Who are the Moors, and why are they relevant?
Before Seville, I honestly didn’t know much about the Moors beyond the word itself. It turns out “Moor” was never a name anyone chose for themselves. Medieval and early modern Europeans used it loosely for the Muslims of North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, whether they were Arabs, North African Berbers or Iberians who had embraced Islam (Britannica has a good overview).
Muslim rule in Spain lasted from 711 to 1492, nearly eight centuries. The peninsula was Roman, then Visigothic, then largely Muslim, before the Christian kingdoms of the north gradually took it back.
What surprised me most was how advanced al-Andalus was. At its height in the 10th century, Córdoba was one of the largest and most sophisticated cities in Europe, with rulers who built libraries, supported scholars of medicine and astronomy, and presided over a city where manuscripts were copied in enormous numbers (more on al-Andalus here). Al-Andalus also helped bring tools like the astrolabe, a device for measuring the position of the stars and planets, into wider European use. And after Toledo fell to Castile in 1085, translators there turned Arabic texts into Latin, carrying that knowledge across Europe.
Perhaps most relevant to today’s discussion, the Moors introduced or spread many crops in Spain, including sugar cane, rice, cotton, spinach, aubergines and citrus fruits like the bitter orange and lemon. Many of them remain some of Spain’s main products today!
What is gastronomy?
Gastronomy is not just about food but about being a food connoisseur. It is the study of the relationship between food and culture. It is the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food. It is the cooking styles of particular regions. And last, and arguably most important, it is the science of good eating.
Travelling through Spain, it is almost impossible to avoid the name of a place or region that is derived from Arabic.
Spanish words of Arabic origin
In 711 C.E., Arab and Berber armies began the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. With the conquest, the Moors brought with them their architecture, art, and of course, language. Over time, Arabic words blended into the local Romance vocabulary and helped shape the Spanish spoken around the world today.
Even after King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I conquered Granada, the last Muslim kingdom in Spain, in 1492, Spanish kept around 4,000 words of Arabic origin, roughly 8% of the dictionary. Arabic is often described as the biggest contributor to Spanish vocabulary after Latin. Some examples of these words that are relevant to food and eating are found below.
- Aceite (oil)
- Aceituna (olive)
- Albaricoque (apricot)
- Azafrán (saffron)
- Arroz (rice)
- Albóndiga (meatball)
- Azúcar (sugar)
Planting and growing
Using what was advanced technology for the time, the Moors planned the planting of olive and almond trees to ensure they delivered healthy fruit. They built efficient irrigation systems in regions such as Granada and Córdoba, and they introduced crops such as sugar cane, spinach and aubergines.
Methods of cooking
The Moors cooked in clay pots and wood-burning ovens. Moorish kebabs, known as pinchos morunos, are among the most popular dishes served in Spanish bars and restaurants. Frying in olive oil and preserving in vinegar (escabeche) both reflect Arabic culinary traditions. Olive oil is a very important part of the Moorish and Spanish diet, and many varieties are perfect for frying because they heat quickly without burning. Frying with olive oil can be healthy too! In fact, a recent study even said that frying vegetables in extra virgin olive oil is healthier than boiling them.
Cookware, pots and pans
The mortar and pestle is key to any Spanish kitchen. The Moors used it to grind spices and nuts into smooth creams that helped make soups such as ajo blanco (white garlic soup) and, years later, gazpacho, after tomatoes arrived from the Americas.
Spices
In the kitchen, the Moors are perhaps best remembered for their spices. Cumin (comino) is widely used with vegetables and tomatoes. Coriander (cilantro) is used to flavour barbecued skewered meat. Cinnamon (canela), nutmeg (nuez moscada) and aniseed (matalahúva) play a big part in modern-day Spanish cooking. Saffron (azafrán) is an important Moorish spice that is used often in Spanish cooking. In paella and in fish and shellfish stews, there is no substitute for saffron.
Sweet and savoury foods
- Almond pastries
- Fritters in honey
- Milk-based puddings
- Quince paste
- Peaches in syrup
- Iced sorbets
- Raisins and pine nuts used together in sauces
Differences over the years: Islamic rule then versus Catholic Spain today
As you probably already know, Muslims do not drink alcohol or eat pork, which are two of the main differences between Moorish cooking and Spanish gastronomy today. Distillation is a fun twist here: the alembic (alambique in Spanish), or still, was refined by scholars in the Islamic world to make perfumes and medicines, not alcohol. Non-Muslims later used it to distil grape pomace (the leftover seeds, stems and skins of grapes pressed for wine) into a clear brandy. Pork and pig products were also avoided under Muslim rule and returned to prominence after the Reconquista.
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