Pomegranate Soup: Persian "Chocolat"

Pomegranate Soup, by Marsha Meran
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Although this book reminds readers of Like Water for Chocolate or Chocolat, no chocolate delicacies are mentioned within its pages. Instead, the spicy and savory aromas, flavors, and spirit of Persian cuisine fill the streets of a little Irish village, hypnotizing its residents and changing their lives forever.

Marjam, Bahar, and Layla have escaped from Iran with their lives, and after a stint living in London, they moved north to Ireland. It is the 1980s, and the village residents have rarely seen anyone who is not European. They open the "Babylon Cafe," and before long, the villagers become to appreciate the wonders of Persian cooking.

I do not recall ever tasting Persian cuisine myself, but my sister's best friend from medical school is Iranian, and I remember hearing stories about her wonderful wedding.

The sisters are trying to escape their own ghosts, just as many of the villagers are leading unfulfilled, unhappy lives. Each chapter opens with a recipe. I do believe I will have to try at least one of them out!

If you like ethnic cuisine and stories that take place in other countries, I encourage you to try this book. It was a fairly quick read, but I enjoyed it.