P e r m i s s i o n o f R i g h t s h o l d e r s

Reading: A Baghdad Cookery Book (Medieval Arab cookery)

Author: Perry, Charles;Arberry, A. J. 1905-1969. (Arthur John);Rodinson, Maxine

Publisher: Prospect books Publication Date: 2001. Pages: 37-42 51-2 81

Course: Foods That Changed the World

Course Code: LEC01 Term:

Department: FST

Thank you for using the University of Toronto Libraries Syllabus Service. We are pleased to be able to offer this
service to interested faculty.

The material attached to this coverpage is to be made available only via a password-protected platform such as
Quercus, and only to students enrolled in the course listed above. Permission to share this material has been
acquired from the rightsholder or their representative, and is only valid for the duration of the course listed above. If
this material is assigned again for a class in the future, permission must be re-acquired. Please contact
syllabus.service@library.utoronto.ca for assistance.

Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

 ,,>

/1'.JJ. ~~~u.
'-7Y~,_~1.
/
;~
'/
~J
\_

Medieval
Arab Cookery
ESSAYS AND TRANSLATIONS
BY

MAXIME RODINSON
A.J. ARBERRY
&
CHARLES PERRY

With a foreword by
CLAUDIA RODEN

'@
PROSPECT BOOKS
2001
 .>

~J ~ ~.:~
./
.
"' )L;J/

A Baghdad Cookery Book

MUI:JAMMAD IBN AL-I:JASAN IBN MU:E:IAMMAD IBN

AL-KARIM AL-KATIB AL-BAGHDAD!

KITAB AL-TABIKH

Translated and introduced by

A.J. ARBERRY
 A BAGHDAD COOKERY BOOK 37

1ughout has been MUI:JAMMAD IBN AL-I:JASAN IBN MUI:IAMMAD IBN

>lixity and long- AL-KARIM AL-KATIB AL-BAGHDAD!

edition, 'is quite

used in the times KITAB AL-TABIKH
ribed most excel-
language, just as
.' To us, who are
sed by the author IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MERCIFUL,
teristic ring about THE COMPASSIONATE
.ct quantities is as

!asures indicating
'f of the original. 3
P raised be God, creator of days and appointer of times, Who hath
brought every creature to life and provided all manner of susten-
ance; beast hath He fashioned, and made herbs to grow; and He
encompasseth all mankind with His manifest blessings. For them sent
He down water from heaven, whereby He brought forth every kind of
fruit; and He hath made it lawful for man to taste of wholesome things,
and hath permitted him to enjoy such foods and potions as be not
unlawful. God bless His chosen prophet, Mul;iammad, and his family
and bring him to the loftiest degree: verily, He heareth prayers.
Now God hath made lawful every wholesome food, and permitted
the enjoyment thereof, provided that it be not doubtful or unlawful for
He says: 'Eat that which is wholesome, and work righteousness.' 1
se add the Cambridge
Certain exegetes indeed have alleged that the word 'wholesome' in this
1 Manuscripts, p. 181,
n source. The chapters
context means 'lawful': but it is sufficiently known among men, what is
iin al-akhbiir and Ibn the true meaning of the word 'wholesome'. God likewise says: 'Eat ye
y point of view, being of that wherewith We have provided you, lawful, wholesome:' 2 here
beneficial or harmful God has made distinction between what is lawful, and what is
wholesome.
mtunity of examining
: of a Kitiib al-Tabikh
Pleasures may be divided into six classes, to wit, food, drink, clothes,
I (Hunt 187). I hope to sex, scent and sound. Of these, the noblest and most consequential is
it interest, was written food: for food is the body's stay, and the means of preserving life. No
:s to the actual recipe- other pleasure can be enjoyed, unless a man has good health, to which
food is ancillary. It is not prohibited to take delight in food, or to occupy
translate his edition of
lent footnotes, indicat- 1 Qur'iin, xxiii 53.
2 Do. v. 90; xvi 115: misquoted, the correct reading being 'He hath provided you.'
 38 A BAGHDAD COOKERY BOOK

oneself and specialize in it, for indeed God says: 'Say, who hath made and the like: 1
unlawful the adornment of God which He brought forth for His it gives off ml
servants, and the wholesome things of sustenance?' 1 Likewise, whenever quantity of fu
the Prophet was invited by any of his Companions to partake of food if this is not
with him, which he had prepared to the best of his ability, according to particles of s
his lights, he did not refuse. Lastly, a certain philosopher has said: 'Four coriander, wh:
things comprise all excellence and perfect every blessing: strong faith, way, the sam
sincere endeavour, wholesome food, and healthy drink.' It is proved, luxuriant, stro
therefore, that there is no harm in taking pleasure in food, and large, bright !
specializing therein. fresh, not old,
I have come across several books composed on the art of cooking, the seasoning1
containing mention of strange and unfamiliar dishes, in the compos- utensils used i

I ition of which unwholesome and unsatisfying ingredients are used. Now

men differ in their judgements concerning pleasures, some preferring
food above all other pleasures, while others rank other pleasures more
brick-dust, the
the fresh leaf c
be preferred;
highly, such as clothes, drink, sex, or sound. For my own part, however, pounded in a c
I subscribe to the doctrine of the pre-excellence of the pleasure of eating that the seasor
above all other pleasures, and for that reason I have composed this and utensils ar
book, both for my own use, and for the use of whoever may wish to Seasonings :
employ it, on the Art of Cooking. I have mentioned in it dishes selected dry foods, the
by myself, perhaps passing over briefly such as are well-known and in sparingly in so
common use, and then listing certain choice relishes, savouries, souses, should be obse1
fish, rissoles and sweets. 2 My principle throughout has been brevity and with great care
succinctness, and the avoidance of prolixity and longwindedness. I pray may be floating
that God may help and assist me. The book is divided into ten chapters. up. But first th
cleanse it of ar
NOTE. It is important that a cook should be intelligent, acquainted
veins and mem
with the rules of cooking, and that he should have a flair for the art. He
meat is lightly f
must also keep his nails constantly trimmed, not neglecting them, nor
~' left to settle ove
allowing them to grow long, lest dirt collect underneath them. Of
it is important 1
cooking-pots let him choose those made of stone, or as a second-best
those of earthenware: only as a last resort should he use pots of tinned
copper. There is nothing more abominable than food cooked in a 1
Andariini: see Ibn
copper pot which has lost its tinning. He should choose dry wood, such the name of a place
2
as does not give forth an acrid smoke, as for example, olive-wood ilex, Ta 'riq: to fry gent]
Supplement II, p. l l
1 2
Qur'an, vii 30. Sc. ch. 6-9. in water, with a vie"
 A BAGHDAD COOKERY BOOK 39

, who hath made and the like: the wood of the fig-tree should be especially avoided, for
lit forth for His it gives off much smoke, as do all sappy woods. He must also know the
kewise, whenever quantity of fuel required. Of salt he should choose the rock variety, 1 or,
' partake of food if this is not obtainable, then pure white salt, free from dust and
lity, according to particles of stone. He should choose the following seasonings: of
er has said: 'Four coriander, what is freshly-gathered, green, and dry; of cumin and cara-
ing: strong faith, way, the same; of cinnamon, that whereof the bark is thick and
nk.' It is proved, luxuriant, strong-scented, burning the tongue; of mastic, the kind with
re in food, and large, bright grains, not small, and free of dust and dirt; of pepper,
fresh, not old, large-grained. The utmost care must be taken in cleaning
e art of cooking, the seasonings, and grinding them fine. So likewise when washing the
~, in the compos- utensils used in cooking, and the saucepans: let them be rubbed with
11ts are used. Now brick-dust, then with dry, powdered potash and saffron, and finally with
, some preferring the fresh leaf of the citron. For pounding meat, a stone mortar should
~r pleasures more
be preferred; but seasonings must be ground fine in a mill, or else
wn part, however, pounded in a copper mortar. In short, it is of the greatest importance
pleasure of eating that the seasonings shall be well and finely ground, and that the pots
re composed this and utensils are washed as thoroughly as possible.
ever may wish to Seasonings are used freely with plain dishes, as well as with fried and
i it dishes selected
dry foods, the latter of the sweet rather than the sour varieties; but
rell-known and in sparingly in sour dishes that have their own broth. The following rule
savouries, souses, should be observed in all cooking: when the saucepan is boiling, remove
; been brevity and with great care the froth, cream, and dirt of the meat, and whatever else
vindedness. I pray may be floating at the top of the pan, together with the bubbles that rise
into ten chapters. up. But first the meat must be washed with warm water and salt, to
cleanse it of any blood or dirt that may remain on it: the ganglions,
igent, acquainted veins and membranes are also removed. In plain and fried dishes, the
lair for the art. He meat is lightly fried in oil 2 before boiling. The cooked meat should be
\lecting them, nor ~ left to settle over a slow fire for a good hour before being ladled out: this
~rneath them. Of it is important to remember.
r as a second-best
use pots of tinned
:Ood cooked in a 1 Andarani: see Ibn al-Baitar, Mufradat, s.v. mil]J. The adjective is derived from Andaran
•Se dry wood, such the name of a place near Nishapur. [C].
2 Ta'riq: to fry gently until the juice of the meat exudes like perspiration ('araq) [C]. Dozy,
e, olive-wood ilex,
Supplement II, p. 118 quotes a use of this form of the verb indicating 'cooking [dry figs]
in water, with a view to preserving them.'
40 A BAGHDAD COOKERY BOOK

CHAPTER I pepper, all gr

SOUR DISHES mastic. Cut u
meatandma1
SOME sour dishes are sweetened with sugar, syrup, honey or date-juice: cooked, remc
others are not sweetened, but served in their natural bitterness. It seems sweet old grai
best, however, to treat of them all in one chapter, as follows. hand without
SIKBAJ. 1 Cut fat meat into middling pieces, 2 place in the saucepan, then sweet aln
and cover with water, fresh coriander, cinnamon-bark, and salt to taste. juice is poured
When boiling, remove the froth and cream with a ladle, and throw away. sugar, so as no
Remove the fresh coriander, and add dry coriander. Take white onions, the sides of th
Syrian leeks, and carrots if in season, or else eggplant. Skin, splitting the When settled,
eggplant thoroughly, and half stew in water in a separate saucepan: then JURJANIYP
strain, and leave in the saucepan on top of the meat. Add seasc;mings, saucepan, cov<
and salt to taste. When almost cooked, take wine-vinegar and date-juice, small. When tl
or honey if preferred - date-juice is the more suitable - and mix together coriander, pep
so that the mixture is midway between sharp and sweet, then pour into walnuts, first s
the saucepan, and boil for an hour. When ready to take off the fire, until the ingrn
remove a little of the broth, bray into it saffron as required, and pour granate and of
back into the saucepan. Then take sweet almonds, peel, split, and place strain through
on top of the pan, together with a few raisins, currants, and dried figs. a little vinegar
Cover for an hour, to settle over the heat of the fire. Wipe the sides with soaked in wate
a clean rag, and sprinkle rose-water on top. When settled, remove. taste. Throw 01
IBRAHiMiYA. 3 Cut the meat into middling pieces, and place in a water. Cover tc
saucepan with water to cover, salt to taste, and boil until the juices are I:IUMMAJ)I)
given off. 4 Throw in a bag of stout cotton containing coriander, ginger, saucepan with
the stout cott01
1 ('The froth and cream' should be 'its scum and froth'. Ar berry perhaps read zabadahu,
gmger, pepper ;
'its froth', as zubda, 'butter'. The 'raisins, currants and dried figs', are really jujubes
mon. Now mir
('unniib), raisins and dried figs. CP]
2
This appears to be the significance of the word wasat (pl. ausiit) in this and similar when the sauce]
context: cf. the proverb, 'The wasat (sc. golden mean) of a thing is its best part.' are cooked, ren
3 Named after the celebrated epicure, Prince lbrahlm ibn al-Mahdi: (162/779-224/839,
citrons, seeded,
see Encyclopaedia of Islam, II, pp. 435 f.), who wrote a manual of cookery, see Mez, much of grape~
Abull¢sim, p. xxxix (where this recipe is quoted from Gotha 1345), al-Nadi:m, Kitiib al-
fihrist(ed. Fliigel), p. 317 (where ten other lost cookery manuals are mentioned). ('Juice 1
After Jurjan, a cit
of sweet old grapes' is aged verjuice (the juice of sour grapes). The 'cotton' bag is actually are really carrots (ja
linen (kittan). CP] core has been remm
4
This seems to be the meaning here of ta 'arruq, cf. p. 39 n. 2 above. 2
Derived from hun
 A BAGHDAD COOKERY BOOK 41

pepper, all ground fine, then add some pieces of cinnamon-bark and
mastic. Cut up two or three onions very small, and throw in. Mince red
meat and make into cabobs as usual, and add. When the ingredients are
riey or date-juice: cooked, remove the bag of seasonings. Add to the broth the juice of
tterness. It seems sweet old grapes, or if unprocurable, of fresh grapes, squeezing in the
::illows. hand without skinning, or else distilled vinegar: the juice is strained,
in the saucepan, then sweet almonds are chopped fine and moistened in water, the grape-
and salt to taste. juice is poured on them, and the mixture is sweetened slightly with white
, and throw away. sugar, so as not to be too sour. Leave over the fire an hour to settle. Wipe
ike white onions, the sides of the saucepan with a clean rag, and sprinkle with rose-water.
;kin, splitting the When settled, remove.
te saucepan: then JURJANIYA. 1 Cut the meat into middling pieces, and leave in the
Add seasonings, saucepan, covered with water, and with a little salt. Cut up some onions
ar and date-juice, small. When the saucepan is boiling, put in the onion, together with dry
and mix together coriander, pepper, ginger and cinnamon pounded fine. If desired, add
:t, then pour into walnuts, first shelling and then chopping up into middling pieces. Stir,
take off the fire, until the ingredients are cooked. Now take the seeds of a sour pome-
quired, and pour granate and of black grapes cut in halves, grind fine, soak in water, and
:1, split, and place strain through a fine sieve, then throw into the saucepan, together with
ts, and dried figs. a little vinegar. Add sweet almonds, peeled and chopped up fine, and
ipe the sides with soaked in water. When boiling and almost done sweeten with sugar to
tled, remove. , taste. Throw on top a handful of raisins and sprinkle with a little rose-
s, and place in a water. Cover to settle over the fire, then remove.
ntil the juices are l:IUMMA:PIYA. 2 Cut fat meat into middling pieces, and leave in the
coriander, ginger, saucepan with a covering of water and a little salt. Boil, then throw in
the stout cotton bag containing the seasonings, namely, dry coriander,
rhaps read zabadahu, ginger, pepper and cloves ground fine: add also a few pieces of cinna-
~s', are really jujubes mon. Now mince red meat with seasonings, and make into cabobs:
when the saucepan is boiling, throw in the cabobs, and as soon as these
it) in this and similar
its best part.' are cooked, remove the bag of seasonings. Now take the pulp of large
tdI (162/779-224/839, citrons, seeded, and squeeze well in the hand, add about a quarter as
of cookery, see Mez, much of grape-juice, and pour into the saucepan on top of the meat.
), al-Nadim, Kitab aJ-
re mentioned). ['Juice 1 After Jurjan, a city in Persia, [The 'black grapes' are black raisins. The 'walnuts' (jauz)

cotton' bag is actually are really carrots (jazar); the correct reading is 'Add peeled carrots from which the woody
core has been removed' ( ukhrija khashabuhu min jaufih1). CP]
e. 2 Derived from hummaq, the pulp of the citron. [The 'cotton' bag is of linen. CP]
42 A BAGHDAD COOKERY BOOK

Boil for an hour. Take sweet almonds, peel, chop up fine, soak in water, ZiRBAJ. 1 C
and add to the saucepan. Sweeten with sugar, or with syrup if preferred. cover with wa
Leave the saucepan over the fire to settle. Sprinkle with rose-water, wipe and a little sal
the sides with a clean rag, and remove. wine-vinegar, 1
DiKBARiKA. 1 Cut the meat into middling pieces and leave in the peeled and grc
saucepan, throwing in a little salt, a handful of peeled chickpeas, dry in on top of tl
and green coriander, sliced onions and leeks: cover with water, and boil. sifted mastic ,
Remove the froth. Now add wine-vinegar and murri, 2 with a little starch with th1
pepper brayed fine, and cook until the flavour is distinct. Some sweeten almonds, peele
with a little sugar. When cooked, throw in a little blattes de Bysance, 3 sides with a d
and leave to settle over the fire. Then remove. desired, a chic
quarters, and 1
meat to cook v
1 Sic. Chelebi derives from the Syriac dika barika, i.e. 'holy chicken'. This seems unlikely,
NiRBAJ. 2 (
and I conjecture that the name is derived from the Persian dig bar ik, sc. 'pot on the ember'.
It is clear that dikbardikis not appropriate here, a medical term derived from Persian - 'pot
saucepan with,
on pot' - and signifying 'un remede compose, sublime et caustique, qui cqrrode la chair et and put in slice
Jes ulceres' (Dozy, op. cit. I, p. 481). However, in Mez, Abullfii.sim (text), p. 40, a dish is mon, pepper, r
mentioned called al-dikbariija which may be identical, but of which the etymology seems cooked, take th
obscure. [Arberry's etymology ('chicken on the embers') is the correct one, as shown by the
of the seeds of
form diijabariija in the tenth-century Kitiib al-Tabikh. CP]
2 The following recipe for making murri is written at the end of the MS. 'Take 5 ratls each put into the pot
of penny-royal and flour. Make the flour into a good dough without leaven or salt, bake, ting on top som
and leave until dry. Then grind up fine with the penny-royal, knead into a green trough with and rub them in
a third the quantity of salt, and put out into the sun for 40 days in the heat of the summer, are being given
kneading every day at dawn and evening, and sprinkling with water. When black, put into
cabobs. Sprinkl
conserving-jars, cover with an equal quantity of water, and leave for two weeks, stirring
morning and evening. When it begins to bubble, leave it to settle, then strain, and put the clean rag, leave
lees back into the trough. Leave in the sun another two weeks, covered with an equal TABAHAJA. 3
quantity of water, stirring morning and evening: then strain it into the first murri. Add and slice the tail
cinnamon, saffron and some aromatic herbs. [Another recipe] Take penny-royal and dirham of grour
wheaten or barley flour, make into a dry dough with hot water, using no leaven or salt, and
remove the sedin
bake into a loaf with a hole in the middle. Wrap in fig leaves, stuff into a preserving-jar, and
leave in the shade until fetid. Then remove, and dry.' 1
Persian zirbii or zL
3
Certainly Chelebi is right in emending atrfifto ~tar. This ingredient is mentioned several 2
Perhaps an altema1
times in the book. The literal sense of the phrase is 'perfumed nails' (in Persian niikhun-i influenced by zirbiij
div'devil's claw'): in J. von Sontheimer's translation of lbn Baitar's Mufradiit, I, p. 56, the (a)niirbiij, pomegran
Latin equivalent Strombus lentiginosus is given - lbn Baitar describes in full this odori- 3
The usual form is t<
ferous substance 'of the nature of the shards of shells' as Lane says in his Lexicon s.v. - Entertainments, a~d
quoting among other authorities Dioscurides - while the French version is due to Leclerc, somewhat different.
4
Notices et extraits des manuscripts de la Bibliotheque Nationale, vol. 23. The remains of the t
 A BAGHDAD COOKERY BOOK 51

ind place in the 'UKAIKA. 1 Take fresh tail, cut up, and dissolve, extracting the
iling, remove the sediment. Then take fat meat, cut up small, and throw into the dissolved
1t up small, and tail, stirring until browned. Cover with water and a little salt, and leave
Take red meat, to cook and dry, until only the oil remains of the juices. Throw in dry
e of the ground coriander and cumin ground fine, cinnamon, brayed pepper, and mastic.
n the juices have Keep stirring. Take Persian milk as required, to which ground garlic has
with cinnamon- been added, and throw into the pot, leaving to boil. Now remove from
rigs of dry mint. the fire, and leave the saucepan over a gentle flame, until the milk
over the fire to coagulates, when the oil floating on top is thrown away. Then scatter a
little fine-brayed cinnamon. Wipe the sides of the saucepan with a clean
saucepan with a rag, and remove.
. When the meat MASLIYA. 2 Cut fat meat and boil as usual, removing the scum .
dried, throw in When cooked, throw in a handful of chopped onion, a little salt, dry
~lant well, half- coriander brayed, cumin, pepper, cinnamon-bark and mastic. When the
:h dry coriander, juices of the meat are dry and the oil appears, take whey-cake, pound
igs of mint. Boil small, pour over it hot water, and dissolve well by hand until it becomes
,dd Persian milk like sour milk and of the same consistency, then throw into the
)an a few sprigs saucepan. Bruise a little garlic and add, with some sprigs of fresh mint.
:r the fire for an Sprinkle some fine-brayed cinnamon into the pot. Wipe the sides with
a clean rag, and leave over the fire an hour to settle: then remove.
,nd place in the
ling, remove the
CHAPTER II
three bundles of
PLAIN DISHES
~ces four fingers
, cumin, mastic, lsFANAKHiYA. 3 Take fat meat and cut into medium-sized pieces. Slice
.ilk to which has the fresh tail, dissolve, and remove the sediment. Put the meat into this
~pan has settled oil and stir until browned: then cover with water that has been heated
d remove. separately. Add a little salt: boil, and remove the scum. Throw in a
handful of chickpeas that have been soaked and peeled. Take fresh
spinach, wash, remove the lower roots, and cut with a knife into fingers,
then pound in a stone mortar, and put into the saucepan. When nearly
inct from Nabatean
baqill = mallow.
cooked, add dry coriander, cumin, brayed pepper, mastic, small pieces
of cinnamon-bark, and a little garlic bruised fine. Now fill with water
as required, letting the water be lukewarm. When it has boiled for an
iatic herb is nigelle
1
icon, p. 1605) trans- Apparently diminutive of 'akka = magpie.
e.' 2 3 From isianakh = spinach.
From ma:jl =cooked whey [C].
52 A BAGHDAD COOKERY BOOK

hour, add clean, washed rice as required, placing it over the fire.until it SHURBA. 1
is set firm and smooth: then leave over a slow flame for an hour, and throw away t
remove. Meanwhile prepare red meat minced fine and made into browned. Cov
cabobs, and fry these in oil with the usual seasonings. When the concoc- peeled chickp
tion is ladled out, strew over it this fried meat, together with the oil as dry dill. Whet
required, sprinkle with fine-ground cinnamon, and serve. pepper, braye<
RUKHAMiYA. 1 Cook rice with milk until set thick, then ladle out. until thorougl
Place on top of this, meat fried in tail-fat and seasonings in the form of cleaned rice, "
cabobs, as in the preceding recipe. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Another leaving it over
recipe: Boil the meat, and when it is cooked, and little juice is left, throw Sprinkle with
in a quantity of fresh milk as required: add cinnamon-bark and mastic. pot with a clea
When thoroughly on the boil, add washed rice as wanted. When cooked not leave so lo
and set smooth, ladle out, strew with fried meat as described above, and cabobs of min
sprinkle with cinnamon. MUJADDAF
ARUZ MUFALFAL. 2 Take fat meat and cut into middling pieces. except that it is
Dissolve fresh tail, and throw away the sediment. Pour in the meat, and the rice, then p
stir until browned. Sprinkle with a little salt and dry coriander ground lfRIYA. 3 0
fine. Then cover with water and boil until cooked, throwing away the away the sedim
scum. Remove from the saucepan when the water has dried and it is throw in a little
itself juicy, and not absolutely parched. Throw in dry coriander, cumin, two onions anc
cinnamon and mastic brayed fine, as required, and likewise salt. When of peeled chid
quite cooked, remove from the saucepan, draining off all water and oil, cleaned and w;
and sprinkle with the aforesaid seasonings. Now take a kail of rice, and coriander, a litt
3 1h kails of water. Dissolve fresh tail, about one-third the weight of the to the saucepan
meat. Pour water into the saucepan, and when boiling, throw in the cooked, scatter
molten oil, add mastic and cinnamon-bark, and bring thoroughly to the the pan with a<
boil. Wash the rice several times, colour with saffron, and place in the
water without stirring: then cover the saucepan for an hour, until the
rice swells and the water boils. Now remove the cover: lay the meat in
1
Literally, 'broth, ~
Dictionary, s.v., Do
strips on top of the rice, and cover again, placing a cloth over the cover, 2
The adjective me<
wrapping it up so that no air can get in. Leave the saucepan to settle such a name is a grir
over a gentle fire for an hour: then remove. Some make it simple, the smallpox' but 'a
3
without the saffron colouring. Chelebi in a learn
description, however
1
Presumably from rukhfim = white marble (rather than from rukhiimii = a certain plant roni. [The translatio.
bearing a white flower and with a white root). of Greek origin whi<
2
Literally, 'peppered rice'. [This does not mean 'peppered rice', but pilaf CP] 4
Literally, 'ribs'.
 A BAGHDAD COOKERY BOOK 81

live-seed, cotton CHAPTER VIII

·e over a slow fire: JODHAB, 1 KHABIS, 2 ETC.
f olives and place
~rfume, and close JODHAB AL-KHUBZ. 3 Take the pith of leavened bread, and soak in
he odours do not water or fresh milk until moist. Coat below and on top with sugar and
y go all round it, fine-ground almonds, and colour with saffron. Leave over the fire until
with sesame-oil, fragrant, stirring: then remove. When serving out, sprinkle with fine-
garlic, and fine- brayed scented sugar.
s or earthenware JODHAB AL-QATA'IF. 4 Take qata'ifstuffed with almonds and sugar
and fried: arrange in a dish between two thin cakes, and set under a
~el, and chop up chicken. Between every two layers put sugar, and almonds, peeled,
hin paste. Grind chopped fine, and scented, as in stuffing qata'if. Pour on sesame-oil, or
l little blattes de if preferred, fresh milk with more sugar. When cooked and fragrant,
remove. Some, instead of almond and almond-oil, use walnut and
darani3 salt, put walnut-oil.
~ in a hot oven a JODHAB KHUBZ AL-QATA'IF. 5 Take qata'if-bread as required: spray
)riander, sesame, the dish with a little rose-water, and place the bread thereon in layers,
tida and aniseed: putting between each layer almonds and sugar, or pistachio ground fine:
y placing it for a spray again with rose-water. When the bread fills the dish, pour on a
solved: then dry, little fresh sesame-oil, and cover with syrup. Hang over it a fat plucked
ce or vermilion. 4 chicken, smeared with saffron: when cooked, remove. Small stuffed
qata'if are also treated in this way.
lrm, and peel off JODHAB AL-KHASHKHASH. 6 Take two ratls of pure sugar, and make
l. Dry, and pour into a thin syrup: then sprinkle in a quarter as much white bread, and
·ve. half that quantity of poppy. Colour with saffron, and allow to set. Some
add honey. When set, place between two thin cakes, and hang over it a
fat chicken smeared with saffron.
JODHAB KHABIS AL-LAUZ. 7 Take almond khabi$, and make after
the same fashion as the above.
JODHAB AL-TAMR. 8 Take 4 ratls of dried dates, and 10 ratls of
water, and place in a dish. Heat, until cooked: then knead well in the
ived from the Greek
minium: this being 1 See above, pp. 33-34: for the derivation and meaning, see Lane s.v.
ay mean 'vermilion' 2 Literally, 'mixed': see Lane s.v. 3 Sc. 'bread judhab'.

m Persian azar-gun, 4
Sc. 'qata'if(for which see above, p. 34 n. 2, and below, p. 87) judhab'.
5 Sc. 'judhab of qata'if.bread'. 6 Sc. 'poppy judhab'.

7 For khabI$ al-lauz see below, p. 83. 8 Sc. 'judhab of dried dates'.