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Private Notes
In the first episode of Shane Delia’s Spice Journey, Shane heads to his homeland, the old Phoenician outpost of Malta, where the aromatics and spices of the Middle East mingle with European traditions of the Mediterranean. From there, he follows Phoenician trade routes across the sea to Lebanon and the ancient port city of Tripoli, famous for its seafood, souks and sweets. Afterwards, he returns to his Melbourne kitchen where he puts his own twist on ancient culinary traditions.
Shane’s mission of gastronomic discovery continues as he explores the souks of Tripoli and learns how food traditions of the ancient port city have been shaped by centuries of trade and travellers – before he heads home to create his own modern day Tripoli banquet; samke harra, moghrabieh and traditional ice-cream.
Shane explores mountain hideouts of central Lebanon where he learns age-old methods of meat preservation from members of the ancient and mysterious sect of the Druze. Inspired by this unique mountain cuisine, he heads home to create contemporary versions of the Lebanese staples awarma, kibbeh and, of course, hummus!
Shane travels to the Beqaa Valley and visits the ancient temple of Bachus the god of fertility. Here, he visits Lebanon’s finest vineyards and learns the art of Arabic winemaking. After visiting local farmers to taste some traditionally cured meats, he heads back to his Melbourne kitchen for mezze time!
Shane visits the twin port cities of Sidon, where the beautiful people play and pop-up restaurants cover the beach. Then he travels into the hills to visit an area devastated by bombs but which now produces some of the best goat's cheese in Lebanon. Back at Maha, he concocts a menu using Lebanon’s signature spice mix – za'atar!
Having seen the traditional side of Lebanon, Shane Delia heads to Beirut, where, despite the visible scars of the recent civil war, a vibrant food scene is driving a renaissance in Arabic cuisine. He visits one of the oldest refugee camps in the world to learn a traditional Palestinian dish, explores the Armenian region of the city, and, of course, samples some of Lebanon’s finest falafel. Shane wraps up his Lebanese experience by using his skills and experiences to create an inspired feast of dude food!
Shane’s gastronomic pilgrimage takes him to Iran, home to one of the world’s most influential culinary traditions – Persian cuisine. From the Arabic and African spice coasts of the Persian Gulf, Shane travels inland to Shiraz, city of pomegranates, walled gardens and Persian haute cuisine. En route, Shane visits the ancient city of Persepolis, site of the world’s oldest surviving menu.
Shane takes to the silk road to meet nomads that have been keeping ancient methods of baking alive. He visits the largest saffron farms in the region and crosses a desert to the hottest city in Iran to taste pashmak – the original fairy floss.
Shane travels from Isfahan, the ancient capital of Persia, to Tehran – capital of contemporary Iran. From the ancient city of minarets, palaces and mosques to funky teahouses of the modern city, Shane discovers a very different culinary culture. His preconceptions about Iran thoroughly challenged, he returns to his kitchen to attempt the famously tricky Persian rice.
Having travelled close to 2,000 kilometers and gained glimpses into 2,000 years of Persian culinary history, Shane arrives in Iran’s north, which borders Turkey and the Caspian Sea and where the food influences are very Ottoman. In the finale of Shane Delia’s Spice Journey, Shane visits the world’s oldest covered bazaar.
From their gilded palace on Seraglio Point, the Ottoman Sultans ruled an empire that dominated the Mediterranean between 1453 and 1922, and spread their cuisine and culture throughout the Middle East, North Africa and South Eastern Europe. With renewed pride in their Ottoman past, Turkish chefs are rediscovering the ancient recipes that were served to the Sultans, and serving them to eager diners in restored palaces and renovated timber mansions or konaks. The episode follows Shane as he explores the lifestyle of the sultans. Then, wanting to see how the other half lived during Ottoman times, he joins the people of Istanbul in a public ‘Iftar’ feast, a modern revival of an Ottoman tradition. Back in his Melbourne kitchen, Shane cooks up three mouth-watering courses, including: blue eye pastirma; lamb, saltbush and compressed melon; and a luscious clotted cream ice-cream with chocolate soil.
Shane alights at Gallipoli almost 100 years after the famed 1915 ANZAC landings, and gets to know the Dardanelles – witnessing how the local cuisine has been influenced by the incursion of so many different cultures.
Shane meets descendants of Greek Muslim families forcibly relocated to Turkey from Greece in the infamous population exchange of 1923, and is introduced to some of the culinary delicacies they brought with them.
Shane hops aboard a glamorous boat, manoeuvres between the billionaires’ super yachts and motor cruisers that dock in Bodrum, and heads out over the briny blue to experience the seafood that makes this area a foodie heaven.
Shane visits Fethiye, an English tourist haven, to see whether local Turkish food culture has survived the onslaught of mass tourism.
Shane explores some of Turkey’s most famous flavours in Cappadocia, home to an ancient landscape, along with ancient underground cooking techniques.
Shane journeys to the headlands of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers in Turkey and encounters living history on a plate.
Shane journeys north across the Pontic Mountains, to reach the Black Sea port town of Trabzon, where he tracks down a very special fish, known as the hamsi, as well as recipes that do this small, anchovy-like creature, justice.
In Ordu, Shane is introduced to a cuisine whose culinary heritage lies to the north in Georgia, the former Soviet state. As he joins the hazelnut harvest, and visits an emerald green tea plantation, Shane is introduced to an entirely different – and very surprising – school of Turkish cooking.
In Episode 1, Shane got to know the public face of Istanbul. In Episode 10, he peeks behind the veil to discover another side of this city, and its culinary traditions, rarely seen by visitors.
Ever wondered how chefs invent new dishes? Enter the mind of a master chef, as Shane Delia begins a brand new spice journey in the ancient Moroccan city of Fes. Throughout this series, Shane will seek out new ideas to try in his test kitchen, before serving up these creations to paying customers at his Melbourne restaurant, Maha.
For centuries, roaming caravans have crossed the Saharan desert en-route to Morocco, bringing with them exotic spices and trade goods that have infused the cuisine of Northern Africa. Shane Delia spends an evening under the stars at a desert camp, immersing himself in the tastes and techniques of Amazigh cookery.
The peaks and valleys of the High Atlas Mountains are rich pickings for Shane Delia as he continues his spice journey through Morocco. In a mountain village, Shane is taught the traditional methods of preparing and cooking couscous. It turns out to be a laborious, but rewarding process. The question is, how will Shane adopt these ancient techniques in his modern test kitchen?
Shane Delia has arrived in Marrakech on a mission to uncover the tastes and cooking techniques of this dusty and exotic city. Exploring a rabbit warren of alleys, he makes discoveries in the bustling souk. Using this newfound knowledge, Shane goes to work in his Melbourne test kitchen, creating new dishes to serve to his restaurant customers.
Morocco’s windswept Atlantic Coast is home to the world’s largest sardine fishery and Shane Delia is keen to sample some of the local fish kefta, along with Morocco's marinade mainstay chermoula. Interestingly, it’s the region's sought after argan oil that really allows Shane to unleash his creativity in his test kitchen.
The Arabs invaded what is now Spain and Portugal in 711 AD, morphing the somewhat dysfunctional Christian society into an Arabic-speaking, majority Muslim state within the span of three generations. Shane Delia arrives in Andalucía and uncovers a cuisine whose roots are firmly grounded in Islamic cookery.
Sherry has gained a bad reputation as a cheap tipple enjoyed by older folk, but in Spain’s Sherry Triangle, the drink is loved by all. Shane Delia discovers the complex and nuanced flavours of this refreshing aperitif that is the perfect accompaniment to Andalucían cuisine and culture. But it's Michelin-starred chef Ángel León that really inspires Shane to lift his game - and back in his test kitchen the pressure is on!
Spain’s top shelf jamón ibérico is widely considered to be the world’s best ham. Shane Delia travels to a pig farm in the Spanish hills to see the unique environment needed to produce ham of this quality. Later, on a bar crawl in Seville, Spain's home of tapas, Shane finds another dose of inspiration. Upon returning to his Melbourne test kitchen, he attempts to create the ultimate tapas menu.
With the arrival of the Moors, Spanish cuisine was changed forever. The group introduced new foods to the region, along with cooking techniques and tastes. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the southern city of Cordoba. Here, Shane Delia immerses himself in the creation of one of Spain’s best cold soups salmorejo, before learning the recipe to Fighting Bull’s tail stew. With so much inspiration, Shane is spoilt for choice as he attempts to reinvent these recipes for his restaurant clientele.
The spice journey comes to an end for Shane Delia, as he makes his way from Granada down to Malaga on Spain’s Mediterranean coast. But Shane’s love affair with the cuisine of this region is only just beginning, and this final episode sees the Aussie chef learn new recipes from some of Andalucía’s most accomplished (and humble) chefs. Back in his test kitchen, Shane’s head is bursting with new ideas for dishes to serve up to his restaurant's diners.
