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David Leite
James Beard Award winner
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i. Biography
David Leite is the founder of Leite's Culinaria, the defining fact in a career tied to Portuguese cuisine. His signature work, *Notes on a Banana: A Memoir of Food, Love, and Manic Depression*, carries that food story into memoir.
The Essentials His turn toward the kitchen came after leaving home: "Actually, it wasn't when I was growing up but rather when I had moved away that I began poking around in the kitchen." Family recipes became the work after loss: "It happened after my grandmother, Vovo Costa, passed away in the early ‘90s. When she died, so did some of her recipes." "That's when I embarked upon a journey to preserve our family’s recipes."
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of David
Where does David Leite work?
He works through the culinary site he founded.
Who is David Leite?
He is a founder, author, and three-time James Beard Award winner.
What is David Leite known for?
He is known for Portuguese cuisine and a memoir about food, love, and Manic Depression.
