The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Tajikistan School Meals Recipe Book was named “Best in the World” at the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, held in Yantai, China, last week.

In addition to this recognition, the WFP recipe book was named best in the “Food Safety” category and also received the Jury’s special award. More than 210 books from more than 200 countries participated in the competition.

In 2016, WFP developed and published the book as part of its school meals program, which is WFP’s largest activity in Tajikistan. Through this program, WFP provides a daily nutritious hot meal to 370,000 primary school children from more than 2,000 schools in the poorest rural areas. 

WFP developed the book in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Social and Industrial Foodservice Institute, a Russian NGO.

“This is an important recognition and a remarkable achievement for WFP Tajikistan. We hope that this book – with its healthy and diversified recipes – will contribute to a sustainable school feeding system in the poorest communities and areas around the country,” said Paolo Mattei, WFP Country Director in Tajikistan.

The 202-page book is a collection of 127 traditional Tajik recipes, which are used by schools that participate in the WFP school meals program. The dishes aim to provide a varied and healthy diet to children, while considering local traditions and the availability of simple and affordable ingredients.

“The team that built this useful book are heroes,” said the president of the Gourmand Awards Edouard Cointreau, in his congratulatory letter to WFP.

Founded in 1995, the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards is a competition open to publishers in all languages and countries, and the awards honor gourmet cookbooks and television shows. 

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.