Leo Africanus by Amin Maalouf

Leo is a fictional autobiography of a very real man of the same name (See Wikipedia entry) and while I'm not enchanted by it...  I hope that I am informed.  Specifically, there's a fun item early on about nuts.

Countless little dishes were pressed upon the guests, almonds, pine kernels and nuts, dried and fresh fruits, artichokes and beans, pastries and preserves; it was not clear whether this was to satisfy hunger or to intensify thirst.  I learned much later, in the course of my long sojourn in Rome, that this habit of nibbling while becoming intoxicated was already common among the ancient Romans, who called these dishes 'nucleus'; was it perhaps for that reason that in Granada such dishes were known as 'nukl'?  (Maalouf 16-17)

 So...  Is Maalouf on it and honest or...  Is he an author making a false etymology?  I can find no evidence for either stance.  :\

Maalouf, Amin. Leo Africanus. Chicago: New Amsterdam Books, 1992. Print.