Two World Awards for New Zealand: A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That Named Best of the Best.
We're thrilled to share that A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That, by Jayshri & Laxmi Ganda and published by The Gujarati Kitchen, represented New Zealand against the rest of the world at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, known as "The Oscars of Food Awards". The book has been awarded both Best Indian Cuisine Book and Best Spices & Herbs Book, and was named Best of the Best – Book on Spices & Herbs in the world during the Awards' 30th anniversary year.
The announcement was made on stage at the Saudi Feast Food Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by Edouard Cointreau, founder and Chairman of the Gourmand Awards, who praised the book for its depth and cultural significance:
"My deepest admiration to Jayshri and Laxmi Ganda for A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That, a living archive of memory, identity, and love passed down through generations. With warmth, humour, and precision, your book honours the language of food as spoken by many mothers and grandmothers around the world. By carefully writing down the measurements of recipes once shared only through word of mouth, you empower the next generations to reclaim tradition, preserve taste, and celebrate the stories that shaped them. A timeless contribution to culinary heritage. Thank you."
- Edouard Cointreau, Chairman, Gourmand Awards
About the Gourmand Awards
Founded in 1995, with participation from over 200 countries, the Gourmand Awards are the only international competition dedicated to publications on food and drink cultures. The competition is free and open to books in all languages. Each year Gourmand holds a global symposium in a place of notable gastronomic relevance, bringing together leading voices from diplomacy, food, publishing and culture.
This special "Best of the Best" edition marked 30 years of the Awards. In Riyadh, guests from 96 countries attended the ceremonies, reflecting Saudi Arabia's growing role as a key destination for food culture.
What this means to us
This book began with a simple wish: to write down the recipes we grew up with before the "little bit of this, little bit of that" was lost. To see those family recipes recognised on a world stage means more than we can say. Thank you to our family, to everyone who shared their stories and kitchens with us, and to every reader who has cooked from these pages and passed them on.
Honoured in Paris this September
This September, food culture professionals from around the world are gathering in Paris for the Village International de la Gastronomie, where all Gourmand Awards winners are being honoured.
