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"Cumin, Camels, and Caravans is epic in its scope, spanning continents and millennia and exploring how the emergence and development of the spice trade set in motion the process of globalization. Gary Nabhan is a master storyteller with a broad, multidisciplinary perspective. He provides vivid tales of historical figures and his own travels along the ancient spice routes, fascinating observations of cross-cultural linguistic and culinary parallels, and reflections on how the spice trade influenced his own family's migrations. Anyone interested in food and history will love this book." —Sandor Ellix Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation and Wild Fermentation
"Gary Nabhan's journeys along ancient trade routes of the Old and New World have resulted in a remarkable and evocative book. He has plenty to tell us about the real, distant origins of globalization and even more about the peoples who make their living from these rare, costly, heady, health-giving aromas. Nabhan knows this trade intimately, and he brings it to life: I could smell the incense, I could taste the chocolate." —Andrew Dalby, author of Dangerous Tastes: The Story of Spices
"On the face of it, in this travel memoir braided with history, Nabhan seems focused on the spice trade, but in fact he’s looking at the origins of globalization: a fascinating read." —Tamim Ansary, author of Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes
"As a chef, I take pride in my spice cabinet. Those spices enable me to travel the world via recipes. So I was fascinated by Gary Nabhan's Cumin, Camels, and Caravans, which traces his family's history and that of the complex trade and dissemination of spices ad aromatics over the centuries. I am grateful for those ancient caravans that traveled over land and sea." —Joyce Goldstein, chef, culinary expert, and author of numerous books, including Inside the California Food Revolution and The Mediterranean Kitchen
"An intensely personal and fascinating retelling of the spice trade from the Arab point of view that bubbles over with infectious enthusiasm." —Michael Krondl, food writer, culinary historian, and author of several books, including The Taste of Conquest: The Rise and Fall of the Three Great Cities of Spice
List of contents
List of Illustrations
List of Recipes
List of Spice Boxes
Introduction: The Origin of “Species”
1. Aromas Emanating from the Driest of Places
2. Caravans Leaving Arabia Felix
3. Uncovering Hidden Outposts in the Desert
4. Omanis Rocking the Cradle of Civilization
5. Mecca and the Migrations of Muslim and Jewish Traders
6. Merging the Spice Routes with the Silk Roads
7. The Flourishing of Cross-Cultural Collaboration in Iberia
8. The Crumbling of Convivencia and the Rise of Transnational Guilds
9. Building Bridges between Continents and Cultures
10. Navigating the Maritime Silk Roads from China to Africa
11. Vasco da Gama Mastering the Game of Globalization
12. Crossing the Drawbridge over the Eastern Ocean
Epilogue: Culinary Imperialism and Its Alternatives
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
About the author
Gary Paul Nabhan is an Ecumenical Franciscan Brother, MacArthur "genius" award winner, and ethnobotanist of Arab-American descent. His food and farming books include Food from the Radical Center, Where Our Food Comes From, and the forthcoming Jesus for Farmers and Fishers.
Summary
Traveling along 4 prominent trade routes - the Silk Road, the Frankincense Trail, the Spice Route, and the Camino Real, this book follows the caravans of itinerant spice merchants from the frankincense-gathering grounds and ancient harbors of the Arabian Peninsula to the port of Zayton on the China Sea to Santa Fe in the southwest United States.
Additional text
"This book is a singular achievement . . . . A most absorbing book and highly recommended."
