Maimonides at the table

Maimonides' cuisine reflects the Jewish communities of the Muslim West (al-Andalus, Maghreb, Egypt) in the 12th century: an art of balance where the physician speaks as loudly as the believer. It includes everyday dishes, frugal and plant-based (braised vegetables, chickpeas, lentils) that Maimonides recommended to his patients; the single Shabbat dish (adafina/hamin) put on the fire on Friday and left to simmer all night since cooking is forbidden on the day of rest; medicinal broths and drinks prepared according to the theory of humors; and dry confections for travel. All in strict observance of kashrut: no mixing of meat and dairy, no forbidden foods, ritual slaughter.

Cumin, coriander, and saffron form the aromatic signature of Jewish-Andalusian cuisine. Cumin especially, inexpensive and reputed to soothe the stomach, perfumes both everyday meals and festive dishes. Maimonides, as a physician, appreciated these "hot" spices for aiding digestion without weighing down the body.