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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.
A tantalizing treatise on the intoxicating world of spice. Eleanor has coupled essays on the history and cultural significance of spices with very enticing recipes. I cannot wait to read, meander, and cook my way along the ancient spice routes that Eleanor has so cleverly traced in this beautiful book.”— Helen Goh, recipe columnist This book has real spirit, bold flavors, and beautiful words to boot. In short: it has it all.”— Meera Sodha, author of East, Made in India, and Fresh India An extensive timeline chronicles the influence of spices from 50,000 BCE to the present. There are also fascinating spice facts, as of how Alexander the Great added saffron to his shampoo, how Japanese samurai ate chilies to increase their courage, and how peppercorns were used in fourteenth-century Italy as a form of currency.
Featured Reviews
Feeling lazy, we had our garlic clove curry on its own with some ready-made naan and it was a fantastic meal. Whilst I agree that it could form part of a larger meal, we thoroughly enjoyed it on its own too. A fascinating and evocative journey along the spice routes, the 'central nervous system of the world'. The author's blend of history, geography, taxonomy and enticing recipes offers a fresh look at these small, potent ingredients that bring magic to our kitchens.' - Fuchsia Dunlop, author of The Food of Sichuan The eclectic collection of recipes from across the world will make the reader want to head straight into the kitchen to conjure up heady meals to share with their family and friends.”— Anissa Helou, author of Feast: Food of the Islamic World A spirited and flavorful roundup of 100 recipes culled from Java, Sumatra, and elsewhere within the world’s largest archipelago.”— Publishers Weekly The spice routes led to an early and enduring mingling of Asia and Europe, East and West. It knitted together a shared history.
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 Ford notes that the spice trade lured explorers for centuries, with the value of certain spices exceeding the price of gold. Spice expeditions were both fascinating and exploitative: travels across oceans and along the legendary Silk Road spurred excessive demand and colonial aggression. Spice merchants invented encounters with dragons and fearsome serpents to exaggerate the dangers of their travels and increase the cost of their wares. Eleanor Ford is a cook and a historian, a culinary detective, and, as she says, a gastronomic archaeologist. What a deep dive this is into the world of spice. It’s a deep dive, a culinary history, a spice library, anatomy, and miscellany. 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. It’s the green coconut hot sauce from Somalia first up for me, followed by the green peppercorn asparagus from Thailand.”— Yotam Ottolenghi, chef, restaurateur, and author of Plenty, Jerusalem: A Cookbook, and Ottolenghi Simple 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.
Advance Praise
A few made their journey exclusively overland—musk, cassia, and licorice trekked with camel caravans across Central Asia—but these are the exception. As the most sought-after spices grew on impenetrable forest islands, the trade was largely conducted by sea. This lent the routes to frequent realignment, and journeys that initially skipped along the skirts of Asia, interspersed with occasional land passages, gradually edged away from the shores as maritime technologyimproved. Capable of transporting readers to tables around the world from their own kitchens.”— USA Today, selected as a top summer 2022 cookbook In The Nutmeg Trail, Eleanor Ford takes us on a mouth-watering culinary voyage to the fabled 'spiceries', those semi-mystical islands of the East Indies. A heady blend of history, adventure and deliciously authentic recipes, this book will make you hungry!' - Giles Milton, author of Nathaniel's Nutmeg Eleanor Ford's passion shines through her beautiful and picturesque writing."— Guild of Food Writers Awards
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