Wow! eBook
Flavors of al-Andalus
Author(s): Janet Mendel (Author)
- Publisher: Hippocrene Books
- Publication Date: August 12, 2025
- Language: English
- Print length: 288 pages
- ISBN-10: 0781814561
- ISBN-13: 9780781814560
Book Description
“This is a fascinating book about history but not stuck in time. Janet is a time traveler, telling us stories about the past but always making them relevant, bringing the world of al-Andalus—a region very close to my heart—to our kitchens today.”
–Chef José Andrés
This cookbook explores the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. Muslims first invaded the Iberian peninsula in 711 CE, crossing the narrow straits from North Africa and taking over most of what would become the country of Spain. The newly-conquered land initially under the caliphate of Damascus, was called al-Andalus and at one time covered almost the entire Iberian peninsula.
At his palace of Medina Azahar around 950 CE, the Caliph of Córdoba dined on refined dishes of almond cream, lamb cooked with spices, eggplant stuffed with meat and scented with cinnamon, and carrot salad with sprigs of mint. The kingdoms of al-Andalus lasted eight centuries, ending in 1492 with the fall of Granada. Islamic culture left a deep mark on the country that became Spain—on language, science, literature and most certainly on cuisine.
Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. During periods of convivencia, the different communities—Muslim, Sephardic-Jewish, and Mozárabe Christian—lived together in friendly cooperation, shopping at the same markets, trading commodities, and sharing each other’s holidays and festive foods. The interweaving of cultures embedded the foodways of al-Andalus deeply in Spanish life.
Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe.
Sample recipes:
- White Gazpacho with Grapes (Ajo Blanco con Uvas)
- Fried Eggplant with Molasses (Berenjena Frita con Miel de Caña)
- Monkfish with Raisins and Pine Nuts (Rape al Mozarabe)
- Chicken in Almond Sauce (Pollo en Pepitoria)
- Beef Stew with Artichokes (Cordero con Alcachofas)
- Almond Cream Pudding (Sopa de Almendras)
- Crispy Olive Oil Cookies (Tortas de Aceite)
Editorial Reviews
Review
“This is a fascinating book about history but not stuck in time. Janet is a time traveler, telling us stories about the past but always making them relevant, bringing the world of al-Andalus—a region very close to my heart—to our kitchens today.”
Chef José Andrés
“From Andalusia, where this American-born author has been living for the last five decades, comes this wonderful cookbook filled with practical, authentic recipes . . . a delightful sampling of traditional dishes that reflect centuries of cultural fusion. I wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone seeking to indulge their palate and expand their culinary horizons.”
Nawal Nasrallah, award-winning food writer and translator of Arabic medieval cookbooks
“Janet Mendel does a superb job of looking into the Spanish Islamic and Jewish Sephardic roots of many of the dishes we find in modern-day Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha. This book is beautifully illustrated with Mendel’s own photographs.”
Gerry Dawes, author of Sunset in a Glass: Adventures of a Food and Wine Road Warrior in Spain
“Lest you doubt how deeply run the roots of Moorish cuisine in Spain and every place Spanish cooking influenced around the world, just think of the words rice, spinach, artichoke, lemon, sugar – all derive via Arabic. Janet Mendel, premier authority on Spanish food, offers this remarkable exploration of the historical origins of so many dishes we cherish to this day.”
Ken Albala, Tully Knoles Endowed Professor of History, University of the Pacific
“More than a cookbook, this is a carefully researched window into a little known era, engagingly written, with fascinating tales of 9th century influencers and characters from 16thcentury novels. Vibrant recipes surprise and deliver, such as Marinated Purple Carrots with Raisins and Pine Nuts, delicate 13th century Shrimp Fritters, and a stand-out paella with artichokes and peas.”
Donna Gelb, cookbook author and board member Culinary Historians of New York
“Janet Mendel is one of the great authorities writing in English about the cuisines of Spain. Happily, she has now turned to al-Andalus, the vast region of Iberia that was ruled for centuries by Arab and Berber Muslims, whose brilliant culture and exotic style inspire Spanish kitchens to this day. Flavors of al-Andalus is a dazzling mix of lively history with equally colorful recipes, from both historic texts and contemporary cooks. The chapter on gazpachos and dunking salads is worth the price of admission all by itself, but the book as a whole is a charming introduction to a little-known side of Spain.”
Nancy Harmon Jenkins, author of The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook
“Reminders of the long Islamic heritage are everywhere in Spain—in the architecture, the language, and of course in the food. In Flavors of al-Andalus, Janet Mendel, one of the leading interpreters of Spanish cuisine, peels back centuries of history to explore how that long-ago occupation is reflected in today’s home cooking. With 120 recipes, it’s a fascinating look at Spanish food before the arrival of potatoes, tomatoes and peppers.”
Russ Parsons, columnist at The Irish Times and former food editor at The Los Angeles Times
About the Author
Janet Mendel is an American-born journalist who has lived in southern Spain since 1966. She writes about food, travel, people and events for newspapers, magazines and travel guides worldwide. She is the author of several books about Spanish food. Visit her blog at https://mykitcheninspain.blogspot.com/
