Lines in the Sand - an Interwoven Cuisine that Transcends Time & Borders
Cumin travelled from Mesopotamia, saffron from the Zagros Mountains, olive oil from the Eastern Mediterranean, and coffee from Ethiopia via Yemen’s spice-laden markets.
Before borders, food moved freely—traded, adapted, and shared across caravan routes, souks, imperial courts, and family kitchens. The cuisine of WANA is not owned; it is inherited—a living memory pass down by the hands of cooks, farmers, and merchants who carried their flavours across empires.
From the spices of North Africa to the lavish feasts of the Arab Caliphates, from the resourcefulness of desert nomads to the slow-cooked stews of Persia, WANA’s food is an archive of migration and memory.
Look at the WANA Foodways Map—food is a traveller. It has crossed empires, deserts, rivers, and spice caravans. What we eat today is the echo of these journeys.
What dish in your family’s history has travelled across time and place?