Food and Its Etiquette in the Mamluk Period (648-923 AH/ 1250-1517 AD)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/jjha.v19i2.1371Keywords:
cooking, kitchen, food, dish, spicesAbstract
This study deals with food and its etiquette in the Mamluk period, a social topic related to the affairs of daily life of members of society. The article is divided into six topics. First, the meaning of a cook and cooking and the difference between the concept of eating and food are clarified. Second, the realities of Mamluk society are presented. Third, the necessary conditions for a kitchen worker are discussed. Fourth, kitchen appliances and utensils are identified that varied between appliances such as stoves and ovens, including fuel, and utensils for preparation such as pots, stoves, and utensils for serving, such as pots, plates, and other utensils, and food ingredients such as spices and others that give it a wonderful flavor and taste. Fifth, the Mamluk state’s control over food is discussed. Because food is a basic need in the lives of the population, and given that some of the market shops specialized in this craft, which became widespread in major cities, such as Cairo, Damascus, Aleppo, and Jerusalem, the Mamluk state gave oversight to the kitchen and the cooks, imposed health conditions, and obliged them to follow the administrative system that was established to preserve public health and prevent tampering and fraud in food items. This administrative system played an important role in organizing the affairs of members of society. Sixth, the etiquette followed in eating is presented, which does not differ from our etiquette at the present time.
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