Cuban books awarded at the 7th Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

International Chef and Specialist on Food and Beverages at the Ministry of Tourism, Jorge L. Méndez Rodríguez-Arencibia, won the Third Prize under the Gastronomic Writers category, for his book Hablando con la boca llena. Diccionario Gastronómico, published by Boloña publishing house, belonging to Havana�s Historian Office.

This volume covers over 2 000 terms used in the kitchen and the gastronomy by professionals, amateurs and all those who love to talk about the art of eating and drinking. It is "a pending tribute to the mouth, as the organ with most senses", according to the author.

Written with an entertaining language, the text brings together words and ways of saying with a high technical significance, linked to literature, music, poetry, manners and popular speech at different lattitudes and historical and social contexts.

Méndez Rodríguez-Arencibia speaks of products and ways of preparing food and beverages; while mentioning words and archaic, traditional and contemporary expressions, emphasizing on their origin, meaning and use in everyday speech. Descriptions are completed with photos and illustrations.

Veimar Néstor Loyola Fonseca, also International Chef and member of the Federation of Cuban Culinary Associations, was granted the Second Prize within the Latin American Regional category, for his book La cocina de un cubano, by Selvi Spanish publishing house.

Ph.D. Vilda Figueroa Frade and Engineer José Lama Martínez were also awarded for their book El sabor en la cocina, the result of a community project.

Translation: Roxana Marquez Herrera (Cubarte)