BOOK REVIEW: Edible Atlas – Around The World In Thirty-nine Cuisines by Mina Holland

BOOK REVIEW: Edible Atlas – Around The World In Thirty-nine Cuisines by Mina Holland
Allen & Unwin
1 April 2014, $35.00 rrp
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
7/10

You’ll have to go a long way to find a book which explains the evolution of world cuisines as much as Mina Holland’s new book.

Explaining that a cuisine is as dependant on the terrain and climate of a region for it’s indigenous produce, as it is on invasions, imperialism and immigration, Holland analyses how local food has evolved through some of the major regions of Europe, The Americas, Asia and The Middle East.

Peppering each section with descriptions of the local ingredients heavily used in the region, and some sample recipes that identify the area’s uniqueness.

Highlights include a Catalan Fish Stew, a Middle Eastern Shakshuka, a Nigerian chicken hotpot, Peruvian Ceviche and a Brazilian Black Bean Stew, the weighty 350 page book gives the reader enough of a background on the different cuisines that even a basic cook should have no trouble impressing dinner guests for weeks or even months to come.

Category: Book Reviews