Between streaming podcasts for foodies, following food bloggers on-the-go and scrolling through Instagram (#foodporn city, people), even the most dedicated foodie can stay pretty up to date on the food world haps through their smartphones. But that doesn’t mean foodies don’t appreciate a good IRL print mag too. There’s just something so satisfying about sitting down on Sunday morning with a hot latte and a new magazine, right? And with so many well-designed, interesting indie mags on the market right now, there’s a lot to choose from. We already have our fave creative magazine and style magazines on lock, so we thought it was high time to tackle the culinary magazine world.
1. Lucky Peach ($16): We’re immediately into anything that comes from the mind of David Chang (Momofuku, anyone?), and Lucky Peach is no exception. The quarterly food and writing journal focuses on a different theme in each issue, with past issues centered around desserts, pho, breakfast and even gender (brilliantly split into three parts: women, men and sex). More of a book than a magazine, Lucky Peach is one you’ll definitely want to keep on your coffee table for easy access. (Photo via Jack Sachs)
2. Cherry Bombe ($20): When an indie mag scores Karlie Kloss as their first issue’s cover star, it’s safe to assume they’ve got a good thing going. Co-founded by Kerry Diamond and Claudia Wu, Cherry Bombe is a women-in-food-centric publication that’s full of in-depth interviews with chefs, food stylists, activists, celebrities, influencers, authors and makers. We dig the girl-power vibe and that it appeals to not just food lovers, but anyone interested in fashion, entrepreneurship and beautiful things.
3. Chickpea ($20): While Chickpea is technically a vegan magazine, carnivores and vegetarians alike will delight in the lush, vibrant photography and useful, relatable articles, like how to eat alone or how to plan a vegan wedding. As a cost-effective, earth-friendly bonus, you can download digital issues of the mag for just $5 each.
4. Gather ($20): If you prefer your food magazines to be recipe driven, Gather is your new go-to. Each issue’s chapters are divided into categories, with corresponding articles and recipes in each. You learn all about the origins of cheeses you’ve never heard of and then use the same cheeses in a pasta recipe. Bon appetit!
5. The Runcible Spoon($7): This DC-based food zine is whimsical to the max. Many of their recipes are completely made up, they feature stories like “I tried making lasagna using only Twitter” and the aesthetic has an old-school, hand-collaged scrapbook feel. Basically, The Runcible Spoon is perfect for you if you like your food magazine with a generous side of fantasy.
6. The Gourmand($18): This biannual UK-based journal features a mix of personal essays, interviews, conceptual photography, excerpts from books and delicious-sounding recipes. You can discover the history of ketchup in America and learn about a young visionary San Francisco chef, all with the simple turn of a page.
7. Gastronimica ($15): Gastronimica is definitely the thinking person’s food mag. The articles skew super intellectual, bringing politics, art, culture and philosophy into the food dialogue in a thoughtful and challenging way. While Gastronimica‘s photography is stunning, it’s really the well-researched and highly relevant words that will keep you subscribing.
Do you have a favorite independent food mag that didn’t make our list? Tweet us @BritandCo and fill us in!
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