Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

The Nutmeg Trail

Recipes and Stories Along the Ancient Spice Routes

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

*Winner of two Gourmand World Cookbook Awards*

*Best International or Regional Cookbook, Guild of Food Writers*

"What a deep dive this is into the world of spice. . . . And then the recipes! Recipes which allow the reader to travel from Asia to the Middle East along the spice route, taking in so much flavor and so much context on the way." —Yotam Ottolenghi

Through 80 spice-infused recipes, spectacular images, and a mouthwatering culinary journey along the ancient spice trail, award-winning author Eleanor Ford's luscious new volume reveals how centuries of spice trading and cultural diffusion changed the world's cuisine and how to best stock and enjoy spices in your own home.

From humankind's earliest travels, people have followed and sought out the spice routes. These maritime trading trails acted as the central nervous system of the world, enabling the flow of goods and ideas.

In this richly illustrated volume, Eleanor Ford uses recipes as maps as she takes readers on a culinary journey that weaves through history and around the world. She explores both the flavor profiles and the spread of spices—from cardamom to cinnamon, ginger to sumac—and provides fascinating insights such as how nutmeg unites the spice blends Indian garam masala, Lebanese seven spice, French quatre epices, Moroccan ras el hanout, and Middle Eastern baharat, lending its bittersweet, fragrant warmth to them all.

This unparalleled volume provides 80 flavorful recipes for entrees, appetizers, sides dishes, and more, enabling you to make a divine garlic clove vegetable curry, jasmine tea-smoked chicken, Indonesian seafood gulai, as well as staple spice pastes and mixtures to have on-hand. The result will enable you to stock up and to have a home kitchen rich in international flavor and fragrance.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

    Kindle restrictions
  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from May 9, 2022
      “The story of food can sometimes be the story of humanity, and nowhere does that seem more true than in the case of the spice routes,” asserts food and travel writer Ford (Fire Islands) in this delectable account. Noting that three-quarters of the world’s nutmeg is still grown in Indonesia’s Banda Islands, Ford explains how its complex flavor profile—sweet and warming, but also woody, astringent, bitter, and floral—has led to its inclusion in such global spice blends as India’s garam masala and Somolia’s xawaash. Nutmeg also serves as a touchstone for Ford’s “culinary detective” research into dozens of other spices, which goes back as far as 50000 BCE and hits plenty of fascinating historical markers (in the 15th century, Ford notes, Christopher Columbus misnamed chilies as “peppers”). The accompanying recipes, drawn from the likes of Somalia and Mauritius as well as Asia and the Middle East, are just as enticing, especially a standout Sri Lankan pumpkin curry that Ford hails as “one of the most memorable meals of my life,” in which curry leaves and black mustard and cumin seeds are bloomed in hot oil. The result is a transportive blend of stories and meals that are as enlightening as they are piquant.

    • Booklist

      July 28, 2023
      While this book's title indicates a single-ingredient focus, in reality Ford (Fire Islands, 2019) expands her content beyond nutmeg to feature many ancient spices along the Eastern route. It's two books in one, starting as a fascinating fact-filled narrative full of unusual information, intrigues, and history. Silphium, for instance, is a lost and perhaps extinct North African spice; nutmeg jam is popular in Indonesia's Banda Islands, and saffron (along with vanilla in the twenty-first century) the most expensive. Ford also includes sections on the anatomy of spices, a starter spice library, spice and culture, skills to acquire, and more. The second book is the author's nearly-100 dishes from Indonesia, China, India, and, occasionally, Europe: Gobi chili and devil's curry, tandoori roast chicken, coconut and green chili flatbreads. Each dish is prefaced with background about its heritage, includes a few suggestions for sides, and provides a guiding color photograph. The exclusion of desserts might dampen some home cooks' enthusiasm.

      COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
Kindle restrictions

Languages

  • English

Loading