15. yüzyıl Osmanlı mutfağında baharat dili

Spices appeared as objects of desire in Ancient and Medieval Europe due to their medicinal benefits and their value as luxury goods. In the Middle Ages, European spice consumption reached its highest point in history and existing supply routes became unable to meet demand. This situation pushed the authorities to search for new supply systems, and this search resulted in the discovery of America. To understand the reflections of the desire for spices, which had such a great impact on world history, in the Ottoman Empire, the recipes in a 15th century Ottoman cooking manuscript called Kitâbü't-Tabîh written by one of the Ottoman physicians of the period, Shirvani is analyzed. The recipes of this cookbook are examined one by one in order to distinguish the spices used at that time. Dried coriander, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper and mastic are the most common ingredients used in the recipes. Camphor and musk are used in very few desserts. Unlike the original recipes translated in Shirvani's cookbook, the recipes added by the author contain a limited variety of spices. The fact that there is a limited variety of spices in the recipes added by Shirvani, leads us to the conclusion that the use of spices in 15th century Ottoman cuisine differs both from medieval Arab and European cuisines.