Pomegranate, grapes, a blend of mint, coriander, cinnamon, and honey, and a dish made from aubergines were among the flavours featured at an event in Toledo this week, which aimed to recreate a traditional Andalusian iftar in the city, where, centuries ago, Spanish Muslims celebrated the holy month of Ramadan.
The goal of the iftar? To transport guests back in time to when breaking the fast was a common practice in Toledo and throughout the Iberian Peninsula, which was part of the Islamic world for over eight centuries.
After a guided tour of Toledo’s historical Muslim monuments, including the archway of King Al-Mamun and the Mosque of Las Tornerías, The New Arab gathered for a culinary experience beneath the walls of the Convent of Santa Isabel, near a 14th-century Moorish palace that still preserves plasterwork and wooden beams with Islamic motifs and Arabic calligraphy.
“This gastronomic experience brings the month of Ramadan closer to Spain, both through its present, with the participation of Muslims, and through its past, with historical immersion,” explained Aicha Fernández, the organiser of the iftar initiative, who was born in Toledo and is now the city’s only Muslim tour guide.
“It is a valuable opportunity to build bridges and promote the religious and cultural diversity that should always exist,” Aicha added.
Toledo, Tulaetula
Speaking about the history of Toledo, Aicha remarked that when thinking of Al-Andalus, cities like Granada and Córdoba often come to mind.
However, she pointed out that Toledo was one of the most significant cities of the Muslim era in the Iberian Peninsula, dating back to its conquest in 711.
Known in Arabic as ‘Tulaetula’, Toledo gained particular prominence during the Taifa period, when Spanish cities became independent Muslim kingdoms, and under King Al-Mamun, the city flourished as an intellectual and scientific centre, reaching the height of its knowledge and influence.
“We always take Alfonso X the Wise as a reference point, with the School of Translators in Toledo, for how he took all that knowledge, translated it into the Romance languages, and spread it across Europe. What is not explained is that Alfonso the Wise inherited a great library of knowledge that King Al-Mamun had consolidated and built,” Aisha continued.
In saying this, Aicha noted that during this time, Toledo, like other major cities of the Islamic caliphate such as Baghdad and Damascus, established ‘buyut al-hikmah,’ or houses of knowledge in English.
“What we know about Galileo, Aristotle, Plato, and Ptolemy is thanks to the work done during the Taifa period in Toledo, so imagine how important Toledo was at that time,” Aicha said with pride.
Building on this rich history, Toledo became one of the renowned ‘cities of the three religions’ — Islam, Judaism, and Christianity — a model of religious coexistence until its conquest by Alfonso VI in 1085. Even after that, the Muslim presence did not immediately disappear.
Aicha shared with The New Arab that she has historical accounts documenting the persecution of Muslims up until the 15th century, indicating that Spanish Muslims continued practising their faith in secrecy for centuries after the fall of the Taifa.
“As a Spanish Muslim, knowing the history of Tulaetula has helped me reconnect with my origins, strengthen my sense of belonging, stop ‘foreignising’ myself, and challenge the Islamophobic narratives that exist,” Aicha confessed.
In light of this, Aicha believes there is no better way to honour Spain’s Muslim past than by reviving its culinary heritage — such as through the recreation of a traditional Ramadan iftar.
From Alburaniya to Gazelle Horns
As Aicha stated, the Ramadan iftar banquet, curated by chef Said Taki Ajaoui, is based on a 12th-century culinary treatise written by the Andalusian intellectual Ibn Razīn al-Tujībī.
The book contains 428 recipes, showcasing the most exquisite dishes of Al-Andalus, and Aicha believes some of these may have been served during the first days of Ramadan.
Aubergine was one of the most commonly used ingredients at the time, followed closely by pumpkin. That’s why Aicha’s iftar featured ‘Alburaniya’, an aubergine stew with meat, as part of the meal.
This vegetable was so closely tied to Andalusian cuisine that it became associated with Muslims, and during the persecution by the Catholic Monarchs, they would identify Muslims by their use of aubergine in cooking.
“It is even mentioned in Don Quixote,” Aicha pointed out, referring to the literary classic. “Sancho tells Don Quixote that it is well known that the aubergine belongs to the Moors.”
A similar association occurred with coriander, which led to its decline in Spanish cuisine in the centuries that followed. However, Aicha and Said made sure to include it in one of the most significant dishes of the historical iftar: Toledo’s Almojábana.
These small bread balls, filled with cheese, herbs, and honey, are a well-known part of Toledo’s food history, with their origins tracing back to the Muslim era, and the name derived from the Arabic word ‘jubn’, meaning cheese, making Almojábana a popular street food across Al-Andalus, including in Toledo.
Other dishes at the iftar included a salad of cream cheese and figs, chicken with pistachios, and the traditional ‘Pastella’, still widely eaten across the Maghreb today.
“We had to think carefully and select the recipes that would best adapt to today’s palate, as there were many combinations that made sense at the time but would be considered awful today,” Aicha laughed.
For dessert, a Moroccan bakery provided traditional sweets, many of which appear in Ibn Razīn’s recipe book. The highlight was Kaab Al-Ghazal, or ‘Gazelle Horns’ — a pastry made from a flour-based dough filled with almond paste and flavoured with orange blossom water.
According to Aicha, this dessert disappeared from Spain after Muslims were forced to leave through various royal decrees after 1492, with many resettling in Morocco and Tunisia. However, it has since returned through Moroccan migration.
The fusion of flavours left many attendees wanting more, with several saying the guided tour and food experience was the perfect way to reconnect with the history of Al-Andalus, prompting Aicha to consider making it a monthly event.
‘Ramadan is a part of Spanish history’
Although attendees were delighted with the experience, around 80% were already Muslim, while the others, Aicha said, had an interest in Islamic history or came from intellectual backgrounds.
In mentioning this, she noted that the average Spaniard shows little interest in Spain’s Muslim past.
“They are reluctant to change the established narrative, and when you explain something new to them, they are resistant to believing it,” she added.
As reported in a 2017 study, 50% of Spaniards have a negative opinion of Muslims, while a 2020 report by the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia revealed that 82.8% of Muslims interviewed felt Islamophobia was either quite or very high in Spain.
Despite Toledo’s rich Muslim history, this period is often overlooked by most tour guides, and there are few dedicated sites in the city’s tourism offerings. In fact, a permanent exhibition on Al-Andalus plants was only recently introduced at the Museum of Santa Cruz.
“Things are still quite behind when it comes to the acceptance of Islam in Spain,” Aicha said. “Sometimes, people don’t take what I explain seriously because I am Muslim and assume that, as a result, I see Islam everywhere.”
Aicha added that some in the town even complained to the nuns for allowing the iftar event to take place in the convent, once an Andalusian palace.
Fortunately, the nuns of Santa Isabel ignored the criticism and chose to embrace not only the event but also Spain’s past, viewing this period as one that promoted interfaith understanding and, most importantly, reflected a time when different religions coexisted in Toledo.
Ultimately, while Aicha acknowledges that progress is slow, she believes that experiences like the Andalusian iftar can help change mindsets, especially as she sees that each edition has been fully booked and demand continues to grow.
“At the end of the day, Ramadan is part of Spanish history, whether one likes it or not.”
Bianca Carrera is a freelance writer and analyst specialising in Middle Eastern and North African politics and society. She has written for Al Jazeera, The New Arab, Al-Quds Al-Araby, EU Observer and others. She is based between Spain, Morocco and Egypt.
Follow her on X: @biancacarrera25
