Ibn Razīn al-Tujībī facts for kids

Ibn Razīn al-Tujībī was a smart scholar from the 1200s. He lived in a place called Al-Andalus, which was a Muslim part of Spain. He wrote one of only two cookbooks from that time that we still have today!

Who Was Ibn Razīn al-Tujībī?

Ibn Razīn al-Tujībī was born in 1227. His family was wealthy and full of scholars. They lived in a city called Murcia.

His Early Life and Travels

During Ibn Razīn's time, there was a period called the Reconquista. This was when Christian kingdoms in Spain were taking back land from Muslim rule. Because of this, many Muslim families, including Ibn Razīn's, had to leave their homes.

In 1247, his family moved to Béjaïa, which is now in Algeria. Later, by 1259, Ibn Razīn moved again to Tunis.

His Famous Cookbook

Ibn Razīn al-Tujībī wrote many books. But only one of them has survived until today. This special book is his cookbook!

The Cookbook's Name and Content

The cookbook's full name is Fiḍālat al-Khiwān fī Ṭayyibāt al-Ṭaʿām wa-l-Alwān. In English, this means Best of Delectable Foods and Dishes from al-Andalus and al-Maghrib. He wrote this book in Tunis around the year 1260.

The cookbook is full of recipes from his home, Al-Andalus. The food there was special because it had influences from Muslim, Christian, and Jewish cultures.

How the Cookbook Was Found

For a long time, people thought that no complete copy of Ibn Razīn's cookbook still existed. But in 2018, something amazing happened! A complete copy was found by accident at the British Library.

A person named Bink Hallum from the British Library asked a food historian, Nawal Nasrallah, to look at the book. Ms. Nasrallah quickly realized how important this discovery was. She has since translated the book into English, and it was published in 2021. Now, more people can learn about the delicious foods from Ibn Razīn's time!

See also

In Spanish: Ibn Razīn al-Tuŷībī para niños