In 9th-century Baghdad, a wealthy scholar's table follows a refined order inspired by court etiquette. It begins with tangy appetizers and vinegar-marinated vegetables (kawamikh, murri), then come the great slow-cooked meat dishes (sikbaj, tharid) served on or with bread, accompanied by rice. The meal ends with sweets made with honey, almonds and rose water, and perfumed drinks (sharab, jullab). Everything follows the idea of balance of flavors and humors, dear to physicians.

Abbasid cuisine loves to combine sweet and sour in the same dish. Two emblematic condiments mark this table: murri, a fermented cereal sauce (the Eastern equivalent of garum), which brings deep umami flavor, and the sweet-and-sour syrups made with vinegar and honey that perfume meats and drinks.