The Oldest Cuisine In The World

In this intriguing blend of the commonplace and the ancient, Jean Bottéro presents the first extensive look at the delectable secrets of Mesopotamia. Bottéro’s broad perspective takes us inside the religious rites, everyday rituals, attitudes and taboos, and even the detailed preparation techniques involving food and drink in Mesopotamian high culture during the second and third millennia BCE, as the Mesopotamians recorded them. Offering everything from translated recipes for pigeon and gazelle stews, the contents of medicinal teas and broths, and the origins of ingredients native to the region, this book reveals the cuisine of one of history’s most fascinating societies. Links to the modern world, along with incredible recreations of a rich, ancient culture through its cuisine, make Bottéro’s guide an entertaining and mesmerizing read.

Authentic Turkish cuisine and food culture from the well-loved, Turkish-born Australian restaurateur, Somer Sivrioglu. Every dish tastes better when it comes with a good story. Anatolia, Adventures in Turkish eating is much more than a cookbook. It's a travel guide, narrative journey and richly illustrated exploration of a 4,000 year old cooking culture. Istanbul-born chef Somer Sivrioglu and food scholar David Dale reveal the fascinating tales, tricks and rituals that enliven the Turkish table. Here they profile the superstars of modern Turkish hospitality and reimagine recipes ranging from the grand banquets of the Ottoman empire to the spicy snacks of Istanbul's street stalls, from epic breakfasts on the eastern border to seafood mezes on the Aegean coastline. With more than 100 stories and recipes, including many suitable for vegetarians or vegans, this is the what, the where, the how and the why of eating the Turkish way.

In The Making of Macau’s Fusion Cuisine: From Family Table to World Stage, Annabel Jackson argues that Macanese cuisine cannot be seen as a unique product of Portuguese colonialism in southern China. Instead, it needs to be understood in the context of Portugal’s culinary footprint in Asia and beyond. She contends that the culinary cultures of other Portuguese colonies in Asia and Africa also influenced the cuisine in Macau. Macanese cuisine plays a role in evoking a sense of Macanese identity within Macau as well as in the Macanese diaspora. As the Macanese have increasingly defined themselves as an ethnically and culturally distinct group, their cuisine has growingly been seen as a critical identifier of cohesion and difference. The book shows how Macanese cuisine is moving from being an everyday production of food in a domestic setting to something more symbolic and ceremonial. It also argues that the practice of recipe sharing, historically controversial among the Macanese, is now viewed as an important process. Drawing on information gathered through interviews and surveys, the book is a fascinating study of the history and development of Macanese cuisine, one of the oldest fusion cuisines in Asia. ‘Annabel Jackson has more than enough knowledge to share with the readers many insights and interesting stories, which are embedded in history and cultural interactions among various ethnic groups in Macau and beyond. Given the fact that Macau has become the city of gastronomy, this book brings in rich information and knowledge for locals and visitors to “taste” and to remember.’ —Sidney Cheung, The Chinese University of Hong Kong ‘Annabel Jackson’s study of the development of Macanese cuisine and its role in evoking a sense of Macanese identity within Macau and the Macanese diaspora should contribute to the growing interest in the study of food and foodways within cultural and postcolonial studies. Written in a lively and engaging way, it achieves a good balance between the use of primary sources and theoretical references to buttress its arguments.’ —David Brookshaw, University of Bristol

“A rare and fascinating insight into an ancient and delicious cuisine. This is the best sort of cook book—with time-honoured recipes from the heart of a home.” —Nigel Slater, food writer, journalist, and author of A Cook’s Book Discover the oldest, most authentic cuisine in the world in this unique cookbook that explores the basis of all cuisines in the Middle East. From the world's oldest recorded cuneiform recipes, some 4,000 years ago, there is a straight line to the kitchen of Smuni Turan. Her recipes have been collected by her son in this cookbook. The Oldest Kitchen in the World describes both the oldest cuisine in the world and the culture of the Assyrians. Now scattered all over the world, they all still speak dialects of Aramaic, and more importantly: they still cook the dishes that all Middle Eastern kitchens are indebted to.

Crossroads of Cuisine offers history of food and cultural exchanges in and around Central Asia. It discusses geographical base, and offers historical and cultural overview. A photo essay binds it all together. The book offers new views of the past.

First published in 2013. The study of food in the Hebrew Bible and Syro-Palestinian archaeology has tended to focus on kosher dietary laws, the sacrificial system, and feasting in elite contexts. More everyday ritual and practice - the preparation of food in the home - has been overlooked. Food in Ancient Judah explores both the archaeological remains and ancient Near Eastern sources to see what they reveal about the domestic gastronomical daily life of ancient Judahites within the narratives of the Hebrew Bible. Beyond the findings, the methodology of the study is in itself innovative. Biblical passages that deal with domestic food preparation are translated and analysed. Archaeological findings and relevant secondary resources are then applied to inform these passages. Food in Ancient Judah reflects both the shift towards the study of everyday life in biblical studies and archaeology and the huge expansion of interest in food history - it will be of interest to scholars in all these fields

Recipes from one of the oldest civilizations in the world, plus color photos and “fascinating historical tidbits” (Library Journal). Winner of the Glenfiddich Award Known today as Iran, Persia is known for one of the oldest and greatest cuisines of the world. It is refined, sophisticated, subtle yet distinctive, elegant and varied. Fruits, nuts, herbs, and spices are combined with rice, fish, and meat in combinations whose ancient influence can be found in the cooking of the Middle East, Spain, and India. Persian cuisine is perfectly suited to today’s style of eating—many of the dishes are vegetarian, and the marriage of sweet and savory, such as grains and pulses stewed with fruit and spices, make for unforgettable meals. The sweetmeats and pastries are especially mouthwatering. Written by an Englishwoman who married an Iranian and lived in the country for a quarter century—learning about Persian cooking from her mother-in-law and other friends and relatives—this cookbook takes us on a culinary adventure. It also illustrates the diversity of food as represented by its many different religions ̶ Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Zoroastrian ̶ while explaining the customs and traditions which make up the exotic and colorful threads in a cuisine which spans more than three thousand years. “In addition to loads of background text covering history and geography, each recipe has its own introduction that places it in cultural and culinary context . . . One showstopper recipe sure to be a hit at a dinner party, the giant meatball from Tabriz hides as a surprise within it a whole chicken . . . An important volume in any international cookery collection.” —Booklist