Food and Farming (continued):

Part IV: Arab Food

Introduction: Originally Arab food was the food of the desert nomads. Therefore it was simple and portable. Nomads stopped in oases and in settled farming areas to get some of their food, such as flour for bread, fruits and vegetables, and spices. They brought animals with them to provide meat and milk. They cooked over campfires.

During the early Middle Ages, Islamic empires spread from the Atlantic Ocean to India. The World of Islam (Dar al-Islam) would continue to expand to other areas of the world in later centuries. An exchange of foods from these vast territories was possible. And most Muslims now dwelt (lived) in villages, towns, and large cities. No longer was "Arab" food only that of the desert nomads.

A. Foods of the Desert Nomads

Nomadic tribes could use only foods that could be carried with them, such as rice and dates, or animals that could travel, like goats, sheep, and camels. As the caravans journeyed throughout the Middle East, new seasonings and vegetables were discovered and added to the existing diets.

Below are some of the foods eaten by the Arab nomads during the Middle Ages.

1. Flat bread (Pita bread)   Flat Bread was made along the caravan routes and in the nomads' camps. It is made from wheat flour, water, and a little salt. The dough can be flattened and shaped by hand like a tortilla and put on a flat pan over a fire. - Photo courtesy of ABC's of Arabic Cuisine	2. Dates Dates are one of the most important foods of the Middle East. These fruits come from the date palm tree which grows in the hottest deserts near oases. Photo courtesy of Geoweb, Professor Miller
3. Sheep and Goats Sheep were the most important source of milk and meat for the nomads. Lamb is perhaps the most popular meat in Arabic cuisine (style of cooking). Goats were also raised for meat and milk. - Photo courtesy of Geoweb, Professor Miller	4. Beans and Grains The nomads traded for these beans and grains to add to their diet. Chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), fava beans, and lentils were dried and carried on the nomads' trips. - Photo courtesy of ICARDA
5. Dried Fruits, Nuts, and Olives Dried Fruits (such as raisins from grapes, dried apricots, figs, etc.) and nuts were brought on trips. Olives were also eaten.	6. Camel Meat and Milk The nomads also ate camel meat and drank camel milk. - Photograph courtesy of "The Salt Caravan" Documentary
7. Cheese and Yogurt Feta Cheese is made from goat milk. The nomads also got milk from camels and made "camel" cheese. Yogurt is also made from milk. It originated (first started) with the Turkish and Mongol peoples.	.

B. Other Foods from Arab Lands

1. Drinks: - Coffee was discovered about 400 B.C., probably in Ethiopia and spread rapidly to the Arabian peninsula. Coffee has a mild stimulant (a light drug-like "buzz") and is enjoyed in Arab lands. Offering a cup of coffee to a guest is part of Middle Eastern hospitality.	From Arabian Business and Cultural Guide	Learn more about the history of coffee and read the legend about goats getting "high" on the caffeine (Coffee World) Coffee was used by Middle Easterners to be a medicine to "energize the blood" and give strength to the body. As a stimulant it was probably used by Sufi Muslims for their prayerful dances late into the night. (See Social History of Coffee) Coffee growing was a monopoly in the Middle East, and transportation of the plant out of the Moslem nations was forbidden by the government. The actual spread of coffee to India and beyond was started illegally. (History of Coffee - Ristretto)
2. Citrus Fruits (originated in Mesopotamia - India 8000 years ago): - Lemons - Limes - Oranges - Grapefruit Orange trees in Morocco near Marrakesh. Photo courtesy of GeoWeb, Professor Miller	3. Other fruits of Arab lands: - Bananas (China - India, brought to Palestine about 650 by Arab conquerors) - Apricots (China - Mesopotamia, grown in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon) - Figs (Garden of Eden, Mesopotamia) - Pomegranates (Iran to India) - Persian melon (Persia) - Cantaloupe (Persia) - Eggplant (India or China) .   .	4. Vegetables of Arab lands:   - spinach (Persia) - asparagus (Egypt, Mediterranean area) - artichokes (Sicily) - scallions and onions (Iran, Pakistan, Egypt or Central Asia over 5000 years ago) - carrots (Central Asia and Near East, used mostly as medicine)
5. Grains: Rice - was brought to Andalusia by the Muslims. Barley was eaten by many people in bread. Wheat was a common food and grew well in Northern Africa and Persia (Iran, Iraq). Couscous is a pasta made from wheat. (It looks like rice.)	Muslim banquet in India - women eating separately from the men. (Photo courtesy of keralaonline.)	Rice probably was first cultivated (grown by farmers) in southern China or S.E. Asia about 5,000 years ago. It was brought to Egypt and India about the 4th century B.C. It was expensive and was primarily eaten by the wealthy. Learn more about the history of rice. Also see Rice (from Satya Vegetarian Magazine). Wheat was first cultivated in Mesopotamia and in the Tigris and Euphrates River valleys in the Middle East nearly 10,000 years ago. It was the Egyptians who discovered how to make yeast-leavened breads between 2,000 and 3,000 B.C. Wheat quickly became favored over other grains grown at the time, such as oats, millet, rice, and barley. Learn more at history of wheat (Planet Wheat).
6. Nuts - Almonds - originally from Central Asian steppes (near Northern Iran), almonds were used in many dishes in Andalusia and the Middle East. Pistachios - originally from Iran. The pistachio trees were very rare so these delicious nuts were usually eaten only by the wealthy and royalty. It is said that pistachios from Iran were served by the African Queen of Sheba to her guests about 960 B.C.	almonds Almonds were a trade item on the Silk Road. [Learn more about the history of almonds.]	Pistachio nuts (Photo courtesy of Rafsanjan)
7. Sugar - Sugar was unknown in Europe until is was introduced by the Muslims. Sugar cane was grown in the Nile River Valley about 500 B.C. and the Indus Valley about 1,000 years before that. It was later grown in Spain. The classic ingredients to many Arab desserts are: sugar, honey, almonds, nuts, eggs, and candied fruit. Read more at A Brief History of Sugar   Pepper (courtesy of Celestial Seasonings)	8. Spices - Important in a time without refrigeration! - Saffron : This is the most expensive spice in the world. Each thread is hand picked from the blossom of the autumn-flowering crocus. It is often used in rice dishes and it gives rice a yellow color. It was also used as a medicine by Arabs. [See History of Saffron, which goes back to prehistoric Greek and ancient Egyptian times. Arabs introduced it to the cooking of Spain. ] - Pepper : This was an important spice during the Middle Ages. Search for spices caused Europeans such as Columbus to try new trade routes. - Cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, parsley, mint, cloves, and mustard were/are parts of Middle Eastern seasonings. - Salt - In some areas of the world where salt was rare, it was traded for an equal weight in gold! People cannot live with salt which is lost through perspiration. The salt-gold trade across the Sahara Desert brought wealth to the empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.	Spices sold in the souks (marketplaces). Saffron comes from the stigma of the crocus flower. It was one of the most expensive spices. (Courtesy of Greek Products)

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