Saveur is a gourmet, food, wine and travel magazine that specialises in researching and reporting on various world cuisines. Begun in 1994 and known for its striking food photography and evocative writing, it has also, for the last nine years, run the Saveur Blog Awards – a showcase for the best food bloggers around the world. And this year, one of the 66 international bloggers nominated was South Africa’s very own Astrid Field, blogger behind The Sweet Rebellion – a space dedicated to all things unapologetically sweet and decadent. Sadly it didn’t take the Best Baking & Sweets Blog Award – that went to The Cinnaman – but the honour of being nominated remains.
So, without further ado, here are our top 5 of the 11 Editors’ Choice Awards for 2018:
1) BLOG OF THE YEAR: The Cinnaman
‘The main aim of The Cinnaman is to create and revive memories in people through the ingredients blogger Majid Ali works with, the recipes he drafts, and the stories he tells through his food. People instinctively connect with food; it’s a language that transcends barriers. We all relate to those feelings we remember smelling, touching or creating food, and it’s important to be able to connect with people throughout the world via this medium. Each post on the blog is written in both in English and Arabic to connect as many people as possible. Food, after all, is something we all need and understand.’
2) BEST FOOD INSTAGRAM: posiehh
‘Posiehh draws images from 600 Acres, a collection of stories and recipes from Posie’s life—many from her childhood spent on a farm in Maryland where her mother made all the best things, from scratch, like vanilla ice cream churned by hand, pasta dough tinged bright yellow with fresh egg yolks, homemade graham crackers, and more—and others from her adventures in NYC and beyond. Each post is lushly written about things she loves, from day to day stories to poetry to easy-to-follow, inspiring recipes for the food she loves to eat: everything from celebration cakes to yeasted breads to simple weeknight dinners.’
3) BEST FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY: The Little Plantation
‘The aim of The Little Plantation is and always has been to make people happy, to bring people together, and to show everyone that plant-based food can be pretty freakin' sexy! That Kimberly Espinel's little blog would allow her to find the people she can connect with the most and bring her as much happiness as it has was an unexpected, lovely side effect; it has made waking up each and every day to develop recipes, hone her photography skills, and develop her food writing that little bit extra special.’
4) BEST FOOD VIDEO: Kitchen Unnecessary
‘Cooking outside is not just for summer, this series Kitchen Unnecessary shows you the magic of cooking seasonal ingredients over the fire all year long. Rain or shine (or even snow), Ashley Rodriguez and her guests will show you how to embrace cooking outdoors with the wild foods they find. Their passion is to get outside as often as they can; to grasp a sense of awe as they surround themselves with towering trees, vast oceans, massive mountains, and a world of wild foods; then come together around the fire, cook an extraordinary meal, and share it with others.’
5) BEST DRINKS BLOG: Moody Mixologist
‘Moody Mixologist is a collection of original and classic cocktail recipes, tutorials, and photography focused on sharing the beauty of botanical ingredients and exploring unusual syrups, infusions, and techniques. I enjoy sharing creative, simple, and accessible cocktails that anyone can enjoy, no matter the size of your home bar or skill level.’
