Provence to Pondicherry

the long version

Tessa Kiros, renowned for her exquisite food and travel books, takes us ona fascinating journey across the globe to explore French culinary influencesin far-flung destinations. Her journey begins in Provence, where Tessa firstfell in love with French food, and explores the Mediterranean region's linksbetween the indigenous ingredients, flavours, materials and traditions. She then takes the path of early French explorers, travelling to the islandof Guadeloupe in the Caribbean; Vietnam in South-east Asia; Pondicherryon the Bay of Bengal, India; La Reunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean;finally returning to France and landing in Normandy, where the cuisine isso different from the South of France. In each destination, Tessa delves intothe history and culinary traditions of the country (or region), discovering howFrench cuisine has become embroiled with local ingredients and traditions. The result is an intriguing collection of recipes that will appeal to all thosewith a broad interest in food and culture.