First published in 1995. The main claim to interest of any cuisine is, of course, the stimulation it gives to the appetite and the satisfaction it provides to the palate. But food, properly considered, is not a simple matter of preparation and consumption, which are often complex undertakings in themselves; it also touches upon religious prescriptions and customs, aesthetic tastes, geographic and climatic conditions, social stratification and prosperity. The integration of food with social, religious, and cultural life was certainly very marked with the Ottoman Turks, and even though the state and civilization they created have crumbled, much of their gastronomical legacy survives in present-day Turkey. To place the delicacies of Turkish cuisine in historical perspective, and to enable the users of this book to supplement the delights of the palate with the pleasures of historical reminiscence, the author invites them to peruse this survey pf food in Turkish history, or-looked at somewhat differently-Turkish history in food.
