Image: Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi · Public domain
Kitab al-Tabikh
- Year
- ms
- Era
- Undated
- Origin
- Iraq (Abbasid) · Middle East
- Language
- Arabic
- Category
- Middle East
Kitab al-Tabikh, compiled in tenth-century Abbasid Baghdad by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq, is the earliest substantially surviving Arabic cookery book, drawing together recipes and gastronomic lore associated with the caliphal court and the elite tables of the preceding two centuries. Transmitted in manuscript and issued in modern printed editions, it remains an indispensable source for the refined cuisine, dietetics, and culinary vocabulary of the medieval Islamic world.
Cooking from this book
Sikbaj
Signature dishSikbaj, a sweet and sour braise of meat with vinegar and a touch of honey or date syrup, stands as one of the emblematic dishes of al-Warraq's tenth century compilation. Beloved at the Abbasid court and said to be a favourite of caliphs, it appears in numerous variations across the manuscript. Its prestige, its travels along trade routes into Persia and later Iberia, and its frequency in the text make it a fitting emblem of Baghdadi haute cuisine.
An editorial note on a dish associated with this book, written for The Coquinist. It is not a reproduction of the book's recipe.