Falafel, hummus, and döner, couscous, dolma, and marzipan - the delicacies of the Orient have long made their way onto our menus, and once hardly affordable spices like cloves, cardamom, saffron, and cinnamon are now staples in every well-stocked kitchen. But what do we really know about the cuisines of the Orient? The renowned expert Peter Heine explains why Muslims do not eat pork, yet are often not averse to a glass of red wine. He describes what was prepared in the thousand and one pots of the Umayyads, Abbasids, Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals, and why almsgiving was considered good manners at the table. He shares stories of great chefs, the spread of vegetables and fruits in the Oriental world and their journey to Europe, and discusses the enormous economic factor that the production of halal products represents today.