What did Ibn Battuta eat in Egypt?
• Ibn Battuta mentions these at Damieta on the Mediterranean Sea and along the Nile: banana trees, date palms, fish, sheep and goats, buffalo milk, sea fowl (ducks, geese, teal, etc.), and a variety of fruits (which probably included apricots, grapes, melons, pears, cherries, oranges) and vegetables (which probably included chickpeas (garbanzo beans), fava beans, onions, garlic, lettuce, eggplant, and cucumbers). He tells of these being served to the poor: sugar cakes and sweetmeats, bread, soup, and small cakes (for travelers). Rich people would have rice imported from India. Ibn Battuta tells about a great variety of foods and spices sold in the markets, but he doesn’t identify them. • Medieval Egyptian cuisine would have these dishes as well: falafel, roasted meat (lamb, sheep, even wild donkey!), fish, birds (including pigeon and doves), and more! Some traditional and modern Egyptian dishes are described at Culinary Arts of Egypt. • “ABC of Arabic Cuisine” gives some background to
