France's greatest food critic is dying, after a lifetime in single-minded pursuit of sensual delights. But as Pierre Arthens lies on his deathbed he is tormented by an inability to recall the most delicious food ever to pass his lips, which he ate long before becoming a critic. Desperate to taste it one more time, he looks back over the years to see if he can pin down the elusive dish. Revealing far more than his love of great food, the narration by this larger-than-life individual alternates with the voices of those closest to him and their own experiences of the man.

Muriel Barbery's gifts as an evocative storyteller are used to mouthwatering effect in this voluptuous and poignant meditation on food and its deeper significance in our lives.