Bountiful Empire: A History of Ottoman Cuisine

Priscilla Mary Işın’s Bountiful Empire: A History of Ottoman Cuisine provides a comprehensive and non-orientalist re-examination of the Ottoman Empire through its sophisticated culinary traditions. Spanning over five hundred years, the book illustrates how food acted as a vital social glue, shaping the identities and daily lives of everyone from elite sultans to common soldiers across religious and political spheres. By tracing the empire's gastronomic roots back to Central Asian, Abbasid, Seljuk, and Byzantine influences, Işın explores diverse themes such as trade laws, military rations, and etiquette. Ultimately, this work utilizes a rich array of archival records and poetry to demonstrate that Ottoman foodways were not merely about sustenance but were a complex reflection of the empire’s expansive cultural and political reach.

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