{"product_id":"9781479843930","title":"Scents and Flavors: A Syrian Cookbook","description":"This popular 13th-century Syrian cookbook is an ode to what its  anonymous author calls the “greater part of the pleasure of this life,”  namely the consumption of food and drink, as well as the fragrances that  garnish the meals and the diners who enjoy them. Collecting 635  meticulous recipes, \u003cem\u003eScents and Flavors\u003c\/em\u003e invites us to savor an  inventive cuisine that elevates simple ingredients by combining the  sundry aromas of herbs, spices, fruits, and flower essences.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOrganized  like a meal, it opens with appetizers and juices and proceeds through  main courses, side dishes, and desserts, including such confections as  candies based on the higher densities of sugar syrup—an innovation  unique to the medieval Arab world. Apricot beverages, stuffed eggplant,  pistachio chicken, coriander stew, melon crepes, and almond pudding are  seasoned with nutmeg, rose, cloves, saffron, and the occasional rare  ingredient like ambergris to delight and surprise the banqueter.  Bookended by chapters on preparatory perfumes, incenses, medicinal oils,  antiperspirant powders, and after-meal hand soaps, this comprehensive  culinary journey is a feast for all the senses.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the  exception of four extant Babylonian and Roman specimens, cookbooks did  not appear on the world literary scene until Arabic speakers began  compiling their recipe collections in the tenth century, peaking in  popularity in the thirteenth century. \u003cem\u003eScents and Flavors\u003c\/em\u003e quickly became a bestseller during this golden age of cookbooks, and remains today a delectable read for epicures and cultural historians alike.  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"New York University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47180314902768,"sku":"9781479843930","price":26.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781479843930_p0.jpg?v=1763618708","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781479843930","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}