Robyn Eckhardt

Robyn Eckhardt is an American food and travel journalist based in Piemonte, Italy. Her writing and recipes have appeared in Saveur, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CURED, The Economist's monthly magazine 1843, SBS Feast, Afar, Food & Wine, Travel+Leisure and the Chicago Tribune. Since 2005, Robyn has published, with 'Istanbul and Beyond' photographer David Hagerman, the food blog EatingAsia, which focuses on ingredients, food markets, cooks and food artisans, and culinary cultures in Turkey, south east Asia and beyond. In 2014 and 2016 EatingAsia was named Editor's Choice, Culinary Travel in the Saveur Food Blog Awards. EatingAsia has been featured and/or cited for excellence by the New York Times, BBC, Food 52, Australian Gourmet Traveller, The Guardian, The Splendid Table, CNN, and other media. 'Istanbul and Beyond' is the result of Robyn's nearly two decades-long passion for Turkey, its food and its people. After her first trip to Turkey in 2008 Robyn studied Turkish at University of California, Berkeley, while returning annually to Turkey to travel. Between 2011 and 2015, as they conducted research for 'Istanbul and Beyond', Robyn and David clocked more than 16 months on the road, covering more than 15,000 miles, in Istanbul and Turkey's eastern half. Several of the regions featured in 'Istanbul and Beyond' are little referenced by food writers outside of Turkey; many recipes in the book have never before been published in English. When not reporting, writing, developing recipes, or simply traveling to eat, Robyn organises food and photography workshops with David in Turkey, Italy, and Asia.