The meal takes place around the sufra, a leather or cloth spread laid directly on the floor, upon which shared dishes are arranged. There is no separation into starter-main-dessert: flatbread (the foundation of every meal) accompanies legume soups, sweet-and-savory braised meats, and condiments. One eats with the right hand, beginning with the basmala. Sweet and savory coexist in the same dish; sweets, dried fruits, and perfumed drinks close or punctuate the moment. Coffee does not yet exist: one drinks perfumed water, diluted syrups, and buttermilk.

Murri — a paste or liquid made from barley and flour that has been fermented for a long time, the Maghrebi cousin of garum — gave medieval dishes their umami depth, much like soy sauce does today. Alongside it, the signature of this courtly and scholarly cuisine lies in the deliberate pairing of honey, saffron, and cinnamon with meat: a sweet-and-savory combination that the cookbooks of al-Andalus and the Maghreb proudly claim as refinement.