Q&A ABOUT THE FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS

Page spread from All About History magazine.

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain is a book with 120 recipes whose roots are in Moorish Spain—the Muslim era of al-Andalus (711-1492). Chapter One sets the scene and provides the historical background for traditional recipes of modern-day Spain.

When All About History, a magazine published in the UK, asked to interview me about “how the region’s ‘flavours’ (British spelling) have influenced Spanish cuisine,” I had the answers ready. The Q&A appears as part of a special feature, “All About al-Andalus,” in the magazine’s November issue.

Here is an excerpt from the interview. The Qs are by Callum McKelvie, Features Writer of All About History. 

Q: What were some innovations (in terms of ingredients, spices, and techniques) that were brought to Spain during the Moorish rule?

Saffron flowers

A. The Arab colonizers were famed as gardeners and horticulturists. Some crops were introduced by the Arabs, others were improved with advanced techniques of cultivation, irrigation, and propagation. Durum wheat was an innovation that led to leavened bread, pasta, and couscous where before there was only flour gruel. Although saffron existed in earlier Roman times, the Arabs popularized its use as early as the 9th century. Saffron of La Mancha to this day is an esteemed product, used in many popular dishes such as paella.  

Eggplant/Aubergine

Many new vegetables and fruits came from the Muslims. A 9th century “influencer” named Ziryab popularized asparagus dishes at the caliphal court in Córdoba. But it was aubergines that became the signature vegetable of both Muslim and Sephardic communities of al-Andalus. One 13th century Andalusí cookbook lists dozens of ways to prepare them, most of which have come down to present times. 

Although olives were grown in the Iberian peninsula long before Moorish times, the Muslims greatly extended the plantations and production of oil. Almonds were another legacy, an important ingredient in both sweets and savoury foods today in Spanish cuisine. The Arabs also introduced sugarcane to Iberia and the method for extracting the cane juice and producing sugar. Although largely displaced by resorts, sugar cane still grows on the Malaga and Granada coasts. 

Q: What do you think is the greatest legacy of Moorish Spain on Spanish cuisine?

A. Cooking in olive oil may be one of the greatest legacies of Muslim culture in Spain and one which distinguishes the cooking from other European cuisines. Because Muslims did not use pig fat, cooking in oil was prevalent in medieval Iberia.  

Fried in olive oil

Even sweets were confected with olive oil. Frying in olive oil is part of the legacy. An example is buñuelos, fritters, sold in the souks of al-Andalus that in present times are sold at stalls at village ferias and are special for saints’ day festivities. 

Following the Reconquest and the establishment of the Inquisition, systematic suppression of Islamic and Sephardic culture and foodways took place as a way to consolidate the power of the Catholic monarchs of the newly unified Spanish kingdom. Lard emerged as the principal fat for cooking and for pastry confection. The Inquisition snitches could sniff out an errant stewpot by the smell of olive oil. In subsequent centuries olive oil was relegated to the poorest households. In the last century extra virgin olive oil from Spain has made a comeback in popular cuisine. Growers have improved harvest and processing methods, producing superb oil in this day and age.

Q: Do you have a favorite dish that has Moorish heritage?

A. I was hoping you would ask!

A dish with Moorish heritage: Meatballs with Saffron-Almond Sauce. The meatballs appear on the cover of Flavors of al-Andalus. The recipe is here along with a short video of a tapas party with meatballs and other dishes with the Flavors of al-Andalus.

Other articles about al-Andalus in the same issue of All About History are “Key Events,” an illustrated timeline of Moorish history; “Inside History,” a pictorial feature of the Aljafería Palace in 1065 Zaragoza; “Al-Andalus Civilian in the 9th Century,” describing styles in footwear, headwear, haircuts and beards; historical treasures, the “Pyxis (a small ivory box) of al-Mughira;” “Intellectuals of al-Andalus,” a guide to the leading thinkers of Moorish Spain, including Ibn Rushd, also known as Averroes, a philosopher known as the “prince of science,” and "Al-Andalus Mosques." (Attila the Hun, pictured on the magazine cover, rampaged about 300 years before the existence of al-Andalus.)

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FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 

The Culinary Legacy of Spain

 Ask for Flavors of al-Andalus from your favorite bookseller or click below to order from IndiePubs (USA only). 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    

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