Sufi Cuisine

About the Book

It is a well-known fact that a dervish’s training begins in the kitchen. The preparation and festive consumption of food is intrinsically connected to Sufi spiritual practices, as the truly inspiring array of dishes here beautifully demonstrates.

Sharing recipes associated with the life and times of the Sufi mystic Rumi – many of which are still popular in Turkey today – alongside selections of his sayings and parables, Sufi Cuisine offers a rare window into a rich cultural history.

Featuring more than one hundred recipes – from chickpea soup and griddled cheese to lamb with plums and sweet spinach, with desserts including candied rose petals and almond halvah, followed by Turkish coffee – these delightful, lavishly illustrated recipes offer the ideal introduction to the transformative art of Sufi cooking.

About the Author

Nevin Halıcı is one of Turkey’s leading cookery writers. She has published nine books, including Nevin Halıcı’s Turkish Cookbook. She is based in Konya, Turkey.

About the Translator

Ümit Hussein is a British literary translator and interpreter based in Seville, Spain. She has translated many books from Turkish to English, including the works of such authors as Ahmet Altan, Yavuz Ekinci, Sine Ergün, Nevin Halıcı, Burhan Sönmez, Nermin Yıldırım, and Mehmet Yaşın.

Reviews

‘Stunningly good … a beautiful object, and some of the dishes are strikingly scrumptious.’
Wall Street Journall

‘An important and beautifully produced book.’
Cornucopia

‘Modern Western works on mysticism tend to overstress the opposition between the soul and the stomach. [This] book, which is great fun to read, goes a long way towards addressing this misconception.’
Times Literary Supplement

‘Exquisite dishes from the most respected food writer in Turkey … A jewel of a book.’
Claudia Roden