The Best American Food and Travel Writing 2026

The Best American series, launched in 1915, is the premier annual showcase for the country’s finest short fiction and nonfiction, and it is the most respected—and most popular—of its kind.

José Andrés—Michelin-starred chef, entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author, and tireless humanitarian leader across the globe—selects twenty stories out of thousands that represent the best examples of the genre published this year.