Life and Art from FT Weekend

The oldest cuisine in the world

Dec 9, 2024

Discover the fascinating world of ancient Mesopotamian cuisine, with recipes dating back 3,700 years. Explore the culinary heritage of the Assyrian people and their influence on modern cooking. Personal stories highlight the evolution of cherished family recipes, linking past and present traditions. The emotional journey from rural Turkey to New York unveils the significance of preserving cultural identity through food. Each dish tells a story, connecting generations and enriching our understanding of heritage.

27:46

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Quick takeaways

The introduction of the cookbook 'The Oldest Kitchen in the World' bridges ancient Assyrian recipes with modern culinary practices, preserving rich cultural heritage.

The collaborative process of recording traditional recipes highlights the importance of family connections and storytelling in maintaining Assyrian cultural identity.

Deep dives

The Legacy of Assyrian Cuisine

The Assyrian people's rich culinary history dates back to ancient Mesopotamia, where the art of cooking was developed alongside early agriculture. This connection to food is deeply ingrained in their identity, as evidenced by the survival of traditional recipes passed down through generations. The introduction of a cookbook showcasing these ancient recipes allows for a connection between the past and present, highlighting the continuity of culinary practices. For example, many dishes still made today, like stuffed intestines, can be traced back to some of the earliest recorded recipes, demonstrating the enduring legacy of these culinary traditions.

Intro

2min

Exploring Assyrian Culinary Heritage and Ancient Recipes

2min

Connecting Ancient Recipes to Modern Traditions

2min

Culinary Heritage and Identity

13min

Preserving Culinary Memories

5min

Journey of Cultural Heritage from Rural Turkey to New York

4min

Have you ever wondered about the oldest recipes in history? They were discovered on four clay tablets from about 1,700 BCE at the time of the Assyrian Empire. Did you know that about 5 million Assyrians still live around the world today? This year, a cookbook was published that is the first modern collection of exclusively Assyrian cuisine, food that has a lot of overlap with those ancient tablets. It’s called The Oldest Kitchen in the World, and in it, Matay de Mayee records the recipes of his mother, Smuni Turan — recipes her ancestors have been passing down orally for centuries. Today, they join Lilah in the studio to talk about their kitchen.

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The Oldest Kitchen in the World is published in English, Dutch and German — in Dutch and German its title is Haniyé. You can find it in bookshops in the US, Canada, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and online.

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Send us your predictions! Write to Lilah at lilahrap@ft.com or on Instagram @lilahrap. And — thank you.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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