1966 WDEC - Arab Influence on Food

Two paragraphs in the 1966 Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery are devoted to thanking "the Arab world" for "much of our knowledge of such everyday foods as sugar, fruits, and spices."

The editors extol spices for their "role in making palatable the monotonous and often improperly preserved foods of the past," but claims that of all of the grains, fruits, vegetables and spices the most important was "sugar, which until then was almost completely unknown." They note that the word "sugar" traces its etymology to the Arabic. And then they move on.

No mention of any cuisine or cooking styles; nor are any recipes given.

(Post picture of people cooking liver kebabs in Tehran via Wikimedia)