Sufi Cuisine

There is more to Turkey’s whirling dervishes than their spiritual influence. The impact of Sufi philosophy extends to various aspects of life, including food. The 13th century poet and mystic Mevlana Jalal al Din Rumi and his followers approached food as they did dance, poetry, and music — with ceremonial piety and meditative beauty. Turkish culinary scholar Nevin Halici’s Sufi Cuisine, interspersed with culinary metaphors from Rumi’s verses, explains how the daily rituals of the Mevlevi order were deeply linked to cooking and food. The book includes Sufi-influenced recipes from Konya, where Rumi once lived. Translated into English by Umit Hussein, Sufi Cuisine won the Gourmand Award in the Best Book in a Foreign Language category in 2005. The sensual and sacred come together in this elegant production of Turkish gastronomical delights.

DIALOGUE | Q&A with Nevin Halici