The similar cuisines of the Near East, Middle East, and North Africa stem from ancient cultures and variable climates, ranging from Mediterranean to desert. The major monotheistic religions developed in the Middle East, and students and other readers will learn how religous strictures on food and drink continue to play an important role in eating habits there today for Muslims, Jews, and Christians. Most of the population in the regions is Arab, and therefore the emphasis in this volume is mainly on the Arab Muslim food cultures.

In the 1960s, Edna Staebler moved in with an Old Order Mennonite fily to absorb their oral history and learn about Mennonite culture and cooking. From this fieldwork ce the cookbook Food That Really Schmecks. Originally published in 1968, Schmecks instantly bece a classic, selling tens of thousands of copies. Interspersed with practical and memorable recipes are Staebler's stories and anecdotes about cooking, Mennonites, her fily, and Waterloo Region. Described by Edith Fowke as folklore literature, Staebler's cookbooks have earned her national acclaim.