The traditions of Syrian cooking go back hundreds of years, and is notable for its sensory components, in which aroma and texture are as important as taste and nutrition. Over the centuries, the unique dishes of Greater Syria (bilaad al-shaam) were preserved by those who cooked them. For cooks in imperial households, family homes, or on simple peasant farms, recipes were handed down from generation to generation. Despite centuries of occupation, unrest, economic hardships, and political strife, the people of Greater Syria continued to cook their burghul, lentil, chickpeas, kishk, and yogurt dishes as if life around them never changed. Syrian-born Habeeb Salloum and his daughters Leila Salloum Elias and Muna Salloum have researched and explored the far reaches of Syrian cuisine for many years (and in Habeeb’s case, decades). Their resulting cookbook, Pomegranate and Rose Water, provides a succinct window into the dining tables of eighteenth and nineteenth-century Syria, featuring many delectable, heart-healthy recipes that have never before been published in English. The book also provides a poignant window into Syrian culture and everyday life then and now―bound together by ageless and truly beautiful food traditions. Partial proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit the Syrian Cultural Centre, a Montreal-based non-profit organization dedicated to help alleviate the plight of the displaced and those who have been impacted by the current situation in Syria. Includes 144 recipes; full-color throughout. A hugely knowledgeable, deeply researched and utterly delicious book, The Scent of Pomegranates and Rose Water is a joyous celebration of the foods of The Greater Syria region. Written with so much love, context, and integrity it is a delicious journey across time to be savored for its recipes as much as its stories. -Reem Kassis, author of The Palestinian Table At a time when the glorious cuisine of Syria is becoming a recognized taste on the lips of North Americans, here comes a book to carry all of those flavors, foods--and the culture that ties it together--into the bright shining sunlight. A triumph. -David Sax, James Beard Award winner and author of Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of the Jewish Delicatessen Beautiful people. Fascinating food. Compelling recipes. Syrian cuisine has found the perfect culinary ambassadors in Habeeb, Leila, and Muna. Essential reading for everyone fascinated by Syrian food culture (with a fun side dish of Saskatchewan). -Jennifer Bain, author of Buffalo Girl Cooks Bison and Toronto Star Cookbook: More than 350 Diverse & Delicious Recipes Celebrating Ontario Just like the juicy, gem-like luscious seeds of the ruby red pome fruit and the fragrant floral aroma of roses, The Scent of Pomegranates and Rose Water lures you into a deeply rich cultural and culinary chronological history of the traditional foods and interesting stories of Syria from ancient times to modern day in a thought-provoking movement. Habeeb and his daughters Leila and Muna are preserving their time-honored heritage and family's legacy for future generations to come as well as conserving their homeland's cultural and culinary identity in writing this work together as a family, a captivating cookbook that Syria can be proud of. -Julie Ann Sageer (Julie Taboulie), PBS host and award-winning author of Julie Taboulie's Lebanese Kitchen: Authentic Recipes for Fresh and Flavorful Mediterranean Home Cooking Muna has co-written three books on food with her father Habeeb and sister Leila. She works at the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology at the University of Toronto. Raised with the tradition of food culture as the mainstay of a happy life, Muna is interested in medieval and modern recipes from Syria in the hopes of exposing the great cultural history of the region. Leila Salloum Elias is an instructor in the Arabic program at Penn State University. She has a specific interest in Arab cultural history. She has co-written three books on food with her father Habeeb and sister Muna. The granddaughter of Syrian immigrants, her research has included the story of Syrian immigrants’ first arrival in North America. Habeeb Salloum was born in the Qaroum area of Syria (now part of modern Lebanon) who emigrated to Canada with his family. A veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II, for the last 30 years he has been a full-time writer specializing in food, history, and travel.