This rice dish is truly delicious and pairs perfectly with turkey and sauce. On Peruvian families' Christmas tables, there are never enough sweet and savory dishes because that’s what Christmas is in a nutshell.
A bit of history
But, what is the story behind this dish that Peruvians enjoy so much? Its origins are scarce or confusing, but several sources shed light on the evolution of this dish and rice in the diets of Arab and Persian peoples.
Among at least one part of the Arab and Persian world, there seems to be a good number of dishes that use rice as a main ingredient.
How did this come to be, since most of the climate seems unsuitable for rice cultivation, and we haven’t heard of it being grown there?
Genetic tests show that rice was first domesticated in the Pearl River delta of China around 10,000 years ago. The two main varieties today are Chinese rice and Oryza indica, mainly cultivated in India.
The use of rice
The most widespread use of rice in Arab cuisine originates from the Mughal rulers of northern India, who adapted many rice dishes from northern India, Persianized them, and spread them to Central Asia and beyond.
This diffusion can be traced etymologically, for example, Indian pulao which has evolved into dozens of pilaf varieties from Afghanistan to Turkey, and even to Spain’s paella.
Muslim empires like the Ottomans extended rice into Arab cuisines, but this is relatively recent.
It’s worth noting that although many popular rice dishes exist today in the Arab world, their per capita rice consumption is not particularly high.
On average, people in Syria, Egypt, or Lebanon consume around 12 kg per person per year, a number that has steadily increased as rice has become more affordable and more available.
Arabia and its rice
Rice is more common in some parts of the Muslim world like Iran and Afghanistan, but these areas are closer to India. Arabs are more on the periphery of rice consumption.
An interesting book on this subject is "Kitchen and Empire" by Rachel Laudan.
If you’re interested in learning more about the origins of typical dishes during the Christmas season that have their roots in Islamic countries, don’t hesitate to consult Laudan’s book.
