A Haroset Recipe from "ʿAbbāsid Iraq"
First Haroset Recipe from 9th to 10th centuries CE
I hope you had a meaningful seder. 🍷🍷🍷🍷
Today, I'm sharing a guest article from Noam Sienna that delves into the fascinating world of food history of haroset. This article explores a specific haroset recipe found in the prayer book of Saadia Gaon, a prominent figure in Jewish history. Saadia ben Yosef Gaon was a prominent rabbi, gaon, Jewish philosopher, and exegete who lived during the 9th to 10th centuries CE in the Abbasid Caliphate. He is the first important rabbinic figure to write extensively in Judeo-Arabic. During the Abbasid Caliphate, 'Abbasid Iraq, centered around Baghdad, emerged as a cultural and intellectual hub of Islamic civilization.
Sienna's examination of Saadia's Haroset recipe uncovers how it reflects the intersection of Jewish and Arabic cultures during this dynamic period. The article also explores social dynamics surrounding food, including gender roles, class distinctions, and the influence of courtly cuisine on Jewish culinary practices. Through meticulous analysis of ingredients, techniques, and cultural influences, Sienna's article offers a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural significance of haroset within the Jewish community of 'Abbasid Iraq. It serves as a captivating lens through which to explore broader cultural and historical developments during this period.
Let’s learn together!
“He Should Prepare a Sauce”: A Haroset Recipe from ‘Abbasid Iraq”
The Significance of Passover Rituals
The elements of the ritual meal associated with the holiday of Passover are among the oldest attested Jewish foods, commanded in the Bible, and expanded by the time of the Mishnah into a symposium-style retelling of the Exodus, later to be known as the seder. In their instructions, the rabbis of the Talmud mention a type of dip called ḥaroset, seemingly intended as a sauce for the vegetables, without explanation or description.
Unveiling the First Haroset Recipe
The first specific description of the preparation of haroset for Passover can be found in a brief Judeo-Arabic recipe found among the instructions of the prayer book (siddur) of Saadia Gaon (882–942 C.E.). Saadia describes the preparation for the first night of Passover, first explaining the laws of baking matzah, followed by his instructions to the male head of household for assembling the necessary ritual foods, including haroset: “He should prepare a sauce [ṣibagh] from dates, walnuts, and sesame, kneading them in vinegar: this is called ḥaliq.”
Cultural Fusion in Saadia's Recipe
What does this recipe reveal? I argue that Saadia’s haroset recipe models the hybrid position of Jewish life in the gaonic period, as talmudic authority evolved into a Judeo-Arabic culture immersed in its ‘Abbasid context. Let us begin with the word the geonim use for their haroset—as Saadia writes, “this is called ḥaliq.” While this is often assumed to be an Arabic word, Yitzhak Avishur has demonstrated that it is in fact an Arabization of a term from the Aramaic of the Talmud.
Culinary Influences from 'Abbasid Baghdad
In a single word, Saadia’s recipe thus ties together the complex mediation of Jewish culture from Graeco-Roman Palestine to late antique Babylonia. From another angle, Saadia’s recipe shows us a different view of gaonic food culture: the technique, ingredients, and vocabulary that Saadia employs all highlight the similarity of his recipe to the courtly culture of ‘Abbasid Baghdad, the metropolitan center to which the gaonic academy had moved some decades earlier.
Influence of Courtly Cuisine
Robert Brody writes that this relocation “increased exposure to current intellectual trends,” and it seems the same was true for culinary trends as well. The food of the ‘Abbasid court was refined and sophisticated, creating, in one scholar’s assessment, “a shared and a lasting cuisine that traveled westwards as far as Sicily and the Iberian Peninsula, and eastwards as far as India.”
Impact on Jewish Communities
It is likely that this influence led to changes in the food ways of the Jewish communities living under ‘Abbasid rule, especially for those Jews who had significant interactions with the court. Starting in the early tenth century, Jewish financiers lent money to ‘Abbasid viziers, presented petitions from Jews to the caliph, and interceded between the geonim and the state during intracommunal conflicts; all these activities would have given them ample opportunity to encounter ‘Abbasid feasting customs and relay them to gaonic scholars.
Reflections on Culinary Practices
Some of his Jewish administrators might well have seen (or even enjoyed!) a meal of this sort and taken note of its dishes. One of the features of courtly meals was an array of cold appetizers (barawid) served before the main dishes, including fish, meat, and vegetables, accompanied by dipping sauces called ṣibaghat.
Comparison with Other Culinary Practices
As with their Babylonian, Graeco-Roman, and talmudic predecessors, ṣibaghat were believed to help with digestion and were essential in balancing the properties of the meal, as dictated by Galenic theories of the humors.
Exploring Saadia's Recipe
Saadia’s haroset is a close match to the ṣibaghat described in the Kitab al-ṭabikh (The book of dishes) of Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq (fl. ca. 950 C.E.), which include pounded sweet-and-sour mixtures of herbs, vinegar, dried fruit (especially raisins and figs), nuts, and a fermented condiment that alWarraq calls murri.
Interpretations and Traditions
While a sauce of dates and nuts and/or sesame is not attested in al-Warraq’s cookbook, we do know of this combination from another source: recommends that sesame tahini be eaten mixed “with honey or date syrup” to aid in digestion. This combination, which yields a thick sweet paste, is popular to this day in Iraq and the Gulf States.
Social Dynamics in Food Preparation
Saadia’s brief recipe leaves much unsaid. We don’t know, for example, who is ultimately responsible for all the shopping, preparing, and table setting that he instructs for his assumed male reader. Although men often took specific responsibility for the preparation of haroset, we should also consider the significance that women held in managing the Passover kitchen.
Considerations of Class
Another social aspect of foodways to consider is the function of class, highlighted by comparing Saadia’s ḥaliq to the ṣibaghat described in al-Warraq. We might imagine different variations of ḥaliq prepared in higher- and lower-class households in the gaonic period, more or less elaborate based on the availability of ingredients.
Cultural and Historical Continuity
In Saadia’s use of the Aramaic term ḥaliq, not to mention the gaonic codification of Passover rituals generally, we see the continuing legacy of talmudic authority and the Graeco-Roman context of late antique Judaism. In his use of the Arabic term ṣibagh, and his description of ingredients and preparation, we can trace the influence of the courtly culture of ‘Abbasid Baghdad. Saadia’s recipe, as brief as it is, is a window into the gaonic world and the growing development of rabbinic Judaism in the realm of Islam.
About the Author
Noam Sienna, a scholar of Jewish culture and educator, holds a PhD in Jewish History and Museum Studies from the University of Minnesota (2020). With expertise spanning Jewish communities in the Islamic world, his forthcoming monograph, "Jewish Books in North Africa," delves into Maghreb's Jewish book culture (17th-19th centuries). Sienna's diverse roles include research assistantships, educational consulting, and curatorial work for renowned institutions. His acclaimed book, "A Rainbow Thread," offers 120 primary sources on LGBTQ Jewish history and received prestigious awards. Currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, he imparts knowledge on Jewish cultural heritage worldwide.
I hope you enjoyed delving into the rich tapestry of Jewish food history as much as I did. Exploring Saadia Gaon's haroset recipe not only provides insight into the cultural fusion of Jewish and Arabic influences during the 'Abbasid period but also offers a glimpse into the social dynamics and culinary practices of the time. Food, beyond its sustenance, carries stories of tradition, adaptation, and continuity. If you have a nourishing tale or idea to share with our community, whether it's a recipe or a reflection on the intersection of culture and food, please reach out to me at kenden@jewishfoodhero.com.
Am Yisrael Chai 🔯
Kenden