Cookbook Review: The Blue Zones Kitchen

February 19, 2020 Jordan In the Kitchen, Nonfiction 12

The Blue Zones Kitchen cookbook on a wooden cutting board and blue tablecloth

By Dan Buettner
National Geographic, 2019
304

When TLC Book Tours reached out to me about reviewing The Blue Zones Kitchen, I jumped at the chance. In case you aren’t familiar with blue zones, they are regions in different parts of the world that have been identified as having residents with unusually high longevity. There are several speculated reasons for this long life expectancy, including walking as a primary means of transportation and a strong sense of community. In The Blue Zones Kitchen, the author briefly addresses these and a few other contributing factors, but focuses on the impact diet has on health.

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The one hundred recipes in this book come from five different blue zones:

  • Sardinia, Italy
  • Okinawa, Japan
  • Nicola, Costa Rica
  • Ikaria, Greece
  • Loma Linda, California

Each chapter features a brief introduction to the culture of the zone it features, with comments about customs, cooking practices, and popular ingredients. Coming from such a wide range of countries, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that there is also a wide range of flavor profiles. However, you might be surprised by what the zones share. For example, many recipes contain some kind of bean, while very few include dairy products.

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The pictures are gorgeous and the write-ups are interesting. My only concern with this cookbook is that some of the ingredients might not be readily available to those who don’t have access to specialty food markets. There are many recipes that have ‘normal’ ingredients that you can find at your local supermarket, but I know I won’t be able to locate any culantro coyote in my small town.

Overall I think it’s an interesting concept and a cookbook worth having. It’s gorgeous and full of delicious sounding recipes. If you are interested in learning about blue zones and trying healthy recipes you can order your copy of The Blue Zones Kitchen here.

12 Comments

  3. I didn’t know about the unusually high longevity. That’s super interesting and makes me want to check this cookbook out.

  4. I have this cookbook and it’s AMAZING! So many great, healthy and delicious recipes. You’re right that some of the ingredients aren’t as readily available in the US, but I’ve been able to replace them with similar things and it’s worked out great.

  5. Interesting about the similarity in ingredients (or lack of ingredients, as the case may be). I’m always interested in how other countries cook, and how that can be adapted to what I serve my family.

    Thank you for being on this tour!

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