The Culinary Crescent

"A concise, digestible and enthralling read with stories, recipes, and illustrations from across the Arab world, Iran and Turkey to show the significance cuisine has had on the region over the past 1,500 years. The work covers countries from Morocco to India, and delves into the traditions of the Umayyads, Abbasids, Mughals and Ottomans to uncover the cultural markers of these ages. . . . An essential read to learn more about Middle Eastern cuisine, but also to understand more about the region's history and relationships with other parts of the world."--New Arab "A love letter to Middle Eastern food in all its varieties."--Follow the Crumbs "'Heine's book is so packed with fascinating information and anecdotes that if you are anything close to a food aficionado it would be very hard to put it down. He writes very engagingly and knowledgeably; he is completely at home with his subject and presents it to his readers with enthusiasm and gusto. Heine manages, in a little more than two hundred pages, to cover more than a thousand years of culinary history and practices, showing readers how and why this particular form of cuisine has become so popular in the West, and immensely expanding our knowledge of it."--Asian Review of Books "Heine weaves together Islamic dietary prescriptions, a political and economic food history of the Middle East, and a colorful oeuvre of recipes in a fascinating account of the region's cuisine across the ages. Drawing on medieval Arabic and Persian poetry, Islamic legal rulings, ancient and modern cookbooks, and academic scholarship on the region, Heine provides an easy-to-read introduction to the gastronomic side of Middle Eastern culture. . . . Detailed recipes intersperse the text, a gesture which makes Heine's historical account compelling, relatable, and even edible. Intended for the general reader, this book is of interest to culinary enthusiasts and those seeking a fresh angle on the Middle East's place in global history. . . . Summing Up: Highly recommended."--CHOICE