Anna Ansari

Cookbook Author | 2026 Food Writer of the Year 

UK-based, Metro Detroit native Anna Ansari is an award-winning Iranian-American food writer and former international trade attorney whose work explores how food moves across borders, cultures, and generations. Her debut cookbook, Silk Roads: A Flavor Odyssey from Baku to Beijing, was shortlisted for both the 2026 Fortnum & Mason Debut Cookery Book Award and the 2026 Guild of Food Writers Debut Book Award. In 2026, she was named Food Writer of the Year by the Guild of Food Writers for her work in independent publications.

A lifelong lover of Northern Michigan, Anna has been visiting Traverse City and the surrounding region since she was a young child and considers "Up North" one of her favorite places in the world. 

Anna holds a BA in Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Cultures from Barnard College, Columbia University, an MA in East Asian Studies from Yale University, and a JD from Brooklyn Law School. She lives in London with her husband, son, and cat.

Where to see Anna