This exploration of early forms of cultivated wheat and similar crops, along with methods of preparing them, is a mix of history and recipes. Primarily concerned with practices in the Fertile Crescent and in particular with Biblical lands, it is clearly a passion project.

Ruth Nieman, the author of an earlier book on the food of Galilee, displays a wide range of knowledge, touching on cultivation practices, cooking methods, evolutions in taxonomy, marketing tactics, and other aspects of the use of grain and pseudograins in  the Middle East. 

Her recipes range from simple flatbread prepared in the style of Ancient Egypt and grain salads to crepes and carrot cake. It's more than difficult to dip into this book for a recipe without encountering some form of cultural insight that Nieman is sharing.

Paperback. Color photographs throughout.