Description

“Anna Ansari is a rare kind of home cook who is able to get under the skin of any cuisine and turn the simplest of ingredients into pure magic. She’s also one of the best writers I know: she’s witty, intelligent and very refreshing to read.” – Meera Sodha

“A real feast – vividly evocative, witty and enlightening. Utterly delicious.” – Felicity Cloake

“A superb culinary journey along Silk Roads less travelled.” – Jay Rayner

This is the story of the world’s most famous trade routes, retold through recipes.

In this rich and delicious cookbook, Iranian-American cook and writer Anna Ansari takes us on a culinary, historical, and personal odyssey across the Silk Roads.

Weaving together essays, family photography and 90 recipes, Ansari brings life to the flavours of the Silk Roads – from the walnut groves of her father’s Iranian childhood, across Central Asian markets brimming with fragrant melons and thronged with fat-tailed sheep, and into the neighborhoods of modern-day Chinese cities.

Discover delectable dishes from Baku to Beijing – Azeri-Iranian stews served with crispy-bottomed rice, dill-infused noodles from Western Uzbekistan, Georgian cornbread, Uyghur lamb chops and all kinds of dumplings, from fat, spiraled oromo to tiny, stuffed dushbara in a delicate saffron broth. Plus, you’ll find refreshing drinks and sharbats, and American-inspired desserts like apple pie with quince, sticky persimmon pudding, and walnut-studded spiced blondies.

Publisher Review

“Anna Ansari is a rare kind of home cook who is able to get under the skin of any cuisine and turn the simplest of ingredients into pure magic. She’s also one of the best writers I know: she’s witty, intelligent, and very refreshing to read.” — Meera Sodha “A real feast – vividly evocative, witty, and enlightening. Utterly delicious.” — Felicity Cloake “A superb culinary journey along Silk Roads less travelled.” — Jay Rayner “A book of delicious recipes interwoven with histories, family stories and a good dash of humour is what we all need just now.” — Olia Hercules “A unique culinary insight into the people, traditions, and ingredients that have travelled through history from Baku to Beijing” — Gurdeep Loyal “Loved this book. Fascinating, learned, and beautifully written.” — Tom Parker Bowles “An incredibly rich book, full to the brim with history, wisdom and stories, all written in the warmest, most relatable voice. And the recipes! I don’t think I’ll learn more from any other book.” — Helen Goh “An enlightening journey through Central Asia and beyond, with stories as lively and vivid as the recipes themselves.” — Tim Anderson “The beautiful thing about food is how it travels, how it evolves, and how it transcends time. Anna’s love and celebration of ingredients, and her collection of recipes are a wonderful thank you and homage to the incredible people that she has met on her journeys. Truly heartwarming and inspiring. I loved the book!” — Andrew Wong “A book of delicious recipes interwoven with histories, family stories and a good dash of humour is what we all need just now.” — Olia Hercules “Anna Ansari is a wise, witty and hungry guide who takes us on a superb culinary journey along Silk Roads less travelled.” — Jay Rayner “This is an utterly unique book which ranges across an astonishing mix of cultures and traditions – there is so much to love here, from brightly coloured salads and grain dishes to decadent desserts. Every dish is a voyage of discovery – and the result of a vast amount of experience and research.” — Felicity Spector “A real feast – vividly evocative, witty and enlightening. Utterly delicious.” — Felicity Cloake “Packed with history, humor, and delicious food, this travelogue-memoir-cookbook checks every box. Anna’s encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject, combined with compelling personal stories and recipes deeply rooted in a unique culinary culture, add a new voice to an important food story.” — Adeena Sussman “A delectable feast for the senses. Anna Ansari traverses the colorful cuisines of the Silk Roads with curiosity, knowledge, and empathy.” — Naz Deravian “A fascinating and meticulously researched blend of recipes, history and memoir, this cookbook deserves a place alongside Olia Hercules Mamushka, Sabrina Ghayour’s Persiana and Sami Tamimi’s Jerusalem.” * Rukmini Iyer *