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 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 Capable of transporting readers to tables around the world from their own kitchens.”— USA Today, selected as a top summer 2022 cookbook

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 flavour 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 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. The Nutmeg Trail offers a historical account of the spice trade with invaluable advice on the use of culinary spices - how to prepare and combine them, when to introduce them, and what delights to expect. Mouth-watering.' - John Keay, author of The Spice Routes

Publishers Text

Consider also a Mint sambal: Grind together in a food processor 30g (1/3 cup) grated coconut, leaves from a small bunch of mint, 1/2 red onion, 1 garlic clove, 3 green chillies with or without their seeds, and a pinch of salt. Add a squeeze of lime juice and a little water to loosen the blades.

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 Seafaring was a historically dangerous endeavor, yet throughout antiquity people have been enticed into unknown waters by the allure of the exotic, and the prices such rarities could fetch. Across thousands of years, trading links from Indonesia fanned out through Asia and met with those spreading from the Middle East. Spices travelled from one end of the earth to the other. They came to hold great value, used in food, religion and medicine, and so the Indian Ocean was coursed by Chinese, Malayan, Pharaonic, Phoenician, Graeco-Roman, Arab, Jewish, Indian and European merchant seafarers all united by a common temptation.

The Nutmeg Trailoffers a historical account of the spice trade with invaluable advice on the use of culinary spices—how to prepare and combine them, when to introduce them, and what delights to expect.Mouthwatering.”— John Keay, historian and author of India: A History and China: A 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 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 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

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 verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ The spice routes led to an early and enduring mingling of Asia and Europe, East and West. It knitted together a shared history. 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. 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.

A charming read from beginning to end. . . . a remarkable book perfect for anyone who loves the culinary arts and cooking, anthropology, history, and travel. The Nutmeg Trail invites readers into an ancient and exotic era that changed the course of history and the food of today.”— Culinary Historians of Canada

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. Eleanor Ford's passion shines through her beautiful and picturesque writing."— Guild of Food Writers AwardsA spirited and flavorful roundup of 100 recipes culled from Java, Sumatra, and elsewhere within the world’s largest archipelago.”— Publishers Weekly 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. 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