, I walked into class late, disheveled, reeking of bull’s blood and bad decisions.

I highly recommend this book.