From dates and barley bread to honey and thareed, what did the Prophet Mohammed eat?
From dates and barley bread to honey and thareed, the foods the Prophet Mohammed is recorded as eating and favouring tell us as much about his modest character as they do about life in seventh-century Arabia. It was a time when people adapted to a harsh landscape through dates, grains, preserved meat and seasonal produce, turning what was available into dishes that also spoke of family,…
The Prophet Mohammed's dietary preferences provide insight into his humble character and the culinary traditions of seventh-century Arabia. Dishes like thareed, made from barley bread and broth, demonstrate how people adapted to a harsh landscape with available resources such as dates, grains, preserved meat and seasonal produce.
Thareed remains popular in Emirati and Iraqi cuisine, with variations like Emirati rigag bread and Iraqi tashreeb. Gourd and dried-meat broth, consumed by the Prophet in Madinah, are still used in regional stews like salona, a staple of Khaleeji cuisine. The Prophet's enjoyment of sweet foods and honey, as recalled by his wife Aisha, suggests a preference for simple, natural flavors.
Sidr honey, mentioned in Sahih Al Bukhari, is a historical possibility due to the presence of the tree in the Arabian Peninsula. Dates with fresh butter, a favorite of the Prophet, remain a common dessert in Arabian cooking, found in Saudi Arabia's hanini and Emirati Gerbou's date rengina. Rutab, summer dates, are also highlighted in an account of the Prophet eating them with cucumber-like faqous vegetable.
Barley bread, a regular part of the Prophet's diet, reflects the grain availability and modest circumstances of his household. Vinegar, used as a condiment with bread in Sahih Muslim, is still prevalent in regional pickling and preserving dishes. Finally, hais, a sweet dish served at the Prophet's marriage to Safiyya, combines dates, aqit, and clarified butter, echoing modern Arabian desserts like Emirati bathietha.
Written by urgent.news from The National Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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