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ISRAELI21c-Israeli cookbook authors won four awards at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2016 including top prize, Best in the World Wines & Drinks book. Mira Eitan's "Happy Hours-Famous Bar Stories and Cocktail Recipes" book, which is in Hebrew, was chosen out of nine finalists in the Drinks category.

"It is not taken for granted that a book in Hebrew would triumph over eight award-winning books and take first place," Eitan,  an editor and writer on the subject of Israeli wines, told Yediot Aharonot.

The annual cookbook contest, which honors the best food and wine books from 209 countries, took place in China this year.

Eitan's book was published by Israeli food publisher, LunchBox.

Three other LunchBox titles won honors at the contest: "The best patisserie in Paris" by Sharon Heinrich, "Roasted figs and lentils" by Michael Revivo, and "Reva Off-The Jewish wedding cookbook" by Nomi Abeliovich and Ofer Vardi.

In 2013, the international committee at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards chose "Seafoodpedia"-a design cookbook edited by Shalom Maharovsky, owner and founder of the now defunct Mul-Yam (Across the Sea) restaurant-as the Best in the World in the fish and seafood category.

Viva Sarah Press reports on the creativity, innovation and ingenuity taking place in Israel. Her work has been published by international media outlets including Israel Television, CNN, Reuters, Time Out and The Jerusalem Post.