Cumin, Camels, and Caravans. Gary Paul Nabhan

      

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      The publisher also gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Humanities Endowment Fund of the University of California Press Foundation.

      Cumin, Camels, and Caravans

      CALIFORNIA STUDIES IN FOOD AND CULTURE

      Darra Goldstein, Editor

      Cumin, Camels,

      and Caravans

      A Spice Odyssey

      Gary Paul Nabhan

      UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS

      Berkeley•Los Angeles•London

      University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu.

      University of California Press

      Berkeley and Los Angeles, California

      University of California Press, Ltd.

      London, England

      © 2014 by Gary Paul Nabhan

      Compositor: BookMatters, Berkeley

      Indexer: Thérèse Shere

      Cartographer: Paul Mirocha

      Printer and binder: Maple Press

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Nabhan, Gary Paul.

      Cumin, camels, and caravans : a spice odyssey / Gary Paul Nabhan.

      pagescm. — (California studies in food and culture ; 45)

      Includes bibliographical references and index.

      ISBN 978-0-520-26720-6 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-520-95695-7 (e-book)

      1. Spice trade.2. Spice trade—History.I. Title.II. Series: California studies in food and culture ; 45.

      HD9210.A2N332014

      382’.456645—dc23

      2013032714

      Manufactured in the United States of America

      22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14

      10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

      The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992 (R 2002) (Permanence of Paper).

      To three mentors who showed me how the Old World and New World are deeply connected culturally: Agnese Haury, Juan Estevan Arellano, and Michael Bonine

      Contents

      List of Recipes

      List of Spice Boxes

      List of Illustrations

      Introduction: The Origin of “Species”

      1.Aromas Emanating from the Driest of Places

      2.Caravans Leaving Arabia Felix

      3.Uncovering Hidden Outposts in the Desert

      4.Omanis Rocking the Cradle of Civilization

      5.Mecca and the Migrations of Muslim and Jewish Traders

      6.Merging the Spice Routes with the Silk Roads

      7.The Flourishing of Cross-Cultural Collaboration in Iberia

      8.The Crumbling of Convivencia and the Rise of Transnational Guilds

      9.Building Bridges between Continents and Cultures

      10.Navigating the Maritime Silk Roads from China to Africa

      11.Vasco da Gama Mastering the Game of Globalization

      12.Crossing the Drawbridge over the Eastern Ocean

      Epilogue: Culinary Imperialism and Its Alternatives

      Acknowledgments

      Notes

      Index

      Recipes

      The recipes in this book open a window onto the people and communities who made and still make these foods. Even the varied names of the dishes give some sense of the paths they have taken over the centuries. The recipes also record the cultural diffusion of spices as they pass from one place to another: a chicken mole that fuses elements of the Persian, Arabic, and Moorish kitchens; tharīd, a bread-and-broth soup from the Arabian Peninsula that gave rise to açorda soup in Portugal, gazpacho in Spain, and perhaps even sopa de tortilla in Mexico; and mansaf, one of the oldest recipes in the world, a Mesopotamian stew seasoned with a mix of cumin, turmeric, and cassia cinnamon, which is still being made today.

      Harira • Carne de Cordero en la Olla: Lamb and Garbanzo Bean Stew

      Marak Minj: Green Lentil Curry with Frankincense, Ginger, and Omani Spices

      Dates Kneaded with Locusts and Spices

      Nabātiyyāt: Nabataean Chicken, Pasta, and Garbanzo Bean Stew

      Maqlay Samak: Fried Fish on a Bed of Coconut Rice

      Tharīd • Gazpacho al-Andalus: Soup with Unleavened Bread

      Oshi Plov: Persian-Tajik Rice Pilaf with Quince

      Berenjena con Acelguilla: Sephardic Eggplant with Swiss Chard

      Sibāgh: Abbasid and Andalusian Dipping Sauce

      Zalābiya • Shaqima • Buñuelos: Deep-Fried Cardamom-Spiced Fritters Soaked in Saffron Syrup

      Dajaj Gdra bil-Lawz: Spiced Chicken in Almond Sauce

      Pollo en Mole Verde de Pepita: Spiced Chicken in Green Pumpkin Seed Sauce

      Prehistoric Mansaf: Kid and Lamb Stew with Yogurt, Root Crops, and Herbs

      Spice Boxes

      The spices profiled in this book embrace an eclectic assortment of herbs, incenses, gums, fruits, musks, and teas. Some are esoteric, such as frankincense and mastic, while others are familiar and beloved, like cumin and chocolate. Some might come as a surprise, since they are not widely thought of as spices, like pomegranate, caper, and Damascus rose. But what all of these have in common is that they were in high demand throughout history as flavorings, fragrances, and pharmaceuticals. Because many aromatics were specific to certain geographic areas, they had to be traded for rather than produced locally. These valuable commodities gave their names to the roads by which they were traded, which became collectively known as the Spice Routes. The spice profiles give an overview of the vernacular names, folk uses, medicinal applications, and local lore surrounding each of these global travelers.

      Mastic

      Frankincense

      Turmeric

      Cardamom

      Saffron

      Cassia