The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100

by Dan Buettner

Best-selling author Dan Buettner debuts his first cookbook, filled with 100 longevity recipes inspired by the Blue Zones locations around the world, where people live the longest.

Building on decades of research, longevity guru Dan Buettner has gathered 100 recipes inspired by the Blue Zones, home to the healthiest and happiest communities in the world. Each dish--for example, Sardinian Herbed Lentil Minestrone; Costa Rican Hearts of Palm Ceviche; Cornmeal Waffles from Loma Linda, California; and Okinawan Sweet Potatoes--uses ingredients and cooking methods proven to increase longevity, wellness, and mental health. Complemented by mouthwatering photography, the recipes also include lifestyle tips (including the best times to eat dinner and proper portion sizes), all gleaned from countries as far away as Japan and as near as Blue Zones project cities in Texas. Innovative, easy to follow, and delicious, these healthy living recipes make the Blue Zones lifestyle even more attainable, thereby improving your health, extending your life, and filling your kitchen with happiness.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Health, Reference, Foodie

304 pages, Hardcover

First published December 3, 2019

About the author

National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner has traveled the globe to uncover the best strategies for longevity.

Reviews

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently watched the Netflix documentary, Live to be 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones. Blue Zones are specific communities where there are 10 times more centenarians per capita than the US average. Dan Buettner studied these communities to learn what they are doing differently.

I ordered The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100 and The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer: Lessons From the Healthiest Places on Earth so I could learn more.

I recently hiked 550 miles on the Camino de Santiago in Spain and noticed that very few people are overweight, each home had an incredible outside garden, and town squares fill up every evening where families get together to talk, eat, and spend time with their community. Much of what I saw is similar to Buettner's key findings.

The cookbook is fabulous! It's filled with photos, information, and recipes. The recipes are plant-based and include many recipes with beans. While in Spain, I ate many dishes with lentils and chickpeas, so it was terrific to see recipes with these two ingredients.

Highly recommend!

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you heard of the Blue Zones? Those regions of the world known for the longevity of their populations? Ever since reading and listening to How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger, I am all about using food as medicine and living a longer, healthier life as a result.

I’m a vegetarian who eats many plant-based meals, and all of these recipes are not vegetarian or plant-based; however, from the 100 recipes, there are many I’d love to try. Sweet potatoes and lentils are staples in our house, and I could eat them at most every meal.

As with any National Geographic book, the photography and presentation are both stunning. It drives you to want to make the food as soon as you can.

Overall, I’m pleased to have this cookbook in my arsenal and can’t wait to try some recipes out soon.

I received a gifted copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Sharon Gilpin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I made a list of all the ingredients that are used by the various areas of Blue Zone. And I have started making several of the recipes. All are so good--so far.
They are all high in protein and NO meat. One of my favorite cookbooks for sure.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Want to live to be 100? The Blue Zones Kitchen shares recipes eaten by people in the blue zones of the world. What are the blue zones? They are the five areas of the world where people live the longest lives. The blue zones are Sardinia; Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California.

What are their secrets? Blue zone diets use the same group of 20 ingredients, with less variety than most diets. People in the blue zones eat more cruciferous vegetables. They make beans tasty. In the blue zones, people use olive oil. Foods in the blue zones are supplemented with fresh herbs and spices. The people in blue zones eat more fiber than most people, and they drink red wine.

Am I going to change my diet to match the diets of those in the blue zones? No. The meals in the book do not appeal to me. There was not a single recipe I was interested in trying. I'd rather live a little less long.

[Donna Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. I remember when the blue zones studies were completed, and I was so impressed to learn of the six regions where people lived over 100 years regularly. Wow! This book is written by an original researcher. It addresses the basic commonalities of the blue zones cultures. It also gives recipes for their traditional dishes and basic guidelines for following the lifestyles that lead to these long, healthy lives. The writing style is very enjoyable and concise. Highly recommend.

[Antonette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought I'd enjoy it since I'd read Blue Zones and loved it...not the case. Very disappointed in the recipes. They were full of ingredients that should not be included in whole food plant based eating, i.e. white sugar, white flour and white rice. In addition, they seemed to include items regular grocery stores in smaller cities would not have. It was a Christmas gift that will now be returned.

[Briana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Blue Zones Kitchen includes recipes from the so-called “blue zones,” areas where the residents (particularly older ones who adhere to the more traditional diets) live longer than anywhere else on Earth, largely because of what they eat.

I’ve tried three of the recipes—roasted vegetables, sweet potato tarts, and a ratatouille—and all were approachable and included ingredients I was easily able to find at my local grocery store (some ingredients might be a little tougher). The sweet potato tart recipe did tell me to use far more potatoes than I actually needed for the filling, but otherwise the recipes worked and were delicious. I would be interested in making more or even purchasing a copy of the book to consult, since I initially borrowed it from the library.

I’ve seen some complaints in other reviews that the recipes aren’t “really” healthy because they sometimes include things like white rice and sugar, but the book is a record of what people in these areas actually eat—and they sometimes eat sugar. If you want a zero sugar diet, that’s a different cookbook. However, in addition to the recipes, The Blue Zones Kitchen includes information on the general diet of each area, the staple foods in each area that promote longevity (such as olive oil or sourdough bread), and other habits that the residents have. This means that, while sugar is eaten, the people don’t have dessert every day. (Also, the sweet potato tarts I made had no sugar in the actual sweet potato filling, just some brown sugar sprinkled on top, so it’s clear how this would be a much healthier dessert option than, say, a cupcake.) Similarly, the people in these areas do eat meat but rarely, so the authors decided to make all recipes vegetarian (though I think fish might be mentioned occasionally).

A communal approach to food and strong social networks all also important for longevity, and the book clarifies this time and again. It’s not just about cutting out bad foods or eating the “superfoods;” it’s a whole approach to food and living.

If you’re looking for a straightforward cookbook with simple whole ingredients and approachable recipes, I would recommend this. I don’t personally cook a lot simply because I find it a bit boring and I have other people in my life who actually enjoy cooking, but I had no problem with any of the recipes I attempted so far, and I thought the meals turned out great. (I also generally do like vegetables and prefer them to meat, however, so I can see how that might play a factor.)

More reviews at Pages Unbound.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this book from the library just before it closed for Covid19. So many yummy looking food and recipes. I also love the story of each town covered in the cookbook. I would love to try some of them in particular the Okinawa section. But right now it's so depressing with stay at home covid ordeal and we only make one trip to one store for groceries roughly once every 10 days. 😪

[Otis Chandler]

Despite the whole "blue zones" concept being potentially based on false data (see link below), this sounds interesting...

https://www.smashing.xyz/contents/how...

[S Cina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pluses: This book is beautiful. The photos of the people and food do make you wish you were there. It is an interesting read as well, for someone who didn’t know a lot about Blue Zones before reading it.
Minuses: I have tried several recipes now. Few have turned out well. Sometimes I followed the directions exactly, other times I had to make substitutions because I could not obtain the specific ingredients called for. Those that have turned out well would not have if I did not alter them using the little bit of cooking expertise I have. It makes me wonder if the difference between an elder in the community cooking with local ingredients in a very different climate and cooking in my Minnesota location with ingredients I buy at a grocery store is just too different to work well.
Recommendation: This would be a good book to pick up from the library and browse through, even if simply to be inspired to cook with others in your community. It shows you have others eat, which is fun. It is not recipe after recipe of mouth watering treats, like so many other cookbooks, but I don’t believe that was the intention. I would only recommend a purchase for regular use if you are a seasoned cook and can adapt the recipes as needed so they turn out.

[Ceren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Blue Zone'larda ne kadar çeşitli sebze ve meyve tüktildiğinden bahsedilip duruluyor. Ben de bu kitapta sebze yemeyi daha ilginç hale getirecek tarifler bulmayı ummuştum. Gelin görün ki Ikaria'nın (Yunanistan) tariflerinden başka bölgelerin tarifleri ya uygulanabilir değil ya da patates veya hamurdan oluşuyor. Zaten o kadar fazla patates ve hamur tarifi gördüm ki gerçekten şaka gibiydi. Hem gökkuşağını yiyin önerisi, hem tamamen sarı renginden oluşan tabaklar... Nasıl bir çelişki bu?

Diğer bir konu da yemekleri zoraki vegan yapmaları. Kimse beni o çorba tariflerinde, geleneksel olarak kemik suyu, balık sosu ya da bilimum bir hayvansal içerik olmadığına inandıramaz. Yani dünyanın farklı yerlerinden "otantik" yemekleri göstermek için bir kitap yazıyorsun ama yazdığın yemeklerin içinden malzeme ayıklıyorsun kafana göre.

Son olarak Ikaria'nın tariflerinden zeytinyağlı yaprak sarmayı gördüğümde kitabı duvara çarpasım geldi. Hayatımda gördüğüm en dandik sarma tarifi. Türk olmasam yutucam. O tarifi gördükten sonra kitabın değeri bende sıfırlandı zaten ve geleneksel tariflerin içinden kafalarına göre malzeme eledikleri de kanıtlanmış oldu.

Blue Zone'lara meraklıysanız bu kitabı pas geçmenizi öneririm.

Kitapla kalın...

[Krystelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than just a cookbook, this provided overviews of the parts of the world where living to 100 is not a miracle but instead expected. The recipes involved are all plant based and provide reasoning as to why they are so important for a healthy diet. They’re largely simple and look pretty darn delicious, and are well worth a try. Some of the ingredients are a little left of field for some readers so keep it in mind that there may be some difficulties with sourcing.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great cookbook. Simple recipes with very few and very simple ingredients. The book is divided, very interestingly, into the blue zone areas with the corresponding recipes (instead of by meal type). Some ingredients might be harder to find depending on where you live.

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not even a moderately competent cook, and likely won't use many of the recipes in this book. However, I bought-- and I love -- this book for the inspiration it provides (through beautiful photographs and text) to live a good and healthy life, and to savor the local foods in season as nourishing treasures. In many ways, this is not so much a cook book, as a wonderful centering and rejuvenating trip around the world, visiting with wise and joyful people as they celebrate the abundance and goodness of the earth. It recalls much of what tends to be overlooked in modern, urban, U.S. life and reminds us to live more thoughtfully, tread more lightly, and appreciate the nourishing foods that grow in the earth.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with the reviewers who've said that a prime takeaway of this book is the inspiration it provides. The full-page food photographs are brilliant (and highly enticing). The stories about the individual Blue Zone areas, as well as the lists of top ingredients believed to contribute to longevity, were thought-provoking. Although not all recipes in this collection appealed to me, I greatly appreciated the reminders given. The inclusion of nutritional values for each recipe, as well as a final summary tying everything together, would be helpful additions.

[Tiffani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am on a mission to eat healthier and found this book helpful and inspiring. The information isn't that surprising. Eating less meat and more greens, grains, and beans tend to result in living longer. I found several recipes to try but more importantly it gave me some general ideas about how to prepare food and how to eat. I value that more than anything because day-to-day I'm not going to follow recipes but having a general idea is good enough for me.

[Chantal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring, boring and boring.... haven't we seen this already in many other books? I was disappointed with the recipes and some weren't really what is considered healthy. Pictures were okay, but I so much wished this book was so much more. The front looked great.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite cookbook. I plan to make all 100 recipes! They are so simple and so delicious.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a while since I have participated in a  TLC Book Tour.   My last stopover was for  The Art of Escapism Cooking all the way back in October.  I'm glad to have had the opportunity to receive a copy of The Blue Zones Kitchen for an honest review.  (As always, all opinions and rants are my own.)

I've been intrigued by the whole Blue Zones phenomenon for a while now so I was excited to receive a copy of The Blue Zones Kitchen.   It's a beautiful book, full of National Geographic quality photographs, not only of the food, but of the people who cook it in their environments.

As stated in the blurb above, these are areas where the life expectancy and health is above that found in the rest of the world.   Their longevity experiences do go beyond food though.  In these four areas---Sardinia; Okinawa; Loma Linda; Ikaria, Greece; and the Costa Rican Peninsula of Nicoya---it's the entire lifestyle and sense of community.

People aren't lonely, because it simply isn't an option.  If after a few days people don't show up to the town festival, church, or even the village cafe, someone will generally check in on them.  Electronic gadgets haven't yet taken over.  People talk face-to-face instead of on Facebook.  (20)

Buettner also maintains that these communities are full of movers and shakers---they don't set idle.  They walk where they need to go and grow what they need to eat---"their surroundings nudge them into the right behaviors" (19).

It's a great premise and full of ideas to ponder and act on.

As a cookbook, however, I have to offer a few suggestions to Buettner and his editors.

Let's start with the structure.  There is a table of contents that lists the recipes, but there is no index.   I was wanting to start my cooking experience with this book off with a soup and I guess that because there was not an index to consult, I did find other recipes worth trying as I perused through the entire book.

Next, there's the recipes themselves.  So far, I have tried two recipes, neither needing any culinary expertise; however, I did need a working cooking knowledge to make them turn out.

It was definitely soup weather so I tried one of three hearty minestrone recipes from the Sardinian section.


This makes a lot of healthy and life-preserving soup.    (It freezes well, too.)

The second recipe I made was from the Greek section:  Parsley with Hummus (224).  It is a very basic recipe without tahini as an ingredient.  I honestly prefer hummus made like this.   The ingredients are simple and straight forward:   chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and parsley.   The directions (again) would have left one with a gloppy mess that didn't resemble (at all) the accompanying photo in the book.    But, if you knew to add the olive oil, vinegar, and the parsley to the food processor (along with a bit the Aquafaba, chickpea "juice"), you could have a very good hummus as I did.

The recipe states to sprinkle 1/4 c. parsley on top.   The next time I make this recipe, I will add it to the food processor as well.

All-in-all, I enjoyed the book.  I loved the stories and appreciated the resources at the end of the book:  "How to Cook Beans" and the top longevity ingredients from each of the regions highlighted.

Sardinia:  barley, Cannonau wine (made from sun-stressed Grenache grapes), fava beans, kolhrabi, fennel, olive oil, potatoes, rosemary, sourdough bread, and tomatoes
Okinawa:  Imo ("supercharged" purple sweet potatoes), dashi broth, green onions, miso, sesame oil, bitter melon, seaweed and kelp, mushrooms, tofu, and turmeric.
Nicoya:  small sweet peppers, black beans, ground corn, cilantro, coconut, culantro (Mexican coriander), chilero sauce, papaya, squash (especially chayote), and yuca.
Ikaria:  Beans (especially chickpeas and black-eyed peas), fennel, wild greens (purslane, dandelion, arugula), lemons, olive oil, oregano, sage, rosemary, potatoes, and honey.
Loma Linda:  soy milk, Weetabix (an English whole grain cereal), corn flakes, brewer's yeast, nuts, oatmeal, avocado, vegemite, beans, spinach

I would recommend this book, especially as a reference for starting and maintaining the Blue Zones diet.   I would recommend it as a cookbook with the caveat that you may need to modify the recipe directions.

[Karista Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been intrigued by the subject of The Blue Zones, so when this book released, I had to have it. Beautifully written with lovely photos and loaded with information and inspiration. Not only is it filled with recipes but also the most delightful stories. A great read!

[Lauren Marsteller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been waiting to get this book for awhile. It is great to see how you don’t need to have a lot food ingredients, simple and plant-based ones that can make real interesting dishes. I can’t wait to try these recipes.

[CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Blue Zones Kitchen is a lovely cookbook, with recipes that sound delicious, and is a worthy addition to the Blue Zones library. The cover is striking. The recipes manage to be both healthful and delicious (sounding, haven't tried any of them yet). And the sections on each Blue Zone region, complete with lovely food, people, and scenery photography, interviews, regional history and culture, and versions of local recipes are all fascinating. There ARE a lot of recipes that contain gluten, many of which would be difficult to make gluten free substitutions. But overall it's just really a great cookbook, to the extent that I'm going to buy it and try a bunch of the recipes. I just hope some of the profit/ benefits from these books go back to the communities who inspire Buettner's work.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book , great recipes!!

[Maryalice Kurr · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wouldn’t recommend this cookbook. I had a weird feeling when I started reading its introduction and recipe annotations, and upon more research discovered the entire book this cookbook is based on is fraudulent and not based on accurate data. I would highly recommend researching “blue zones fraud” if you consider picking this book up. 2 of the blue zones are since discovered to be flooded with fake birth certificates and pension fraud, which completely throws out those sections. He misrepresents the diets of those in Okinawa, where the centenarians actually eat a larger percentage of animal protein. He lies by omission by leaving out real “blue zone” places like Hong Kong and Iceland, where it unavoidable to point out the centenarians’ diets are high in meat and dairy products. The concept of the book is interesting, and I am disappointed to discover it is simply propaganda to elevate the low meat or vegan lifestyle as healthier than it actually is with poor data quality standards.

If interested in mid tier recipes it makes for a fine book, but the fraudulence to claim these recipes will get you to 100 is grossly misleading.

[Zahnii (Suzanne) Artis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating cookbook! Big takeaways are that the less meat and dairy and the more beans and fresh veg and whole grains the better for lifespan. Seems obvious...

I found it interesting that fewer ingredients seems to also have a huge impact. The book is broken into five places which are part of the blue zones. Food is not the only element that grants long life - walking, love, simplicity, community.

So many that I want to make but to first try:
Sardinia:
Minestrone Three Ways
Quick Greens and Onions
Okinawa:
Dashi Broth
Tofu Steak with Miso Mushrooms
Steamed Purple Sweet Potatoes
Nicoya:
Culantro Coyote (new ingredient to me)
Hearts of Palm Ceviche
Bean Souo Three Ways
Horchata
Ikaria:
Baked rosemary chickpeas
Eleni’s Sourdough Bread
Loma Linda:
Coconut Chia Pudding
Walnut “Meat” Loaf
Veggie No-Meat Balls (with aquafaba- new to me, but is chickpea liquid)
Part of a recipe- tofu ricotta
No Tuna Tuna Salad
TLT Sammy (tempeh, lettuce, tomato)

[Mircah Foxwood · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Blue Zones, of course, are areas in the world where humans enjoy the greatest longevity. This book does indeed contain 100 recipes from people who live in the Blue Zones, which embody the principles of blue zone eating: mostly plants, low to no sugar, lots of fibre, etc.

My main issue with this book was that it was difficult to access as a recipe book. There was a lot of text, lots of pictures of people and places, and the recipes were wedged in between. Moreover, because the recipes are organized by region, not by recipe type, it was difficult to browse for, say, dinner ideas.

I copied a recipe or two to try, but overall, not a fan.

[Sanjuro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally I'd never review a cookbook, but this is not that. Not at its core. It's a book about lifestyle backed up by years of scientific research and observation, and it serves as a more creative summary of The Blue Zones book that presents the research. The recipes here are supplemented by introductions of literary quality, describing the people of the Blue Zones and their lifestyles, and providing insight and inspiration into how they use food as a source of both health and pleasure. The book is more inspiring than informational, though the recipes found herein are mostly worth trying. The real trick is to find your own creative ways to utilize the food and methods to fit your tastes and lifestyle, and the book provided excellent pathways towards developing my own creative flourishes. It will take time to integrate these ideas into my own rhythms, but I'm all in.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited for this cookbook that I purchased a copy last December when it came out. Delicious plant-based recipes, stunning photos, and supplementary info on the different Blue Zones. It has been a fun adventure using ingredients that I am less familiar with (I had never bought a fennel bulb before making the Longevity Stew) although sometimes I have to skip recipes if I can’t find a rarer ingredient. Dropping a star only because I am finding it difficult to balance my current doctor-recommended autoimmune support diets (that don’t encourage cruciferous veggies and legumes, for instance) with some of these meals. But I appreciate that I can add these recipes to my arsenal and take in the information for further consideration on my own personal health journey.

[Jadelyn Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book an encouragement in whole food living. Simple foods that anyone can afford and they had bread! I've tried many types of health protocols for various gut and inflammatory conditions and this book felt like permission to eat lots of real food and a few treats too. May you live long and prosper!

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in the Midwest, about as far from any of the blue zones as you can get, so I appreciate recipes that show how to prepare these types of foods. Most are quite basic, but delicious. This is a great way to augment your diet with healthier options. Watch the Netflix series and then try some of these.