The book is a beautiful reminder that every recipe carries a story worth saving.
Born in Afghanistan in the 1980s, Durkhanai Ayubi and her family fled as refugees when she was just a small child and settled in Adelaide. As she grew up, her homeland was frequently written off as a hopeless, war-torn wasteland. Her writing passionately pushes back against that characterisation, using the magic of the kitchen to prove that her roots are packed with incredible culture, deep history, and vibrant life.
The author, who runs the award-winning restaurant Parwana, demonstrates that food and cooking involves far more than following a recipe; it is a living connection to her forebears and Afghan history. The book beautifully explores how traditional dishes bridge huge cultural divides, showing that food connects us all at the kitchen table and ties us directly to each other’s histories. The food elements being used to represent each chapter – bringing in far more than the ingredient itself – is a clever literary device.
As a history buff, I was aware of some of Afghanistan’s past as the ultimate global crossroads of the Silk Road, in part due the country’s astonishing botanical richness. Thanks to its unique geography, the region nurtures a huge variety of native fruits and heirloom wheat. It’s this transition between geopolitical history and geography and more intimate kitchen memories which makes the narrative flow feel uneven.
I belatedly realised this writing style might be intentional. Instead of a standard, linear Western memoir, she weaves a colourful tapestry where history, food, and family all intermingle. The winding, lyrical prose feels deeply rooted in the rich Afghan culture of oral storytelling and classical poetry.
Ayubi also dives into the historical mess of the last few centuries, giving readers a real sense of why the country matters and why it has been fought over for so long. However, she always grounds the history back in the kitchen, demonstrating how culinary inheritance survives even the worst geopolitical turmoil.
Reading her perspective as a young refugee finding her identity through ancestral flavours is genuinely moving. Ultimately, this is a beautiful reminder that every recipe carries a story worth saving. Even with its structural flaws, it is an eye-opening read for any foodie.
Reviewed by Jan Kershaw
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Murdoch Books
Released: March 2026
RRP: $34.99
