For thousands of years the eastern Mediterranean has stood as a meeting point between East and
West bringing cultures and cuisines through trade commerce and migration. Traveling by boat
and land Yasmin Khan traces the ingredients that have spread through the region from the time
of Ottoman rule to the influence of recent refugee communities. At the kitchen table she
explores what borders identity and migration mean in an interconnected world and her recipes
unite around thickets of dill and bunches of oregano zesty citrus and sweet dates thick
tahini and soothing cardamom. Khan includes healthy seasonal vegetable-focused recipes such
as hot yogurt soups zucchini and feta fritters pomegranate and sumac chicken and candied
pumpkin with tahini and date syrup. Fully accessible for the home cook with stunning food
and location photography Ripe Figs is a dazzling collection of recipes and stories that
celebrate an ever-diversifying region and imagine a world without borders.
