It is a debate that comes long: the end of the paper has been forecast for years. However, certain publications reaffirm the hope that a more leisurely reading is possible. That there is still time for the enjoyment of the tangible. And the gastronomic item brings news in this contest. Today there are collection magazines that address gourmet topics, printed with care and designed to enjoy themselves as a visual and sensory feast.
Local exponents. Some of the most interesting exponents come from Argentina. This is the case of “Anchovy”which was born in the middle of the pandemic from a simple but deep question: if the idea was to add another physical object to the world, what value should it have? The answer was built with a critical look at traditional gastronomic journalism and a search for new narratives. Without recipes or reviews, “anchovy” proposes a multidisciplinary approach to food: from ecology to anthropology, from production systems to history. “We wanted to get away from Lifestyle and chef as a celebrity, ”he says Bruna Fontevecchia, Creator next to Max Wilson. The result is an artisanal, bilingual and limited circulation publication (it does not exceed 500 copies per edition), with a faithful community that grows from Buenos Aires to New York, passing through Mexico, Puerto Rico and Chile.
Although they do not start from a thematic axis for each number, the editions end up waging senses from the values that inspire them: food sovereignty, connection with the living, a vision not fragmented between humanity and nature. The interest in this type of editorial projects, they say, is not new, but it is charging strength in Latin America. “There is a renewed interest and a lot of growth space for the item of independent printed journalism,” says the duo, which also considers that “gastronomy is a way of approaching life.” And the paper, with its texture, its time and its beauty, remains the best vehicle to explore those senses.
Another great Argentine example is that of “Figo”, which began to take shape in 2023 as the parallel project of the chefs Julia Soria (from Córdoba) and Siddarth Chook (from Mumbai, India). “After fogging with researchers, hospitality coaches, chefs and designers, we realized that all that knowledge deserved to circulate,” says Soria. At the same time, they dreamed a publication that expanded the gaze, in which to talk about sustainability, mental health, diversity of cultures and arts that are intertwined with the table. The first issue came out in July 2024 and today they have two publications per year, available in both Spanish and English.
They build each number as a sensory and conceptual map drawn from fixed pillars and dissimilar voices that vibrate the themes from unexpected places: an anthropologist of cocoa, an architect, a chef or a historian can be part of the same edition. “We let the number find your own pulse,” explain its creators, and that translates into content ranging from the use of millet in artisanal beer in India to biomaterial laboratories in Mar del Plata. This opening also generated a collaborative community, in which baristas, illustrators or producers write to propose themes or join the next number. And why gastronomy is fertile terrain for these types of projects, they believe that food is going through everything, from culture and climate to science and memories of childhood. “And there is always something new cooking. That constant flow of ideas, flavors and passionate people deserves a space that tells it calmly, without a hurry or POP UPS that close in 10 seconds. ”
For a time, it also circulated “Shoal”, A magazine that proposed a cross between gastronomy, landscape and culture from a federal perspective. It was a careful publication, with strong visual anchor and poetic sensitivity, of the pioneers in this area.
Voices of the world. From Ecuador, “Chiú” It also adds to this constellation of magazines that think gastronomy as an excuse to talk about identity, politics, landscape and memory. Born in 2017 as a digital platform and turned into a printed magazine in 2024, it proposes a critical, sensory and poetic look on what we eat and why. Each number starts from a broad concept (such as “liquid”, dedicated to fermented and alcoholic beverages) and is built collectively, with collaborations of chefs, researchers, artists and photographers. With manual distribution and limited shootings, the public’s response was immediate: readers who value the cross between design and content, seeking careful, sensitive and local root texts. These days they are working in an English version and aim to consolidate as a Latin American voice on the global editorial map, without losing focus on the edible territories of the region. “‘Chiú’ appeals to those who understand that gastronomy is a gateway to many other things: history, ecology, politics, identity,” synthesizes April Macías, editor.
And outside of Latin America, certain publications also claim the value of the printed and a deeper look at food. This is the case of “Eaten”, Based in the United States, which is dedicated to the history of food with a proposal as rigorous as charming. Each edition revolves around a topic (such as bread, sugar or prohibited foods, among others) and combines illustrations, rehearsals and stories that cover centuries, continents and forgotten kitchens.
In another line, “The Preserve Journal”based in Copenhagen, it is positioned as a printed manifesto in favor of sustainable food systems. Independent, without advertising and written by an international community of researchers and activists, addresses issues such as agroecology, biodiversity and food justice with a sober and precise aesthetic.
Both proposals finish confirming the growing appetite for publications that invite you to think, touch and savor without trouble.
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