The culinary world of 13th-century Andalusia was a treasure trove of unique spices, herbs, and condiments that brought extraordinary depth and complexity to its cuisine. Preserved in an anonymous Andalusian-Arabic cookbook, these recipes reflect a vibrant culture of gastronomy that relied on ingredients now rare or lost to time. From exotic aromatics to forgotten flavour enhancers, these elements shaped the distinctive identity of Andalusian cuisine. Yet, the disappearance of these ingredients makes recreating these dishes a challenge, offering us only a tantalising glimpse into this rich culinary heritage.
Here is a list of some of these lost tastes, which reflect the richness of medieval Andalusian cuisine:
Calambac
Also known as agalloch wood or aloe wood, calambac was commonly used in syrups. Renowned for its sweet and woody aroma, this ingredient is now exceedingly rare.
Asaret
Referred to as cabaret or wild spikenard (Asarum europaeum L.), asaret was used in the preparation of certain sauces and spice mixtures. Today, this plant is not found in modern cuisine.
Asafoetida
(Ferula asafoetida) Still cultivated and produced in Afghanistan and India, asafoetida was widely used in 13th-century Andalusian recipes. It is distinct from pungent fennel (Anethum graveolens L., Peucedanum graveolens Benth.), another aromatic plant.
Sapan Wood
Also known as Indian brésillet (Biancaea sappanL.), sapan wood provided a woody and slightly sweet flavour to preparations. It is now hard to obtain, making its use in recipes impossible to replicate.
Sweet Costus
Spice merchant, fifteenth century. Image: House Books of the Nuremberg Twelve Brothers Foundation
The precise botanical identity of sweet costus remains unknown. It was used in spicy recipes, but while there are several varieties of costus (Costus speciosus SM., C. arabicus L., Amomum hirsutum Lam.), all are bitter, making it difficult to identify the one used at the time.
Murri
A fermented and flavoured condiment, murri appeared in no fewer than 123 recipes. It was a staple condiment made from fermented fish and seasoned with spices like nigella, lending a savoury depth to numerous dishes. Although the exact recipe for this condiment is now lost, it was central to Andalusian gastronomy.
Indian and Celtic Spikenard
Indian spikenard, also called Indian valerian (Nardostachys jatamansi), and Celtic spikenard (Nardus celticaBoiss.), were used for their floral and earthy aromas. These roots were valuable ingredients in both sweet and savoury dishes, but they are now difficult to obtain.
Truffle
The truffle mentioned in the writings was not the type we know today but rather a Terfezia from Andalusia (Terfezia fanfaniMattir.), a type of truffle from the Pezizaceae family, distinct from the Tuberaceae we are familiar with today.
Citron Leaf
Forty-three of the Anonymous’ recipes use citron leaf as an aromatic, with some also incorporating the citron flower or twigs. It most often appears in the cooking of meats, poultry, fish, and aubergines, alongside fennel, but almost never with bay leaves. Seven recipes use these same leaves as a decoration for the serving dish: “Arrange the aubergines in a bowl with citron leaves, garnish the dish with small leaves and citron buds.”
Citron leaf was also used to make a syrup and a Grand euphoric syrup that included borage, mint, citron leaves, and sugar. The nouet, a bundle of aromatics wrapped in muslin and steeped in syrup, featured agalloch wood, rhubarb, Chinese cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon, and clove flowers.
These lost ingredients illustrate the diversity and richness of the flavours that defined Andalusian cuisine. Sadly, their disappearance means we can no longer faithfully recreate the dishes of that era, leaving us with only a glimpse of this extraordinary culinary tradition.
Dr Lorris Chevalier, who has a Ph.D. in medieval literature, is a historical advisor for movies, including The Last Duel and Napoleon. Click here to view his website.
Catherine Guillaumond, Cuisine et diététique dans l’Occident arabe médiéval, d’après un traité anonyme du XIIIe siècle, Paris, L’Harmattan, Histoire et Perspectives Méditerranéennes, 2017, 302 p.
Top Image: Two Folios from a Dispersic Arabic Translation of De Materia Medica by Dioscorides (MMA 57.51.21 and Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, W675)
By Lorris Chevalier
The culinary world of 13th-century Andalusia was a treasure trove of unique spices, herbs, and condiments that brought extraordinary depth and complexity to its cuisine. Preserved in an anonymous Andalusian-Arabic cookbook, these recipes reflect a vibrant culture of gastronomy that relied on ingredients now rare or lost to time. From exotic aromatics to forgotten flavour enhancers, these elements shaped the distinctive identity of Andalusian cuisine. Yet, the disappearance of these ingredients makes recreating these dishes a challenge, offering us only a tantalising glimpse into this rich culinary heritage.
Here is a list of some of these lost tastes, which reflect the richness of medieval Andalusian cuisine:
Calambac
Also known as agalloch wood or aloe wood, calambac was commonly used in syrups. Renowned for its sweet and woody aroma, this ingredient is now exceedingly rare.
Asaret
Referred to as cabaret or wild spikenard (Asarum europaeum L.), asaret was used in the preparation of certain sauces and spice mixtures. Today, this plant is not found in modern cuisine.
Asafoetida
(Ferula asafoetida) Still cultivated and produced in Afghanistan and India, asafoetida was widely used in 13th-century Andalusian recipes. It is distinct from pungent fennel (Anethum graveolens L., Peucedanum graveolens Benth.), another aromatic plant.
Sapan Wood
Also known as Indian brésillet (Biancaea sappan L.), sapan wood provided a woody and slightly sweet flavour to preparations. It is now hard to obtain, making its use in recipes impossible to replicate.
Sweet Costus
The precise botanical identity of sweet costus remains unknown. It was used in spicy recipes, but while there are several varieties of costus (Costus speciosus SM., C. arabicus L., Amomum hirsutum Lam.), all are bitter, making it difficult to identify the one used at the time.
Murri
A fermented and flavoured condiment, murri appeared in no fewer than 123 recipes. It was a staple condiment made from fermented fish and seasoned with spices like nigella, lending a savoury depth to numerous dishes. Although the exact recipe for this condiment is now lost, it was central to Andalusian gastronomy.
Indian and Celtic Spikenard
Indian spikenard, also called Indian valerian (Nardostachys jatamansi), and Celtic spikenard (Nardus celtica Boiss.), were used for their floral and earthy aromas. These roots were valuable ingredients in both sweet and savoury dishes, but they are now difficult to obtain.
Truffle
The truffle mentioned in the writings was not the type we know today but rather a Terfezia from Andalusia (Terfezia fanfani Mattir.), a type of truffle from the Pezizaceae family, distinct from the Tuberaceae we are familiar with today.
Citron Leaf
Forty-three of the Anonymous’ recipes use citron leaf as an aromatic, with some also incorporating the citron flower or twigs. It most often appears in the cooking of meats, poultry, fish, and aubergines, alongside fennel, but almost never with bay leaves. Seven recipes use these same leaves as a decoration for the serving dish: “Arrange the aubergines in a bowl with citron leaves, garnish the dish with small leaves and citron buds.”
Citron leaf was also used to make a syrup and a Grand euphoric syrup that included borage, mint, citron leaves, and sugar. The nouet, a bundle of aromatics wrapped in muslin and steeped in syrup, featured agalloch wood, rhubarb, Chinese cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon, and clove flowers.
These lost ingredients illustrate the diversity and richness of the flavours that defined Andalusian cuisine. Sadly, their disappearance means we can no longer faithfully recreate the dishes of that era, leaving us with only a glimpse of this extraordinary culinary tradition.
Dr Lorris Chevalier, who has a Ph.D. in medieval literature, is a historical advisor for movies, including The Last Duel and Napoleon. Click here to view his website.
Click here to read more from Lorris Chevalier
Further Readings:
Catherine Guillaumond, Cuisine et diététique dans l’Occident arabe médiéval, d’après un traité anonyme du XIIIe siècle, Paris, L’Harmattan, Histoire et Perspectives Méditerranéennes, 2017, 302 p.
Top Image: Two Folios from a Dispersic Arabic Translation of De Materia Medica by Dioscorides (MMA 57.51.21 and Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, W675)
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