- June 16, 2026
- By Jessica Weiss ’05
Anny Gaul, program head and associate professor of Arabic in the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, won a 2026 James Beard Media Award in the Reference, History and Scholarship category for her book, “Nile Nightshade: An Egyptian Culinary History of the Tomato.”
Presented Saturday at the Art Institute of Chicago, the James Beard Media Awards recognize excellence in food writing, journalism, broadcasting and other media.
Published in 2025, “Nile Nightshade” traces how a fruit native to the Americas became woven into everyday life in Egypt. The book examines how food can shape belonging and identity while highlighting the significance of culinary knowledge and the people who preserve and pass it on.
In accepting the award, Gaul thanked the many people who opened their homes to her in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Palestine.
“I'm a guest in the food cultures that I study, so this award really belongs to the brilliant cooks whose hospitality has made my work possible,” she said.
The James Beard recognition follows other honors for the book, including the 2026 First Book Award from the Association for the Study of Food and Society and Best Culinary History Book at the 2025 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.