Naomi Duguid's heralded cookbooks have always transcended the category to become "something larger and more important" (Los Angeles Times). Each in its own way is "a breakthrough book... a major contribution" (The New York Times). And as Burma opens up after a half century of seclusion, who better than Duguid to introduce the country and its food and flavors to the West.

Located at the crossroads between China, India, and the nations of Southeast Asia, Burma has long been a land that absorbed outside influences into its everyday life, from the Buddhist religion to foodstuffs like the potato. In the process, the people of the country now known as Myanmar have developed a rich, complex cuisine that makes inventive use of easily available ingredients to create exciting flavor combinations.

We recently cooked a meal from this fantastic cookbook. Read more about it at the Rhythm & Books blog.

Interspersed throughout the 125 recipes are intriguing tales from the author's many trips to this fascinating but little-known land. She takes boats up Burma's huge rivers, highways to places inaccessible by road; spends time in village markets and home kitchens; and takes us to the farthest reaches of the country, along the way introducing us to the fascinating people she encounters on her travels.

The best way to learn about an unfamiliar culture is through its food, and in Burma: Rivers of Flavor, readers will be transfixed by the splendors of an ancient and wonderful country, untouched by the outside world for generations, whose simple recipes delight and satisfy and whose people are among the most gracious on earth.