Ibn Battûta at the table

On the roads of the medieval Islamic world, meals are taken around a large cloth or a copper tray set directly on the ground—the sofra. Hands are washed, the basmala is pronounced, then each person eats with the right hand from the communal dish. There is no European-style starter or dessert: savory and filling dishes are served first, with sweets and perfumed drinks arriving to close and refresh. Ibn Battuta, whether host or guest at court, found this same hospitality (diyâfa) everywhere, from the flatbreads of Tangier to the feasts of Delhi.