How did Arabic words for foods and crops enter Spanish and Italian?

Arabic words for foods and crops entered Spanish and Italian primarily through the Arab world’s influence on Europe starting in the 8th century. Because the Arab world possessed superior agricultural and cultural skills during the early medieval period, they introduced many exotic plants and fruits to Europe, along with their names.1

These words entered the Romance languages via two distinct geographical routes, which often reveal the word's origin:1

• Spain: Words entering through Moorish Spain often feature the Arabic definite article al- coalesced with the root. Examples include the Spanish algodón (cotton) and alcachofa (artichoke).1
• Sicily: Words entering through Sicily typically lack this prefix. For instance, while Spanish uses algodón, Italian uses cotone (cotton), reflecting its Sicilian provenance.1

In some instances, the Iberian Peninsula adopted Arabic terms for crops where other languages preferred different origins. For example, the word for "rice" is arroz in Spanish and Portuguese (from Arabic), whereas Italian and French use riso and riz, respectively, which are derived from Greek.1