For readers of Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge series and Richard C. Morais’s The Hundred-Foot Journey, a sweeping tale of love and the magic of food set during the Ottoman Empire. A Pasha of Cuisine is a rare talent in Ottoman lore. Only two, maybe three are born with such a gift every few centuries. A natural master of gastronomy, he is the sovereign genius who reigns over aromas and flavors and can … aromas and flavors and can use them to influence the hearts and minds, even the health, of those who taste his creations. In this fabulous novel, one such chef devises a plot bring down the Ottoman Empire–should he need to–in order to rescue the love of his life from the sultan’s harem.
Himself a survivor of the bloodiest massacre ever recorded within the Imperial Palace after the passing of the last sultan, he is spirited away through the palace kitchens, where his potential was recognized. Across the empire, he is apprenticed one by one to the best chefs in all culinary disciplines and trained in related arts, such as the magic of spices, medicine, and the influence of the stars. It is during his journeys that he finds happiness with the beautiful, fiery dancing girl Kamer, and the two make plans to marry. Before they can elope, Kamer is sold into the Imperial Harem, and the young chef must find his way back into the Imperial Kitchens and transform his gift into an unbeatable weapon.
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I thoroughly enjoyed this charming historical novel. Set in (probably) early 17th-century Constantinople (and other parts of the Ottoman Empire), the book follows a young man who is born with the gift for cooking, a “pasha of cuisine” who comes along only once every several generations. It’s a coming of age story and a love story, following the young man from mentor to mentor as he learns about his gift and how he can use if for good or eveil. It’s sometimes sad, often funny, thoughtful, and whimsical. I expected the food described to be “weird stuff people ate in the past,” but no. I would have eaten almost everything the cook made! I might have drawn the line at the quantity at the fish restaurant, but the book made me want to run out and have baklava and other wonderful Mediterranean foods. The characters throughout were entertaining (many were wise), and I loved the ending. I say probably set in early 17th century Ottoman Empire, because the author (or the translator–I read an English translation) never says. But from evidence within the book (particularly the poets the cook mentions offhand in one chapter) I drew that conclusion. But it doesn’t really matter. It’s anywhen in the past, with a touch of magic (just a touch). As I say, thoroughly enjoyed.
Really different and intriguing
I loved this story! I am a amateur cook so relished the descriptions of various dishes and their magic! I couldn’t put this book down as I was swept up in the adventure and complexity of the plot. I rarely give 5 stars to books, but I couldn’t resisted as I had a smile, a vision, or a sense of delight every minute I spent reading.
Easy way to appreciate a Turkish fable structured around a Turkish table.
I loved this book. I have never read anything else like it and as soon as it was done, I wanted to start again to see what I had missed
The main character has interesting travels both geographically and gastronomically. Not a great book nor a terrible one.
I loved this book! It had so many layers in it. History, culture, love story, fantasy, magical realism, foreign setting, and more. I look forward to reading more from this author. The translator must have done a wonderful job to capture all of the nuances of this book.
“The Pasha of Cuisine” by Saygin Ersin intrigued me from the moment I saw it and I’m not really sure why. It’s probably the same reason why I wanted to read M.M. Kaye’s “The Far Pavilions” the first time I saw that book as well. The idea of some exotic far-off place that I will probably never see makes it more romantic and mysterious.
This novel is set in the Ottoman Empire as the current ruler is killed followed quickly thereafter by his family. The pasha is one of those rarely found who has a gift with food much in the same way as Tita is in the movie “Like Water for Chocolate”.
However, in this story, the pasha is trained by experts in many culinary arts so that he can then use this to influence the people that he feeds. He then takes that knowledge and his gift to get his love back.
I found that “The Pasha of Cuisine” was one of those books that I’m going to have to re-read so that I can slow down and not be so eager to find out what’s going to happen next. It kept me on the edge of my seat nearly the whole story.
I loved this story.
The writing had the lilting quality of a fairy tale, but the story/plot was a bit simple. The Pasha of Cuisine provided a window on the little seen or known worlds of sultans, harems, and their inner workings but despite the exquisite imagery, it left this reader still hungry.
Did not care for this book.
Would have been so much better if the romance could have been more of a secondary story. Wished for more details about the food. It could have been as good as “Perfume” by Patrick Suskind.
One of the best books about food I have read…also a bit of love story thrown in.
Found this a page turner for unexpected plot; will read again for information on foods, spices, thoughts on life