Fifteen-year-old Souma Yukihira dreams to one day surpass his father's cooking skills and take over as the chef of their small family diner. However, his aspirations come to a halt when his father announces the closure of their restaurant, as he must travel abroad for cooking-related business. In the meantime, Souma is urged by his father to attend Tootsuki Culinary Academy: a world-renowned school where expulsions of incompetent students are commonplace. Due to the curriculum's rigor, any student that manages to graduate is recognized as a chef of great caliber. Reluctantly agreeing to the proposition, Souma heads to Tootsuki's high school division for the entrance exam. Little does he know, he will soon begin a new chapter of his life—one that entails new friends, daring rivalries, and sleepless nights. [Written by MAL Rewrite] Included one-shot: Volume 3: Kimi to Watashi no Renai Soudan

Some of the recipes used in the series are compiled in the manga volumes by the collaborator chef, Yuki Morisaki. A recipe book was released June 4, 2015 featuring both recipes from the manga as well as new ones exclusive to the book, written by Morisaki with illustrations done by Shun Saeki. Shokugeki no Souma was published in English as Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma by VIZ Media under the Shonen Jump Advanced imprint from August 5, 2014 to June 2, 2020. It has also been published in Polish by Waneko since November 2016.