Image: Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi · Public domain
Kitab al-Tabikh (Baghdadi)
- Year
- ms
- Era
- Undated
- Origin
- Iraq (Abbasid) · Middle East
- Language
- Arabic
- Category
- Middle East
Kitab al-Tabikh, compiled in thirteenth-century Baghdad by Muhammad al-Baghdadi, is among the most important surviving cookery manuscripts of the medieval Arab world. Composed in Arabic during the late Abbasid period, it records the refined culinary repertoire of the caliphal courts, arranging recipes for meats, stews, sweets and condiments by type. Later printed editions and translations have made it a foundational source for the study of medieval Islamic gastronomy.
Cooking from this book
Sikbaj
Signature dishSikbaj, a sweet and sour stew of meat simmered with vinegar and a touch of honey or date syrup, is among the most emblematic dishes preserved in al-Baghdadi's manual. Once celebrated as a royal favourite of the Abbasid caliphs, it captures the courtly taste for balanced acidity and sweetness that defines the book. Its legacy travelled far, inspiring escabeche traditions in the Mediterranean, which makes its appearance here especially resonant for modern readers.
An editorial note on a dish associated with this book, written for The Coquinist. It is not a reproduction of the book's recipe.