This year, there was plenty to get excited about. The Asian megamart H Mart opened a branch in Burlington and eager customers poured in from all over. There were excellent new cookbooks to peruse, and sometimes even use. Vegetables grew on the White House lawn, and a well-known name in Italian food resurfaced in the Boston area. As always, we ate well, drank well, explored the city’s restaurants, and enjoyed the comforts of the home kitchen.

Here are some of the tastes, people, and places that made 2009 a delicious year for Globe food writers and editors.