Green Mountains - a book launch at Toppings Bookshop

Green Mountains follows Black Sea and Red Sands

As May blossoms I reflect on my two outstanding cultural events of the year so far. I have a simple criterion; they must blow my mind and obtain a personal score of ten.

The first is the Bob Dylan film A Complete Unknown. A mesmerizing performance telling the story of the singer’s early days in the run-up to him going electric at the Newport Jazz Festival. As the credits rolled, only two people remained in the Cameo. I, a middle-aged woman, and a young man, unknown but sitting beside me.  Neither of us could give up the screen and sat like two solitary crotchets on a blank page of sheet music until The End.  

The other 10/10 was a dinner at Toppings bookshop to celebrate the launch of Caroline Eden’s third book in her colour trilogy, Green Mountains, which follows Black Sea and Red Sands. The book is split into two parts, Armenia and Georgia, tracing Caroline’s walks in the South Caucasus, learning about the culture, history, religion and politics of these countries through the lens of food.

Armenian Dawn: apricot, almond, brandy, prosecco

There are recipes dotted throughout the book which Caroline calls ‘Edible Postcards’.

At Toppings bookshop in the early evening, we are seated amongst the bookshelves.  Tables are set with white cloths, vases of wild spring flowers, and cutlery is tied with string and decorated with a marigold.

We are served our first edible postcard, an aperitif called Armenian Dawn: apricot, almond essence, brandy and prosecco. In the book and at the talk following our meal, Caroline explains: “If an Armenian hands you an apricot, they are, in a way, handing you Armenia”. 

The apricot is the national symbol of Armenia, and this sunshine- coloured sipper is perfect for soirees of every kind.

Next, we enjoy a delicious and abundant feast featuring Summer tolma with cranberries from Armenia, lobio croquettes from Georgia, courgettes with Georgian spices and walnuts, citrus and walnut summertime salad (Armenia), potato and cabbage pirozhki (Armenia), sauerkraut and pickles, and to finish tarragon panna cotta.

Georgian orange wine

I am with a party of friends and we adore the fresh, colourful, tasty and textured food. Our meal is washed down with Qveris 2021 Rkatsitseli, an orange wine made from ancient artisanal methods whereby white grapes are placed in clay pots called amphorae and buried underground to age and ferment. The result is a rich, complex amber wine tasting of quince and honey but balanced by acidity and tannins.

The rural dishes of the South Caucasus are rooted in place and cooked in kitchens by people who pick, harvest, preserve, ferment, knead, stuff, and sprinkle herbs, spices, and salt blends that lend a unique note. Blue fenugreek is used in the Lobio kidney bean croquettes and a variety of Georgian dishes. Svan salt incorporates coriander, blue fenugreek, dried marigold petals, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and caraway seeds.

Caroline discovers these dishes as she walks the land between the Black and Caspian seas. Along the way, she meets mechanics, priests, hikers and journalists, all of whom give her insight into how food is integral to the culture of the places she visits, from mountain villages to towns and cities.

The food, wine, Caroline’s stories, idyllic setting, friendly staff, generosity and collegiate atmosphere make the book launch a superlative event. 

The icing on the cake is the book itself. Caroline Eden is a talented writer who takes your hand and walks you through her gastronomic reportage of the South Caucasus.