Dastarkhwan

A delectable anthology of food writing exploring the histories and cultures of Muslim South Asia. Contributors include Nadeem Aslam, Rana Safvi, Tabish Khair, Annie Zaidi, Sarvat Hasin, Tarana Husain Khan, Sadaf Hussain, Rosie Dastgir, and others. The kitchen is often the heart of South Asian homes. Muslim South Asian kitchens, in particular, are the engines of an entire culture. The alchemy that takes place within them affects nations and economies, politics and history, and of course human relationships.  Death comes with an aftertaste of taar roti for the protagonist of Tarana Husain Khan’s story set in Rampur. A multitude of flavors blend with love, joy, grief, regret and nostalgia in this book which is not only a beautiful collection of food writing, but also a rich helping of the histories and cultures of Muslim South Asia and its diasporas.