Cooking with words: the Paris Cookbook Fair 2011

The 2011 Paris Cookbook Fair is the event of the year for publishers and food enthusiasts alike. The world’s largest fair devoted to cookbooks and wine books, this year’s event promises to be even bigger than previous years, and will satisfy the most indulgent literary tastebuds everywhere.

For four days (3 – 6 March) publishers, authors, chefs, distributors, booksellers and cookery enthusiasts will descend upon Paris. Le 104, the enormous ‘centre for creation’ in Paris’ 19th arrondissement, will be the meeting point for professionals and members of the public eager to promote, network and sample the culinary delights on offer.

This year, over 70 countries are represented at the fair and there is a diverse range of projects from cookbooks exclusively as eBooks, to new charity and community cookbooks from over 30 countries.

Visitors can sample wine and spirits from around the world at the international bar and watch cooking demonstrations and master classes from expert chefs including Vefa Alexiadou, the leading authority on Greek cookery and author of Vefa’s Kitchen, the bible of traditional Greek cuisine. Michel Troisgros - whose three Michelin star restaurant La Maison Troisgros was named the best French restaurant in the world - as well as Philippe Clergue, leading chef and sommelier for Le Cordon Bleu, the renowned culinary arts school, will also be present.

For many the focus of the weekend is the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards ceremony (3 March). With around 26,000 food and wine books published every year, the awards honour the best of the best. The winners from the national competitions, which this year include Bhutan, the Cook Islands, Montenegro and Uzbekistan for the first time, go on to represent their country in the 'Best in the World' competition, a prize coveted by chefs and publishers worldwide.

This year’s Best Cookbook in the UK is Phaidon’s Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine by René Redzepi, head chef of Copenhagen restaurant Noma. Redzepi – who has been credited with reinventing Nordic cuisine – uses only fresh, sustainable and local produce, often sourced from foraging. After being recognised last year as the best restaurant in the world at the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards, Noma’s unique culinary philosophy makes it a strong contender for this year’s 'best cookbook in the world' Gourmand award.

Jennifer Bayne