Science in the Kitchen-September 2025: The Geography of Flavor: Ibn Battuta's Culinary Journey in the 14th Century

Abstract

In 1325, a young Moroccan scholar named Ibn Battuta set out from his hometown of Tangier with the singular intention of performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. What began as a sacred journey would transform into one of the most extraordinary adventures in human history, spanning three continents, covering over 120,000 kilometers, and spanning over forty countries. His travelogue, Rihla, is not merely a record of distant lands and exotic traditions; it is also a rich tapestry of the vibrant and spiritual atmosphere of medieval Islam. And at the heart of this tapestry lies something profoundly human: food. For Ibn Battuta, every meal was a story. A single dish could reveal the fertility of a river valley, the power of a sultan, the piety of a dervish, or the generosity of a stranger. His observations of food culture—its ingredients, rituals, hierarchies, and exchanges—offer us a rare window into the soul of 14th-century societies. More than just a traveler, Ibn Battuta was a culinary ethnographer, documenting how people ate, shared, and understood food not only for survival but also to express identity, faith, and belonging.