Food and Farming (continued)

Part IV: Recipes

A. Authentic Recipes from the Middle Ages
• For actual Islamic recipes from the Middle Ages 10th -
15th centuries (900s - 1400s) see, Cariadoc's Miscellany: An
Islamic Dinner. This site is prepared by a member of Creative
Anachronisms Society (a group that likes to dress up and act as if
they lived in the Middle Ages or during the Renaissance), and the
author has researched recipes from Islamic cookbooks, mostly
from Andalusia (Islamic Spain) and Baghdad (in Iraq).
Approximately 140 authentic recipes that can be made today.
• See a brief explanation of "Eating in Jerusalem" during
three periods of history go to: In the Early Temple Period (1006 to
586 B.C.); "Roman-Byzantine food" (586 B.C. to 70 A.D.) and
"Food in the Early Islamic Period". There are a few recipes to try
from each period.
• A number of Persian, Arabic and Turkish cookbooks from
the 10th to the 19th century have survived and some of the best
recipes are presented in the outstanding Serving the Guest: A
Sufi Cookbook by Kathleen Seidel. Read this beautiful work
done with great love and skill. Included are recipes for tutmach
(thin noodles cooked with meat and yogurt); zalubiyya (fritters, or
fried dough); tharid (lamb and chickpea stew); manti (Turkish
dumplings); harisa (porridge); halvah (a sweet pastry); sanbusa
(meat turnovers); and many more authentic recipes!

B. Recipes for a Classroom Feast - (But some of these are not

historically accurate. Can you tell why? Which ingredients were unknown in
the Middle East during the Middle Ages?)
Baked Eggplant Dip - Baba Ganushe

A popular dip called "baba ganushe" is

made with eggplant. Wash and then
pierce with a fork one large or two
medium-small eggplants. Bake on an
oiled tray at about 350° for about 30 -
40 minutes or until soft. Cool. Remove
and discard the skin and tough stem-
end. Combine with these ingredients in
a blender or food processor:

1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cloves peeled garlic, quartered
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh
parsley (optional)

Blend until smooth.

Put this into a serving bowl and

garnish (add for decoration or color and taste)
with a little olive oil and sprigs of
parsley.

Serve with pita bread.

Stuffed Grape Leaves (a Lebanese

dish)

(There are many versions of this popular

dish. For a classroom setting, this one may
be the easiest.)

1 lb. fresh tender grape leaves (in a

..
jar or can)
1 1/2 lb. lean ground meat,
preferably lamb
but turkey is a good substitute.
 3 cups rice
6 garlic cloves crushed
1/2 medium onion, chopped into
very small pieces
1/2 cup lemon juice (1/4 cup for
mixing, 1/4 cup before and after
baking)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. dried mint finely chopped

Put grape leaves in hot water to soften for

approximately 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300°. Wash and cook the

rice in a rice cooker. ..

In a skillet (frying pan) sauté the meat with Photos from Al-Mashriq's site
onions, garlic, cinnamon, salt and pepper .
Keep breaking it apart into small pieces.
Cook at medium heat (about 275°) about 10
minutes or until meat is brown but still
moist and tender. Drain and put the meat
mixture into a large bowl.

Combine the meat, rice, and 1/4 cup lemon

juice and the mint. Mix well and let cool.

When the ingredients are cool, place 1

teaspoon (or more, depending on the size of
the leaves) of the meat-rice mixture in a
thin row across the width of the leaf. [Put
the stemmed end closest to you and the
shiny side of the leaf facing down.] Fold the
outside edges of the leaf 1/2 in toward the
center and roll with a little firmness into the
shape of a finger.

Put the stuffed grape leaves into a baking

dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Bake them
for 15 - 20 minutes at 320°.

Put additional lemon juice onto the finished

leaves. Serve warm or cold.
 For a different recipe and a series of
pictures, see Al-Mashriq's outstanding site.
Chicken Shish-kabab

Ingredients for a class of 26 students:

3 large bell peppers (green, red, and

yellow for color) or 4 medium bell
peppers

3 1/2 lb. chicken breast, boneless.

(Cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes and
marinate in a little lemon juice, Above picture from Sadaf.com
olive oil, pepper - Let it stay in the
Chicken Shish-kabab
liquid for at least half an hour.)

two or three medium onions

2 large boxes of cherry tomatoes or

five - six large tomatoes
skewers (wooden sticks to put the
ingredients on)

small mushrooms (or cut larger

mushrooms in half) - Optional
Above: "Our Feast"
chunks of pineapple - optional Below: Chicken kabobs on rice with Greek
[NOT from the Middle East] from 2 salad
cans

Preparation:

Chicken: Cut the chicken into 1 1/2

inch cubes of meat on a clean
cutting board. (You need 3 pieces of
meat for each kabob.) Discard all
the bones, fat and gristle. Put pieces
into a large bowl. Marinate in
lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper
for at least half an hour. CHICKEN
PIECES NEED TO BE COOKED
BEFORE THE VEGETABLES, SO
PUT THE PIECES INTO A PAN
 AND BAKE AT 350° FOR
ABOUT 12 - 15 until no longer
pink. Then put onto the bamboo
skewers along with the following
vegetables and marinate again
before barbecuing:

Bell peppers: Wash, cut into halves,

then take out the seeds and stem and
discard. Cut into approximately 1
inch squares. [Not originally from
the Middle East!]

Onion: Peel off the outer layer of the

onion. Cut the onion in half around
the middle, then cut into chunks
about 3/4 inch wedges or squares to
put onto the sticks.

Tomatoes: Wash and remove the

stems from the cherry tomatoes. If
using large tomatoes, wash and cut
out the stem and then cut into 1 - 1
1/2 inch pieces. [Not originally from
the Middle East!]

Mushrooms [Optional], and chunks

of zucchini squash and/or eggplant

Chunks of pineapple [Optional - and

not from the Middle East]

Put the cooked meat, tomatoes, onions and

bell pepper pieces onto bamboo sticks
(skewers) by alternating the ingredients.
Leave more than one inch at the ends to
pick up kabobs.

Keep the kabobs covered and refrigerated

until ready to cook.

Barbecue or grill the kabobs for

approximately 10 - 15 minutes until the
meat and vegetables are done. (We set up
the barbecue outside our class.)
 Delhi on the Net
Hummus (Garbanzo Bean Dip for
Pita Bread)
1 15 or 19 oz. can garbanzo beans
(or "chick peas")
Drain liquid into a cup and save
1/4 cup Sesame Seed Paste (Tahini)
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a blender adding
only enough of the saved liquid to make the
mixture creamy. Blend for 3 - 4 minutes.
Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges and skins will become loose and come off. (15
a little olive oil.
Scoop up these dips with pieces of Pita
Bread (cut into 1/6's). It's delicious!
LENTILS WITH RICE Moujadara (or
"lentil pilaf") is very popular in Egypt (and in
Middle Eastern delis in the U.S.)
1 1/2 cups dry brown lentils (washed
and drained)
6 cups water to cook the lentils
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 cups rice (washed and drained)
1/2 cup vegetable oil for cooking onions
1 medium onion (julienned, cut into thin
strips)
Wash lentils and let sit in a pan of water so the
minutes). Loosen the skins by moving the
lentils through your fingers. Drain off the skins
and wash again to remove more skins. Place the
lentils in a large saucepan. Add 6 cups water.
Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 1 hour
or until lentils are tender. Add the salt and
pepper. When done, drain off all the water.
At the same time, cook the rice in a rice cooker.
In a large frying pan, heat the oil to hot (300°)
and sauté onions until onions are golden brown.
(Sauté means cook quickly in a frying pan.)
Remove the onions which will be added later,
and drain excess oil.
When all ingredients are done, add rice and
lentils to the frying pan. Simmer on a low heat
for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Keep
covered except when stirring. Add cooked
onions to the cooking rice-lentil mixture, stir
and remove from heat. [This can be baked 350°
for 15 minutes in a low pan after adding the

Falafels
Falafels are popular in the Middle East,
especially Egypt and Lebanon. They are
eaten during Ramadan. Falafels are very
tasty, especially when eaten with tahini
(ground sesame seed paste) sauce. Don't
overcook falafels or they will become dry.
This should be enough for a class of 26 with 1 large onion, minced (or put into a food
2 falafels each.
3 cups fava beans (or 2 cans, then don't
soak)
1 1/2 cup chickpeas (or 1 can, then don't
soak)
1 1/2 cup cracked Bulghar wheat
5 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons salt
5 tablespoons wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 onions
1 cup fresh coriander
1 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
(remove large stems)
3 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoon dried coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon cumin powder
3 teaspoons baking powder
vegetable oil for frying
(about 4 cups - 1 inch deep in the
pan)
Soak the beans overnight if you are using
dry beans. (Not necessary if you use
canned.)
onions to dry it out more, or may be served
after combining cooked ingredients.]
Serve hot or cold with fresh cold yogurt.
Tabouli Salad
This Lebanese dish has become a popular salad
or appetizer in the United States. This is enough
for a class of 25 for a taste.
1 1/2 cup very fine Bulgur wheat
5 bunches parsley. Discard large stems. Finely
chop the leaves
or put into a food processor
processor)
4 medium tomatoes, chopped by hand into
small 1/8 inch
pieces [Note: tomatoes were not
available in Medieval times
except in the Americas!]
2 teaspoons dry mint, or 1/2 cup finely chopped
fresh mint
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
Romaine lettuce leaves to be used as "bed" for
salad.
1 lemon for garnish - cut into wedges.
[Optional: one tomato cut into wedges for
garnish]
Soak bulgur in enough fresh water to cover for
10 minutes. Drain well.
Toss all ingredients except oil in a large bowl.
Add oil last.
Chill well in the refrigerator for at least an
hour. (You can even chill it over night.)
Serve on Romaine lettuce leaves garnished
tomato wedges, and lemon wedges.
In a large bowl, wash the cracked Bulghar
wheat and soak for an hour.

Drain both beans and wheat well.

Crush garlic, chop onions, coriander and

parsley (or use a food processor).

Add chopped onions and garlic to the

wheat, then add the beans and mix well in a
large bowl.

Put through a meat grinder or large food

processor to mix thoroughly. Add
remaining ingredients. (If you are using a
medium size food processor, you can do 1/2
the ingredients at a time. Knead well (mix
together with your hands) in a large bowl.

Leave the dough to one side for 1 1/2 hours

and knead again. Wet hands and shape the
mixture into balls about the size of a golf
ball.

Put on an apron and be careful with hot oil!

Heat oil about 1 inch deep in a frying pan to
about 300°.

Fry until golden in hot oil, about 300° and

drain on paper towels. Serve warm.

Adapted from the book "The Complete United Arab

Emirates Cookbook" by Celia Ann Brock- Al
Ansari.

Option #2: Get the Falafel mix available in

many supermarkets. (This is fast, but not as
much fun nor as tasty! Don't make the
falafels too small or they will be dry.)
 Picture from UAE site.

Introduction to Arabic Cuisine

• NOTE: Many modern recipes use tomatoes, potatoes, and

corn. These items were NOT part of medieval Islamic Cuisine.
These items came from the Americas.
• ABC of Arabic Cuisine [great site for introduction:
definitions; some good images shown are also listed below]
• UAE FOREVER's Dishes (Camel's Milk)

More Recipes & Cookbooks for Cuisine of Islamic Cultures

• "ABC of Arabic Cuisine" gives some background to Arabic

food, some recipes, and photographs of food items.
• "Virtual Middle Eastern Cook Book". This site contains
about recipes primarily from Morocco and Egypt. Recipes include
traditional foods, but watch out for foods not known in Europe or
Asia until after Columbus' trip, like tomatoes, corn, potatoes, bell
peppers!
1. * hummus (garbonzo bean dip appetizer)
2. * baba ganushe (ghanooge) - eggplant dip appetizer
3. * tabouli salad
4. * kabob
5. * chicken stew (beriani)
6. * baklava
7. Falafel
 • Iran - Persian Cuisine. Lots of recipes on this page, but no
graphics.
• "Turkish Cuisine" with some pictures and many recipes,
and "Turkish Cuisine" with recipes from the past and present.
• Persian Food: "Iran: an Introduction -- Food" tells about
common breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. A few recipes are
given. This site is under construction so there is no information
about lunches.
• For a 7th grade student feast of Middle Eastern foods (with
pictures and recipes), see: Our Feast (Horace Mann Middle
School, S.F.)

Go to Page One: Islam and Food

Go to - Page Two: Arab Food

Go to - Page Three: Farming and Agriculture of the Middle Ages

You are here: Page Four: Recipes for a Medieval Feast

Go to the Student Activities Page on Food

and Farming
Go to the Main Page

Food and Farming (Continued)

V. Farming Methods in the Settled

Villages and Towns
Islam spread to the settled villages and towns where most people were farmers
and herders. These pictures show some traditional farming techniques that are
still used today.
Afghanistan: High Valley Agriculture

This man is plowing his fields with a wooden plow and two oxen. Farmers irrigated their fie
Oxen and cows were not eaten very often. They were too useful for old man is tending his fie
work in the fields and for their milk. Photo courtesy of Professor P
Photo courtesy of Professor Powell taken in Afghanistan, Geoweb.
Morocco: High Valley Agriculture Morocco, Atlas Mountains
These are barley fields in the Draa Valley region of Morocco. Look at
the background and you can see a wall that protected the town. in This man is plowing with
During the Middle Ages there was so much warfare walls were built to of Morocco.
protect the citizens. Agriculture took place outside the walls.
[Picture courtesy of GeoWeb, Prof
[Picture courtesy of GeoWeb, Professor Miller.]
Iran: Farming in Fertile Va

In hotter climates and wh

This pictures shows wom
Ages, rice was mostly for
India, Persia, and other w
porridge made of barley a
People terraced the hillsides to claim more land for farming. These
fields are in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Photo from Saitama University

[Picture courtesy of GeoWeb, Professor Miller.]

The Physician Andromakhos watches agricultural activities

Northern Iraq, 1199 [From Serving the Guest: A Sufi Cookbook and Art Gallery,
Copyright 1999, 2000 Kathleen Seidel; originally from Ettinghausen, Richard, Arab Painting
(Paris: Skira, 1962) ]

Which agricultural methods can you see in this 12th-century

painting?
How are animals being used? What is being done by hand?

Grinding Grain. Detail from a 16th century Persian dictionary . [From Serving the Guest: A Sufi
Cookbook and Art Gallery , Copyright 1999, 2000 Kathleen Seidel]
This shows how wheat was turned into flour.

VI. Advances in Agriculture

Muslim farmers made some important advances in agriculture. They developed

a process called "grafting". A branch from one fruit tree can be cut off and
transferred to another tree. The branch of a green apple tree, for example, can
be grafted into the trunk of a red apple tree. The green branch will still give off
green apples. The same is true with grapes on grape vines, and with some other
fruit trees.

..

Muslim farmers learned to use fertilizers on their crops. Fertilizer usually was
from the dung of animals.

Pictures from Rise of Islam by Moktefi, illustrated by Sedat Tosun, Silver Burdett, 1985, pages 28 and 29

VII. Irrigation Technology - Bringing

Water to Dry Land
Muslim farmers learned how to get water to their fields through irrigation.
They built canals from rivers to their dry land. They used farm animals, such as
donkeys and even camels, to turn water wheels that powered flour mills and
brought water to the higher canals. Animals also turned wheels that brought
water out of wells so people could use the water for drinking, cleaning, and
irrigation.
 ..

Left: Camel Power in Afghanistan, Right: Irrigated fields. Both photos courtesy of GeoWeb, Professor
Powell (Afghanistan).
 Water wheels at the city of Hamao on the River Orontes. From Taschen's World Architecture: Islam, Vol.
1, page 212, by Henri Stierlin.

Some medieval water wheels are still working! This one is in Iran.

Wheat farming was hard work. Rice farming was hard work, too. Most of the
work had to be done by hand with simple wooden or metal tools. Farm animals
could help with the plowing, but almost everything else was done by hand.
Pictures from Rise of Islam by Moktefi, illustrated by Sedat Tosun, Silver Burdett, 1985, pages 30 and 31
(Out of print.)

...

VIII. Silk
The wealthy Muslims enjoyed wearing silk clothing which were light and
comfortable in the warm climates. (Men were not supposed to wear silk,
according to the Qur'an, but some had silk clothing made that were part cotton.
In this way they could wear silk, but follow the Qur'an, too.)

Silk was originally developed in China. However, Persian soldiers captured

some silk makers and forced them to show their secret methods to make silk.
Silk comes from the thread of a silk worm when it makes its cocoon. The
cocoon is put into hot water and the silk is then taken out, as shown below.
Picture from Rise of Islam by Moktefi, illustrated by Sedat Tosun, Silver Burdett, 1985, page 31

Learn more about medieval agriculture:

Harvesting, circa (about) 1190 A.D. in Europe. Note that the women wore head-coverings
in Europe, too.

• The farming year in Europe with great images from Medieval manuscripts of
farming tools. (Go halfway down the page.) Many of these farming methods would
have been common in parts of the Muslim world, too.
• Images of Daily Life in Morocco (GeoWeb from U.C. Berkeley) includes images
of irrigation, date palms, oases, spices, goats, etc. You can see Professor Miller's
whole trip.

• Life in Afghanistan (GeoWeb from U.C. Berkeley), by Professor Powell.

Go to Page One: Islam and Food

Go to Page Two: Arab Food

You are here at Page Three: Farming and Agriculture of the Middle Ages
Go to Page Four: Recipes for a Medieval Feast

Go to the Student Activities Page on Food

and Farming
Go to the Main Page

Food and Farming (Continued)

V. Farming Methods in the Settled

Villages and Towns
Islam spread to the settled villages and towns where most people were farmers
and herders. These pictures show some traditional farming techniques that are
still used today.

Afghanistan: High Valley Agriculture

 Farmers irrigated their fie
old man is tending his fie

Photo courtesy of Professor P

This man is plowing his fields with a wooden plow and two oxen.
Oxen and cows were not eaten very often. They were too useful for
work in the fields and for their milk.

Photo courtesy of Professor Powell taken in Afghanistan, Geoweb.

Morocco: High Valley Agriculture Morocco, Atlas Mountains
These are barley fields in the Draa Valley region of Morocco. Look at
the background and you can see a wall that protected the town. in This man is plowing with
During the Middle Ages there was so much warfare walls were built to of Morocco.
protect the citizens. Agriculture took place outside the walls.
[Picture courtesy of GeoWeb, Prof
[Picture courtesy of GeoWeb, Professor Miller.]
Iran: Farming in Fertile Va

In hotter climates and wh

This pictures shows wom
Ages, rice was mostly for
India, Persia, and other w
porridge made of barley a
People terraced the hillsides to claim more land for farming. These
fields are in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Photo from Saitama University

[Picture courtesy of GeoWeb, Professor Miller.]

The Physician Andromakhos watches agricultural activities

Northern Iraq, 1199 [From Serving the Guest: A Sufi Cookbook and Art Gallery,
Copyright 1999, 2000 Kathleen Seidel; originally from Ettinghausen, Richard, Arab Painting
(Paris: Skira, 1962) ]

Which agricultural methods can you see in this 12th-century

painting?
How are animals being used? What is being done by hand?

Grinding Grain. Detail from a 16th century Persian dictionary . [From Serving the Guest: A Sufi
Cookbook and Art Gallery , Copyright 1999, 2000 Kathleen Seidel]
This shows how wheat was turned into flour.

VI. Advances in Agriculture

Muslim farmers made some important advances in agriculture. They developed

a process called "grafting". A branch from one fruit tree can be cut off and
transferred to another tree. The branch of a green apple tree, for example, can
be grafted into the trunk of a red apple tree. The green branch will still give off
green apples. The same is true with grapes on grape vines, and with some other
fruit trees.

..

Muslim farmers learned to use fertilizers on their crops. Fertilizer usually was
from the dung of animals.

Pictures from Rise of Islam by Moktefi, illustrated by Sedat Tosun, Silver Burdett, 1985, pages 28 and 29

VII. Irrigation Technology - Bringing

Water to Dry Land
Muslim farmers learned how to get water to their fields through irrigation.
They built canals from rivers to their dry land. They used farm animals, such as
donkeys and even camels, to turn water wheels that powered flour mills and
brought water to the higher canals. Animals also turned wheels that brought
water out of wells so people could use the water for drinking, cleaning, and
irrigation.
 ..

Left: Camel Power in Afghanistan, Right: Irrigated fields. Both photos courtesy of GeoWeb, Professor
Powell (Afghanistan).
 Water wheels at the city of Hamao on the River Orontes. From Taschen's World Architecture: Islam, Vol.
1, page 212, by Henri Stierlin.

Some medieval water wheels are still working! This one is in Iran.

Wheat farming was hard work. Rice farming was hard work, too. Most of the
work had to be done by hand with simple wooden or metal tools. Farm animals
could help with the plowing, but almost everything else was done by hand.
Pictures from Rise of Islam by Moktefi, illustrated by Sedat Tosun, Silver Burdett, 1985, pages 30 and 31
(Out of print.)

...

VIII. Silk
The wealthy Muslims enjoyed wearing silk clothing which were light and
comfortable in the warm climates. (Men were not supposed to wear silk,
according to the Qur'an, but some had silk clothing made that were part cotton.
In this way they could wear silk, but follow the Qur'an, too.)

Silk was originally developed in China. However, Persian soldiers captured

some silk makers and forced them to show their secret methods to make silk.
Silk comes from the thread of a silk worm when it makes its cocoon. The
cocoon is put into hot water and the silk is then taken out, as shown below.
Picture from Rise of Islam by Moktefi, illustrated by Sedat Tosun, Silver Burdett, 1985, page 31

Learn more about medieval agriculture:

Harvesting, circa (about) 1190 A.D. in Europe. Note that the women wore head-coverings
in Europe, too.

• The farming year in Europe with great images from Medieval manuscripts of
farming tools. (Go halfway down the page.) Many of these farming methods would
have been common in parts of the Muslim world, too.
• Images of Daily Life in Morocco (GeoWeb from U.C. Berkeley) includes images
of irrigation, date palms, oases, spices, goats, etc. You can see Professor Miller's
whole trip.

• Life in Afghanistan (GeoWeb from U.C. Berkeley), by Professor Powell.

Go to Page One: Islam and Food

Go to Page Two: Arab Food

You are here at Page Three: Farming and Agriculture of the Middle Ages
Go to Page Four: Recipes for a Medieval Feast

Go to the Student Activities Page on Food

and Farming
Go to the Main Page

Welcome to Horace Mann's webpage for:

Medieval Food, Farming, and Recipes of

the Middle East

Introduction: The Qur'an and the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad imposed
upon the Muslims certain restrictions on what they ate and drank.

I. Customs and Food Restrictions - (What

Muslims Can't Eat or Drink)

Certain foods and products are forbidden (haram) to Muslim according to the
Qur'an and the Hadith (the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad).

"Allah, the Almighty is pure and accepts only that which is pure. The Almighty
has said, Eat of the pure things, and do righteous actions. Oh, you who believe!
Eat of the pure things that Allah has given you." [Hadith quoted by Abu Huraira.]

"Haram" is Arabic for "Forbidden" and "Unlawful". These foods are "haram"
for Muslims:

NEVER
A. Forbidden Foods According to the Qur'an:
1. Alcohol or liquor Alcoholic drinks "confuse the mind and lead one
astray".
2. Pork - In the Qur'an (and in the Old Testament of the Bible) there is a
story that God cast (threw) the devil into a pig. Therefore, pork and any
pork products (some types of gelatin, and lard) and even leather goods
from the pig are forbidden to Muslims. This is also true of Jewish
traditions. [NOTE: The disease of trichinosis is caused by worms that
live in pigs and can be passed on to humans who eat unclean pork. This
restriction was very important to people's health.]
3. Carnivorous (meat eating) animals and birds, e.g. lions, tigers,
vultures, eagles, etc. are forbidden.
4. Other animals are also excluded: donkeys, monkeys, elephants.
5. Any animal that has died due to natural causes, killed by some wild
animal, by a fall or blow are also forbidden. Of course there are good
health reason for not eating animals that may be sick or diseased. Flesh
that had been sacrificed for some God or Goddess by pagans was also
forbidden.
6. Blood is forbidden.
7. Drugs are also forbidden (except as medical drugs).

B. Ways to Slaughter Animals

In addition, there are also ways to slaughter an animal according to Islamic
rules. Otherwise their meat will be considered "haram". Generally, the animal
must have its throat slit by a sharp knife and die quickly with little pain. This is
done with a prayer of thanks to God. Slaughtering rules are humane (kind-hearted)
and don't allow the animal to suffer.

Learn more about it:

• "Halaal Guidelines" gives a list of "haram" or

 forbidden foods:
• Is your diet halaal (permitted)? Read "The
Importance of a Halaal Diet"

II. Islamic Fasting and Feasting

• One of the Pillars of Islam is the fast during the month of Ramadan.
During this holy month (in which the Prophet Muhammad received
messages from Allah) strict Muslims don't eat or drink from sunrise to
sunset. However, they can eat and drink during the nighttime hours.
There are some Muslims who are not required to fast. They are: pregnant
women, nursing mothers, travelers, young children and others are
excluded from the fast.
• There are two important feast days for Muslims. One is Eid Al-Fitr
following the long fast of Ramadan and Eid Al-Adha. Eid Al-Adha is a
four day celebration when Muslims from all over the world offer a
sacrifice by slaughtering a sheep, cow, or goat following the traditional
Islamic customs. It is also called the Festival of Sacrifice. It
commemorates Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son Ishmael in the
name of God. But God sent him a ram instead, sparing his son's life. The
act of sacrificing an animal, most likely a sheep, represents repentance
and a solemn promise to do good on earth. The meat is shared with
neighbors and sent to the needy. The sheep is revered as the creature of
God that gives its life for a higher purpose. [From Turkish Food Protocol]
• The birthday of the Prophet Muhammad is usually celebrated with a
feast.
• Weddings are traditionally celebrated with a great feast, also. In Turkey,
the circumcision of boys (about age 7 - 8) is also celebrated.

III. Customs about Eating

Customs of Muslims and people in the Middle East include:
 • Eat with your right hand! In this picture from Morocco, a family is
eating couscous (a wheat "pasta" that looks like rice) with a variety of
vegetables (squash,tomatoes, carrots, onions, peppers, turnips) and lamb.
People eat from a big round platter and use their right hands. [Picture
courtesy of GeoWeb, Professor Miller.]

• If you were invited to a home, check to see if you should take off your
shoes before entering. (This custom is found in many cultures around
the world.) You would not be expected to bring a dish - "pot luck" is
not a Middle Eastern idea. You would probably eat sitting on the floor
covered with rugs and small pillows. Food would be placed on a low
table. Often there would be one central dish for all. There may be a bowl
for washing your hands on or near the table, so wash before eating. Eat
from the place in front of you only. Eat with your right hand.
Remember that the soles of your feet should not point directly toward
someone else. (This is bad manners, and may bring "bad luck" to that
person.) There is usually a separate part of the house for entertaining
visitors. (This used to be exclusively for males. Women family members
would be in another part of the house.) - This information is from Arabian Culture & Customs
[visiting a home (Dewaniah), etiquette at meals] and food customs. Also see Food Protocol for the Culturally Correct which tells
about eating customs in Turkey.

You are here at: Page One - Introduction to Food of the Muslims

Go to Page Two: Arab Food to learn about the foods of the nomads, and other
people of the Middle East during the Middle Ages.
Go to Page Three: Farming and Agriculture of the Middle Ages to learn about
how farmers worked during the Middle Ages.

Go to Page Four: Recipes for a Medieval Feast

Go to the Student Activities Page on Food

and Farming
Go to the Main Page

Books and Magazines

• Moktefi, Mokhtar, (translated by Burandelli) Rise of Islam, Silver-Burdett Picture

Histories, 1985, pages 26-30 [Out of Print]
• The Arabs in the Golden Age by Moktefi, Millbrook Press: page 34 - 35
• "A Medieval Banquet in the Alhambra Palace" by Shabbas p. 95 - 102 (Cuisine of
Al Andalus, Foods from Arab Lands) and many activities leading to a banquet.
Available from AWAIR. Get this one!
• Arabian Cuisine by Anne Marie Weiss-Armush, illustrated by John Berry
available from AWAIR
• ARAMCO: N-D '75 Food in the Middle East [entire issue]
• ARAMCO: N-D '88 Morocco by Mouthfuls p. 18-31
• ARAMCO: J-A '92 Blending Flavors p. 36-37
• ARAMCO: S-O '89 Cuisine of Al-Andalus [Spain] p. 28-35
• ARAMCO: M-A '78 A History of Dates p. 20-23
• ARAMCO: J-F '85 Cake for the Poor [Dates] p. 2 - 7
• ARAMCO: M-A '88 Flavors of the Middle East [entire issue]
• ARAMCO: S-O '95: On the Flatbread Trail p 16 - 25
• ARAMCO: M-A '95: The Desert Meets the Sown [Bedouin marketplace] p. 2 - 9

and "Oases in the Rock: The Gardens of the High Sinai" p. 20 - 27

• ARAMCO: N-D '94: Saphire - From Sea to Shining Seed [saltwater agriculture]
p. 2 - 9
• ARAMCO: J-F '96 Culinary Reconnaissance: Indonesia p. 18 - 27
• ARAMCO: J-F '97 Memories of a Lebanese Garden p. 22 - 23 [recipes]
• ARAMCO: S-O '78 The Iceman Cameth p. 2 - 3 [origin of ice cream]
• ARAMCO: M-J '87 New Battle in an Ancient War p. 6 - 13 [locusts]
• ARAMCO: S-O '83 The Greening of the Arab East [entire issue]
• ARAMCO: J-A '95 Village of the Past [Egyptian living history village] p. 30
• ARAMCO: S-O '73 Wine of Arabia [coffee] p. 1 - 7
• ARAMCO: S-O '97 Yemen's Well-Traveled Bean (story of coffee) inside cover
and p. 2 - 9
• ARAMCO: N-D '98 Couscous: The Measure of the Magrib p. 16 - 25