Iris McCarthy

As a food and travel writer/author, Iris McCarthy is not only a storyteller but an amplifier of the foodways and culinary traditions of marginalized communities.

For the past decade, she has travelled the world in search of compelling narratives that highlight food as a cultural unifier and local stories that feature the farmers, chefs, and artisans that help shape regional culinary landscapes. Always seeking to discover the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of the food world, her work often takes on an investigative nature. From pulling back the curtain on unsanitary conditions in the fast-food world to unethical labour practices in the agriculture industry, her curiosity has taken her to intriguing, far-flung places.

Beyond the page, Iris also has a thirst for learning. Her quest for a deeper understanding of food and its importance has taken her from rural Greece where she studied traditional cheesemaking techniques to Morocco where she spent time learning to make couscous in a souk. She has rolled up her sleeves and reported on cacao production while doing a brief harvesting stint on a Costa Rican plantation and researched the centuries-old butter-making practice of malaxage in Brittany.

While honing her skills as a writer and satisfying an inquisitive spirit, Iris continues to scour the globe collecting experiences and getting to know the people behind the plate. She is currently working on her next book, a work of historical fiction inspired by the life of enslaved chef James Hemings.