Issue:
January
2012

Review by Manos Angelakis

In Silk Road Gourmet, Laura Kelley is taking us on an exploration of the culinary traditions of a part of the world that is largely unknown to the average home cook. Her savory recipes, culled from areas that the West still knows very little about, bring to the average person cultural links, ingredients and condiments that are now available to grace any table.     

The Silk Road extended from the Caucasus to almost Mongolia, and trader caravans traveled it from the Renaissance on, to bring to Europe silks, porcelains and spices from China and India, embroideries, tea and spices from India and Sri Lanka, dried fruits and nuts from Georgia and Armenia, carpets from Iran and Pakistan, tribal silver from Afghanistan.  

Topography plays a major role in the cooking of these areas, because the availability of numerous ingredients is mostly dependent on place and season. Religious beliefs also play a role, as the Islamic countries do not consume pork. But many of what once were local ingredients are now available on a worldwide basis, as modern Silk Road entrepreneurs scour the world for trade goods.

From complicated recipes like Gormeh Sabzi (beef with dried lemons and herbs) to simple jajik (yogurt, cucumber, garlic, and herb sauce), or Meatballs with Ginger, Cumin, Coriander, and Cinnamon, the treasures of the Central and Southern Asia kitchens are revealed in an easy to read and execute format.

This is not an ordinary cookbook. It is a culinary exploration of non-European methods of cooking, tastes and – to a certain extend – a different way of life.

 

 

 

 

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