A short while ago, while researching a story on kunafa, a decadent Middle Eastern dessert made of sugar-drenched phyllo pastry and salty cheese, I became aware of the fact that it is considered the shared culinary inheritance of several countries in the region. Just as loved in Lebanon as it is in Turkey, it has not only been adapted by the countries in the Middle East but has also been embellished by the cultural differences that separate them.
Most of all, I was struck by the idea that a dish could be shared with such fluid ease between the well-drawn boundaries of modern nation-states. Even though food writing often highlights the singularity of culinary customs, there is something humbling—and powerfully moving—about the realization that they have emerged from a shared wellspring of inspiration. If recipes can extend between borders, perhaps our attachment to them is also supple enough to be shared.
Denne historien er fra February - March 2020-utgaven av Condé Nast Traveller India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February - March 2020-utgaven av Condé Nast Traveller India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Made In Nagaland
From home textiles to jewellery, clothing, and more, here are the 10 Naga craft brands you need to know. By Sohini Dey
TOKYO RIGHT NOW
As impossible to pigeonhole as ever, the Japanese capital is buzzing with fresh influences and new ideas
RAISING RAI: WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS
Raghu and Avani Rai on connecting via worlds seen through their lenses.
GILDED WATERS
Paula Hardy boards one of the last remaining dahabiyas on the Nile for a different perspective of Egypt's storied river
THE GIRL WITH GRAND DESIGNS
Gauravi Kumari is part of Jaipur's new creative set that is bringing fresh perspectives to the city's design legacy.
A FACE FOR ADVENTURE
Retooling the iconic Rolex GMT-Master II for fresh explorations.
THE GRAND seduction
Palermo's chaos, swagger, and temperamental charm cast a hypnotic spell.
Rhythm Divine
Wherever you go in Gwalior, the myth and magic of Tansen are inescapable, as Sam Dalrymple finds out.
IDEAL WORLD
Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan explains why he went ahead with the publication of Bethlehem, his celebratory cookbook.
NUJUMA, A RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE SAUDI ARABIA
On alittle-visited Red Sea archipelago, the Middle East’s first Ritz-Carlton Reserve reflects both untapped nature and hyperreal modernity, finds Noo Saro-Wiwa.