This rice dish is truly delicious and pairs perfectly with turkey and sauce. On the Christmas table of Peruvian families, there’s never enough sweet and savory dishes because that’s what Christmas is all about.
A little history
But, what is the history of this dish that is so loved by Peruvians? Its origins are scarce or confusing, but several sources trace the evolution of this dish and rice in the diet of Arab and Persian people.
Among at least a part of the Arab and Persian world, there seems to be a good number of dishes that use rice as a key ingredient.
How did this come to be, since most of the climate seems unsuitable for rice cultivation, or so we’ve heard?
Genetic evidence shows that rice was first domesticated in the Pearl River delta of China about 10,000 years ago. The two main modern varieties are Chinese rice and Oryza indica, which is mainly cultivated in India.
The use of rice
The 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 ethnolinguistic diffusion can be traced, for example, to Indian pulao, which has evolved into dozens of varieties of pilaf from Afghanistan to Turkey, culminating in Spain’s paella.
Muslim empires like the Ottomans expanded rice use in Arab kitchens, though this is relatively recent.
It’s worth noting that, despite the popularity of rice dishes today in the Arab world, the per capita rice consumption isn’t actually very high.
People in countries like Syria, Egypt, or Lebanon consume around 12 kg per person per year, a number that has steadily increased as rice has become cheaper and more available.
Arabia and its rice
Rice is more common in parts of the Muslim world like Iran and Afghanistan, but these areas are closer to India. Arabs are on the periphery of rice consumption.
An interesting book on this topic is "Cooking and Empire" by Rachel Laudan.
If you’re interested in learning more about the origins of typical holiday dishes that have roots in Islamic countries, don’t hesitate to consult Laudan’s book.
