Shane Delia points out, Ottoman cuisine was more than a meal. “What made it unique was the importance it placed on opulence and grandeur,” he says. “It was a symbolic expression of supremacy, wealth and entitlement.” And its importance extends beyond the plate. “This imperial cuisine created the framework for what we know now as the contemporary French kitchen and our modern kitchen structure. The Ottomans are the real forefathers of modern-day gastronomy.”