Fire Islands

A collection of enchanting, unusual yet accessible dishes ... from the refined cooking of Java to the spicy heart of Sumatra and over the water to the festival foods of Bali.

Steep verdant rice terraces, ancient rainforest and fire-breathing volcanoes create the landscape of the world's largest archipelago. Indonesia is a travellers' paradise, with cuisine as vibrant and thrilling as its scenery.

For these are the original spice islands, whose fertile volcanic soil grows ingredients that once changed the flavour of food across the world. On today's noisy streets, chilli-spiked sambals are served with rich noodle broths, and salty peanut sauce sweetens chargrilled sate sticks. In homes, shared feasts of creamy coconut curries, stir-fries and spiced rice are fragrant with ginger, tamarind, lemongrass and lime. The air hangs with the tang of chilli and burnt sugar, citrus and spice. Eleanor Ford gives a personal, intimate portrait of a country and its cooking, the recipes dynamic yet achievable, and the food brought to life by stunning photography.

About the Author

Eleanor Ford is a food writer and a cook who uses food as a means to explore culture and understand the world. A 'culinary detective', as Yotam Ottolenghi describes her. She is the winner of numerous awards, including an Edward Stanford Travel Writing award and three Guild of Food Writers awards, the most recent of which she won for her third book, The Nutmeg Trail. Alongside writing about food, Eleanor gives talks about it across the globe including regular lectures on spice for The Smithsonian<>/i>. She lives in London. @eleanorfordfood