At the caliph's court, meals are not served one after another as in France, but laid out on the māʾida — the low table — where several dishes appear together: nourishing breads and soups, meats slow-cooked with honey and spices, almond sweets, all refreshed by perfumed drinks. This is the refined art of living of al-Andalus tempered by Almohad religious rigor: clean tablecloths, washed hands, and above all no drop of wine, banned in favor of flower waters and honey syrups.

The fermented condiment king of Arabo-Andalusi cuisine: a brine of barley long aged, dark and salty, giving dishes that umami depth the Romans sought in garum. A few drops suffice to transform a broth. Hard to find today, it is evoked with a little soy sauce or miso for modern versions.