The Oldest Kitchen in the World: 4,000 Years of Middle Eastern Cooking Passed Down Through Generations

“A rare and fascinating insight into an ancient and delicious cuisine. This is the best sort of cookbook—with time-honoured recipes from the heart of a home.” —Nigel Slater

“Grants anyone the opportunity to enjoy over 4,000 years of rich culinary history in their very own kitchen.” —Newsweek

“A culinary delight”—Midwest Book Review

“A definite must-try” —Booklist

Discover one of the oldest and most authentic cuisines in the world with this unique cookbook, which explores the foundations of Middle Eastern cooking.

From the world's oldest recorded cuneiform recipes, some 4,000 years ago, there is a straight line to the kitchen of Smuni Turan. Her recipes have been collected by her son in this cookbook.

The Oldest Kitchen in the World describes both the cuisine and the culture of the Assyrians, also known as Arameans or Suryoye. Now scattered all over the world, they all still speak dialects of Aramaic, and more importantly: they still cook the dishes that all Middle Eastern kitchens are indebted to.

Matay de Mayee was born in Hengelo as the child of one of the first Suryoye (also called Assyrians or Arameans) established in the Netherlands. In 2020, he opened De Stijlkamer Amsterdam, a high-end B&B in a historic canal house, which he also uses for culinary events or as a photo and film location. With The Oldest Kitchen in the World he makes his debut as a cookbook author.