Gastronomy of Al-Andalus explores the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. Muslims first invaded the Iberian peninsula in 711 CE, crossing the narrow straits from North Africa and taking over most of what would become the country of Spain. The newly-conquered land initially under the caliphate of Damascus, was called al-Andalus and at one time covered almost the entire Iberian peninsula.

This cookbook tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through recipes for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to breads, sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. During periods of convivencia, the different communities—Muslim, Sephardic-Jewish, and Mozárabe Christian—lived together in friendly cooperation, shopping at the same markets, trading commodities, and sharing each other’s holidays and festive foods. The interweaving of cultures embedded the foodways of al-Andalus deeply in Spanish life.