I was given this gorgeous book for my birthday last year by my wonderful partner. He has a real love for the cultures of this part of the world, having spent a substantial amount of time in the nearby countries of Turkey and Syria.

From the first, I was drawn in by its promise of exotic mysteries and the beautiful, beautiful photographs. Mosque domes, city squares, tiled gateways, carved screens, and yet more dazzling tiles. I love pattern and colour, and the Persians do these so well – and in my favourite hues of turquoise and lapis blue. Pictures of markets, harvesting saffron, spectacular landscapes, and people enjoying each other’s company – all contribute to the sumptuousness of the text.

Lebanese-born chef Greg Malouf and food writer Lucy Malouf have already written a number of other books exploring the food of nearby regions, and carefully tease apart the differences between the Arabian food of Lebanon and Syria, the Ottoman and Anatolian food of Turkey, and the Moorish food of North Africa, and state that the culture of Persian food ‘is one of the most sophisticated, elaborate and complex food cultures in the world’.

The text weaves intriguingly through stories of the countryside and people, of travel experiences and meals shared, giving factual snippets about present-day Iran, interspersing the stories with sections filled with recipes.

The photographs of the food are stunning. Curly cucumbers, fresh herbs and cheese, rose petals,  pomegranates, and saffron, all take their places among rustic tableware and elegantly patterned bowls. Arranged in chapters corresponding roughly to the roles various foods play within the Iranian meal, these recipes are described by the Maloufs as being based in Iranian cooking, but include the occasional modern twist and loose interpretation.

I have cooked a few of these recipes, and they were rather fabulous! My one tiny sadness about this book is that there are a few recipes I may never get to try, as they have less usual ingredients that are difficult to find unless you live in a large city with access to a well-stocked Middle Eastern delicatessen – dried limes, pomegranate molasses, and dried barberries are simply not available to me. Nonetheless, the flavour combinations sound heavenly – and believe me, I’ll be making Persian baklava with rose-lime syrup shortly.

This book is a treasure indeed.

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Saraban – A chef’s journey through Persia, by Greg & Lucy Malouf, is published by Hardie Grant, 2010. ISBN 978 174066 8 620