Mesopotamian Foods

Below list of foods found in ancient Mesopotamia.     Most of my information for this list comes from The Food Timeline's section on Mesopotamia and The Silk Road Gourmet, a blog about ancient and historical foods.   Some of these would be great for making and eating with kids, others are not as kid friendly...but I included all I found just to be thorough.

For those doing the Group VBS covering the story of the Daniel in Babylon, I've tried to include any details that might be relevant.  I believe all of these were all foods eaten during the Babylonian period (assuming the older recipes would still be around later).


MEALS & RECIPES

Everyday meals probably consisted of barley paste or barleycake, accompanied by onions or a handful of beans and washed down with barley ale, but the fish that swarmed in the rivers of Mesopotamia were a not-too-rare luxury.

- Food in History, Reay Tannahill 

I tried to make note of ones which were easier, or had more accessible ingredients...but included more complex dishes as well.  




MEAT DISHES

Lamb With Flatbread
This recipe was concocted based on what would have been available in the time of King Darius.  

Lamb with Barley and Mint (and other recipes)
This recipe (found  the end of the page...just scroll down) is the easiest of the meat recipes I've found.   Easy to find ingredients too.  Mint and lamb are both strong flavors many kids aren't used to, but some kids might still try this.   There are several other recipes also listed further up but they are straight out of ancient tablets without having been translated for the modern stovetop, so would take some experimenting. 

"Pigeon" (Cornish Hens) with Herbs
Moderately hard dish, but one I think kids might like, if they like un-breaded chicken (in fact, you could probably substitute chicken).   The ingredients don't seem hard to find, except asafetida which you could substitute with garlic and onion powder (more than the amount of asafetida called for, but I'm not sure how much more--asafetida is supposed to taste pretty potent).

Kofta
This is a Persian dish, so not one of the earliest Mesopotamian dishes (probably wasn't around in ancient Sumer or Ur)...but it may have been introduced when Cyrus the Great took over Babylon, and possibly could have been some of the fare on Darius' table (though it may have been introduced later).  The most likely candidate for the original meatball, kofta is a dish of minced or ground beef, chicken, pork, or lamb, mixed with rice, bulgur, or mashed lentils. Now typically fashioned into cigar-sized cylinders, kofta seems to have originated with the Persians, who passed it to the Arabs.

Lamb with Licorice and Juniper Berries
Neither lamb nor licorice are universally liked by children--both have rather strong tastes.  However, this seems like it's a little easier than some of the other meat dishes (less steps), although there's a few ingredients that might be tricky to find (especially juniper berries).  If you happen to have a Juniper bush or tree in your yard, please read this first before using any berries off it.   Some types of juniper "berries" (actually, small fleshy cones) are less edible than others, and none are good in large quantities (though used as a spice in small quantities others are perfectly safe).  Again, asafetida can probably be  substituted with garlic and onion powder (more than the amount of asafetida called for, but I'm not sure how much more--asafetida is supposed to taste pretty potent).    Oranges, limes or lemons can substitute for citrus.

Lamb with Licorice and Juniper Berries II
This one seems like it would take longer and be more complex than the similar recipe above, but has less unusual ingredients (save for the juniper berries).

Licorice Pork Tenderloin
Moderately hard dish.  Licorice is a strong taste, so many kids won't like this.   It contains some hard to find ingredients, but most of them can be substituted with commoner items  (they say asafetida tastes like garlic and onion, for instance)

Wildfowl Pie
This is a very complex recipe most kids probably wouldn't even try after all that work.   Has a few harder to find ingredients, mostly spices, which possibly could be left out or substituted. Cinnamon was an imported spice, so this would have be food for the well-off, not for the commoner.

Masgouf (Marinated Fish)
There is evidence that Masgouf, often considered the national dish of Iraq, was being cooked as early as 2700 BC in Mesopotamia.  It was a dish that would have been eaten by common workers, not just the upper class.  While today it's generally cooked with tomatoes (something they wouldn't have had), I found this recipe that does not include that.  Most of the ingredients are things they would have had.  They would not have had paprika, and they probably did not yet have black pepper (though pepper, which originates from India, had reached as far as Egypt by the time of Ramases II, who's mummy was found to have pepper stuffed in his nose).   

Meat Broth 

SOUPS AND STEWS

Babylonian Beef Stew

Mesopotamian Lamb Stew

Lamb and Carob Stew
Sounds yummy for soup lovers...but more steps than most soups/stews (and considerable time to make, which is pretty normal for soups).  Carob powder will be the hardest ingredient to find--the rest are not too unusual.


OTHER DISHES

Sasqu (Porridge with Dates) 
Scroll down to find this recipe.   Fairly simple to make, though date syrup, which can be omitted from the recipe, may be hard to find.    I think some kids would try this.  

Mersu with Cheese
Pretty easy recipe, similar to the cream cheese filled dates I listed in the deserts below, but more savory/spicy, less sweet (though the dates will provide some sweetness).   I haven't tried these so I'm not sure if kids would like them, but I do think kids would like the sweeter version, so it might be fun to have this too for contrast.   Labnah tastes almost identical to store bought cream cheese and so cream cheese can be substituted (though labnah is fun and not too hard to make).

Mashed Turnips and Herbs
Doesn't sound hard if you have a food processor, and the ingredients are easy to find, but I'm not sure how many kids would actually try this.   But on the other hand, this may well have one of the types of "vegetables" that Daniel would have been served, so it might be worth having just for that.

Roaster Barley and Herb Pilaf
Lots of steps to this, but I think at the end you'ld have something many kids would try and enjoy.   It contains a few strange ingredients, some of which can be substituted or omitted.   You could use garlic and onion powder for asafetida (more of it, but I'm not sure how much more, as asafetida is supposed to taste pretty potent).  "Blood" can be omitted, but it's inclusion in the recipe on a Babylonian tablet shows how hard it would have been for Jews like Daniel to keep the dietary restrictions of the Law while in Babylon, since even food that were primarily made of things that were permitted might be seasoned with things that weren't, like "blood." (Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 7:26).  


BREADS

Mesopotamian Wheat Bread
- Easy recipe kids would enjoy eating and making, with common ingredients.  To make this more accurate though, you'd need to use something less common (emmer wheat or spelt flour would be closest to what they had, or at least a whole wheat flour of some sort). 

Leavened Mesopotamian Bread - FROM SCRATCH
So, this isn't so much a recipe as a description of a trial of making leavened bread like they would have in Mesopotamia.   Someone familiar with making bread might be able to use this to make their own, but it would be daunting for a novice.  Still, if you are making an easier recipe using more modern ingredients, it might be a good idea to read this to get acquainted with the extra steps ancient Babylonians would have had to go through.


DESERTS

Cream Cheese Filled Dates
This is a simple recipe from a modern site, but it goes back to antiquity.   You could use pistachio nuts in stead of almonds for a more "Babylonian" feel (or no nuts, which many kids would prefer).     I can't speak for all kids, but I loved this as a kid (though the recipe we made at home involved rolling the cream cheese dates in sugar, in stead of adding honey to the cream cheese--but honey is more authentic).  

Pistacio Mersu

A simple recipe for Mersu with pistachios, and a lot of historical info to go with it.

Mersu Sweet Balls (with historical info)

These look delicious and not too difficult.

Mersu (2nd recipe - also with fun historical info)

Mersu (3rd recipe)

Dried Apricot Mersu

3 Date Deserts
Two of these seem pretty easy, and all of them sound delicious.  Ingredients are either easy to find or optional. 

Cheese Mersu
These date deserts are a little more authentic than the one above, but really, cream cheese is a fine substitute for labnah, though labnah is super fun.

Palace Cake
Scroll down to find this recipe.  Moderate difficulty.  Many kids would try and enjoy this.

Dried Fruit Compote
Scroll down to find this recipe. Doesn't sound too hard, but I think most kids would enjoy the dried fruit more than the compote made from them, so it might not be worth the trouble.

Cuneiform Gingerbread Tablets
Not authentic, at all, but you know what, these are just too fun not to include. 

CHEESE

Labneh
Labneh with Olive Oil
Labneh is a middle eastern cream cheese that may be close to what ancient Mesopotamians had.   It's extremely simple and easy to make...just takes a lot of time to drain.   Apart from being a little softer, it does taste very similar to store bought cream cheese though, so making it is more for the experience than the taste.


TOPPINGS/INGREDIENTS

Rose Water
This site shows how to make your own rose water several ways.   If you are using roses from your own garden, please make sure that they are organic roses only (no dangerous pesticides, including fertilizer that contains pesticides).  Rose water can also be found in some health stores.

Rose Water Syrup
So, I've noticed rose water in another Mesopotamian recipe, so I imagine the syrup might be just as old, and it sound really interesting.   I'm not sure what it would have gone on.   



MORE STRAIGHT FROM THE CUNEIFORM
Other than being translated to English, these recipes are just as the ancient Mesopotamian wrote them.   In other words, it may take some experimenting to figure out cooking times and other things that were left out....but if you enjoy that sort of thing, these links will give you something to play with:

Ancient Mesopotamia Cook-off Challenge
Some of these others have already attempted, and you will find those recipes above.

An Assyrian Banquet
Some of these also have been attempted and are listed above.

 Warriors swimming on inflated skins among fish.
"Over fifty different types [of fish] are mentioned in texts dating before 2300 BC,  although the number of types had diminished in Babylonian times"
--Food in History, Reay Tannahill

INGREDIENTS THEY USED
All of these were found on The Food Timeline's section on Mesopotamia unless specifically noted or linked to another site.


MEATS

Generally, meats were either dried, smoked, or salted for safekeeping, or they were cooked by roasting, boiling, broiling, or barbecuing.

- Handbook of Life in Ancient Mesopotamia, Stephen Bertman

Various fish (over 50 kinds)
Lamb (meat of a young sheep)
Mutton (meat of an adult sheep)
Pork
Beef and Veal
 -  Cattle were not usually slaughtered until the end of their working lives, so the meat would be more tough and stringy.
Ducks
Pigeons
Geese
Ducks
Deer
Gazelle

Fried-fish vendors...did a thriving trade in the narrow, winding streets of Ur. Onions, cucumbers, freshly grilled goat, mutton and pork (not yet taboo in the Near East) were to be had from other food stalls.

- Food in History, Reay Tannahill

DAIRY
Milk (from goats, cows, and sheep)
Cheese
Butter
Yogurt
Eggs (goose and duck)


GRAINS
Barley
 - Barley paste, barley cake, bread, grain soup
Emmer Wheat
 - Cakes, Bread
Millet



VEGETABLES/FUNGI
Legume Soups were a common dish
Chick peas
Lentils
Bean
Peas
Carob/Carob Seeds*
Onions
Garlic
Leek
Cucumber
Muskmelon (similar to cucumber)
Cress/Cress Seed
Mustard
Lettuce
Cabbage
Carrots
Radishes
Beets
Turnips
Truffles
Wild Tulip Bulbs -  Andahsu - (or possibly wild crocus or lily bulb)
    - NOT ALL TULIP BULBS ARE EDIBLE

*These were listed on The Silk Road Gourmet article Some Mesopotamian Ingredients Revealed


FRUITS & BERRIES
Fruits were often preserved in honey, and any fruit that could be dried was also dried to preserve it, as well as eaten fresh.
Dates
  - Most important fruit crop in Mesopotamia
Apple
Fig
Apricots
Peaches***
Cherries
Melons
Mulberries
Pears
Plumbs
Pomegranate
Quince
Citron** (can substitute orange, lime or lemon in recipes)
Juniper Berries*
Grape
 - Raisins
 - One source says that grapes were rarely used.

*These were listed on The Silk Road Gourmet article Some Mesopotamian Ingredients Revealed
**Mentioned in pork recipe on ancient mesopotamian tablet
***From DK Eyewitness Books:  Mesopotamia

SEEDS AND NUTS
Sesame Seeds
Pistacios
Walnuts



SPICES/SWEETENERS

King Merodach-Baladan II (721-710 BC) of Babylonia grew 64 different species of plants in his royal garden. He kept records on how to cultivate many spices and herbs such as cardamom, coriander, garlic, thyme, saffron, and turmeric. The religion of Babylonia involved an ancient medical god of the moon, who controlled medicinal plants. Potent parts of herbs were not allowed sun exposure and were harvested by moonlight.

- History of Spices:  McCormic Spice Institute

Asafetida**
Cardamon****
Coriander
Cress
Cilantro***
Cumin
Dill***
Fennel
Fenugreek
Garlic****
Leek
Licorice**
Marjoram
Mint
Mustard
Poppy****
Rosemary
Rue
Saffron
Sea salt*
Sesame****
Silphium****
Thyme
Turmeric****



**These were listed on The Silk Road Gourmet article Some Mesopotamian Ingredients Revealed
**Mentioned in pork recipe on ancient Mesopotamian tablet
***Mentioned as Mesopotamian food in recipe for Wildfowl Pie
****Mentioned in History of Spices:  McCormic Spice Institute and Tasty Bite and Cameo  (it was also used as a dye...see Tasty Bite).   This post has more info on dyes in Mesopotamia.



OILS
Sesame Oil****
Possibly Other Vegetable Oils

****Mentioned in History of Spices:  McCormic Spice Institute



SWEETENERS

Honey


ALCOHOL
Barley Beer
Wine? (One source said grapes were rarely used)

 

Ancient Egyptian Foods

Below are all types of food that the ancient Egyptians had that I could dig up.  Originally this was a list I made for a living history Vacation Bible School, but this list could be used for all sorts of other purposes.

I started out trying to limit this to the foods that would have been available in Egypt in the time of Joseph and Moses, but when these event occurred is highly debated among Biblical scholars and so really hard to nail down.   Also, sometimes I don't know when exactly a certain food/ingredient was used in Egypt, just that it was used at some point. 

NOTE ABOUT DATES:  We don't have definite dates for when Joseph and Moses lived, but since the story of Moses mentions chariots, which were not in Egypt until they were taken over by the Hyksos (in the 2nd Intermediate Period between the Middle and New Kingdom), we can limit it to, at earliest, Late Middle Kingdom, or some time after that, but most likely before 1000 BCE.   

FOR VBS VOLUNTEERS:  I've  included some things for historical interest that would not be feasible to use during VBS (don’t worry, I’m not suggesting serving wine or beer, or trying to hunt down papyrus root, which besides being hard to find is now endangered).  



RECIPES

Egyptian Bread and Tigernut Cone Sweets
This is similar to the other tigernut recipes below, but they model the Egyptian method of making them, based off of depictions in Egyptian murals, not just the recipe.

"Tigernut" Sweets   (Includes Walnuts - introduced in Greco-Roman Times)
"Tigernut" Sweets II  (Includes Walnuts - introduced in Greco-Roman Times)

Horchata With Actual Tigernuts  
This also includes a recipe for beer in the beginning.   The Horchata recipe is down below.  Tigernuts are sold now as a health food in some stores so it might be possible to get them to make this recipe. 

Tigernut Honey Cakes

Egyptian Palace Cake 

Egyptian Marshmallow   
While no recipe for this exists, we know they had marshmallow plant and used it.  This is a possible recipe made with ingredients they would have had.   This is not modern marshmallows.

White Lotus Cakes   
Calls for actual lotus seeds, so this one might be harder to find, but would be a cool treat if you could find them. 

Egyptian Bread (Modern Adaption - with historical info) 
Very simple bread recipe. Article includes some other ancient recipes. 

Egyptian Beer Bread (made like Egyptians made it)
Scroll to the end to find recipe.   Beer bakes out.  Lots of good info on Egyptian baking above.

How to Eat Like and Egyptian Pyramid Builder
This includes several simple recipes that were probably eaten by the workers on the pyramids:  flat bread, lentil soup, salted tilapia, and stewed lamb.

Ta'amia/Falafel (Bean Cakes)
While its origins are disputed, some claim this dates back to the pharonic era of ancient Egypt.   Falafel today is usually made from chickpeas but in ancient Egypt it would have been made from beans.

Tilapia Soup

Watermelon Seed Recipe
I read that Egyptians originally cultivated watermelons for their seeds, not to eat the flesh--an indication that early on they weren’t sweet like today, though around the time of Joseph it seems they may have cultivated a more palatable, if not totally sweet, variety.  While we don’t know for certain how they ate the seeds, I found this simple recipe which seems like something they might have done (it’s a middle Eastern recipe with ingredients they had then).  You de-seed watermelon served as a snack, and then later use the seeds to make this.  (Another version here doesn't mention drying seeds as long)

Dukkah Spice Blend
Ancient spice mixture that can be used to season meat, mixed with hummus, or used as a dip for bread.  (Scroll Down on Page for Recipe)

Pickles
The Egyptians made pickles by soaking cucumbers in vinegar, and mixing in spices to flavor them (kids could have fun making their own pickles with combinations of spices Egyptians had, listed further down on this page.)  (11)

Goose with Pomegranate Sauce - Not a dish we knew they made, but a dish with foods we knew they had and ate, so a possible recipe for sure. 

A Meal With Cleopatra
This contains four recipes.   The bread would have been something available at all times in Ancient Egypt.  The rest were intentionally supposed to represent the foods that would have been available at the time of Cleopatra, long after the Greeks had taken over Egypt, and when Rome had taken over what we now think of as Greece...so these recipes have Greek and Roman touches.   While the Greek and Roman influences on Egypt came long after Joseph would have been in Egypt, I think the Mersu with pistachio would be an interesting choice for the time of Joseph, since the Bible records that Joseph's brothers brought him gifts of pistachios (not a native Egyptian plant) on their second trip to Egypt (Gen 43:11), and this is a way that they could have been used in Egyptian cuisine. 

  





WHAT INGREDIENTS/FOODS THEY HAD
You can use the ingredients below to find food for snacking or imagine other recipes they could have made. Remember that while they had a wide variety of foods available, they couldn't use them all at once because some things would only be available in certain seasons (you can find more info on seasonality at the bottom of this page).


BREADS AND GRAIN

• Bread (a main staple of the Egyptian Diet)
• They used emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum) and six-row barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. Hexastichum) (1)
• Bread was made from flour ground on grinding stones and mixed with water that was then kneaded and left to rise. The dough could be shaped in a flat loaf or baked in ceramic molds. (1)

Egyptians had trouble keeping sand out of their bread...we know this because of the way the bread they ate wore down their teeth.  (12)

DRINKS (5)

• Milk (from sheep, goat and cow)
• Water
• Beer (a main staple of diet)
• Wine (mostly from grapes, but also from pomegranate, grapes, and other fruit)
• Juices

MEAT (1)

• Cattle
• Chicken - used after Persian times, uncertain before that
• Duck
• Fish - primary source of meat for most Egyptians (included Nile perch, catfish, and mullets)
• Geese
• Goats
• Pigs
• Sheep
• Wild animals were hunted, mainly from the desert, and included wild cattle, addax, antelope, hartebeest, gazelle, ibex, Barbary sheep, oryx, and ostriches.  Wild birds were also hunted.  Hippo and crocodile were hunted mainly because they were dangerous. "In pharaonic times many of these desert fauna were hunted for sport by royalty and nobles; hunting dogs similar to the greyhound were used for this." (1)

DAIRY PRODUCTS (5,6)

• Eggs
• Cheeses
• Yogurt
• Butter (clarified, resembling oil...probably because of the heat).

VEGETABLES (1)

• Carob (Introduced in Middle Kingdom, used as a sweetener)
• Celery - Introduced during the 18th Dynasty (early New Kingdom), eaten raw, and used to flavor stews. (9)
• Cucumber (introduced in New Kingdom) (9)
• Chickpeas (introduced in New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty) (9)
• Cress (seeds used as flavoring, so possible that plant used like lettuce as well)(9)
• Garlic
• Fava Beans
• Lima Beans
• Leek
• Lentils
• Lettuce - Its leaves were eaten whole, dipped in oil and salt (4)
• Lotus Tuber (Arum colocasia)
• Mallow (4)
• Onions
• Peas
• Papyrus Tuber -”...they pull up from the fens the papyrus which grows every  year, and the upper parts of it they cut off and turn to other uses,  but that which is left below for about a cubit in length they eat or  sell: and those who desire to have the papyrus at its very best bake it  in an oven heated red-hot, and then eat it.”  Herodotus, Histories II, 2.92  (4) -
• Raddish - white/pink (introduced in Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty)(9)
• Tigernut (a root crop, not actually a nut - sometimes sold now as a health food ) (3)

FRUITS (1)

• Carob Trees - More common in new kingdom (1)
• Dates and Date Palm

- Imported plant...not sure when imported. (1)
- Plentiful after hand pollination was practiced...not sure when that was

• Dom/Doum Palm (native plant with brown fruit) (1)
• Figs (common fig and sycomore fig)
• Grapes and Raisins
• Olives (rare) -there’s evidence of olives, though olive trees don't grow well in the southern part of the country - olive oil was a luxury item so probably olives were too.    (1)
• Persea
• Pomegranate - more common in New Kingdom, though still a luxury item (9)
• Watermelon (2)  - probably was not as sweet as watermelon today.
• Black Mulberry (introduced in New Kingdom)
• Wild Zizyphus berries
• Apricot (imported, only used by wealthy) 
 

 

NUTS/SEEDS

• Sesame
• Watermelon Seeds
• Lotus Seeds
• Celery Seeds (introduced in early New Kingdom,  incorporated in sauces for grilled fish) (9)
• Almonds (New Kingdom on, rare, imported from Persia and Armenia) (5)
• Pistacio (not native - it was available but rare, imported) (14-16)
• Various other seeds

The Bible tells how, when Joseph's brothers returned to Egypt the second time, their father told them to "Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds." (Gen 43:11)   These would have been valued, because myrrh, pistachio and almonds did not grow in Egypt (14-16). 

HERBS, SPICES (1)

• Anise (added to bread, flavored pork)(9)
• Celery Seeds
  
• Cinnamon (imported and only available to very rich, sometimes even used in mummification) (10)
• Coriander (available from the New Kingdom onward, added to bread, seasoned fish) 
• Cress Seeds
• Cumin (available from the New Kingdom on, used on flavored bread and fish)(9)*
• Dill (available from the New Kingdom on) (9)
• Fennel
• Fenugreek - was used as a spice and possibly after the seeds were removed the stems provided fodder for livestock.
• Garlic
• Lavender
  
• Majoram (9) 
• Mustar (possibly as early as Middle Kingdom) (9)
• Parsley (9)
• Rosemary (9)
• Thyme (9)
• Salt

*Cumin was associated with faithfulness, and so soldiers and merchants sometimes carried the seeds in their pockets to remind them of those waiting at home.   They also thought cumin could help digestion and settle the stomach. (10)


OTHER

• Olive Oil - an imported item common after the Hyksos (9)
• Seed and Nut Oils
• Celery Seed Oil (used as a food preservative in New Kingdom)(9)
• Other Oils
• Vinegar (8)
• Honey - produced in ceramic hives (1)

Honey was the primary sweetener, gathered with effort and used sparingly. It was associated with the gods, with preservation, and with ritual purity. Most Egyptians would have encountered honey only on special occasions.  (Donnie Dodson, Eats History)

 

SOURCES
1.  http://astromic.blogspot.com/2012/01/food-in-ancient-egypt.html

2.  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/08/150821-watermelon-fruit-history-agriculture/

3.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyperus_esculentus

4. http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/vegetables.htm

5. http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/drink.htm

6. http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/meat.htm

7. https://books.google.com/books?id=Vj7A9jJrZP0C&pg=PA632&lpg=PA632&dq=celery+egypt&source=bl&ots=zt20tgyJKt&sig=PQaNQatoZHYbNAP6AG5BTmFmCqE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiD58uW-orNAhUE7IMKHc31CvcQ6AEIQzAJ#v=onepage&q=plum&f=false

8. http://www.ancient-egypt-online.com/ancient-egyptian-food.html 

9. https://cowofgold.wikispaces.com/Ancient+Egyptian+Food

10. https://www.history.com/news/spices-of-life-in-ancient-egypt 

11. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ancient-Egypt-Reading-Comprehension-The-Nile-River-2613230

12. http://www.ethanholman.com/history/egypt/dailylife/breadmaking.htm

13. https://sourdoughstartersfall20.wordpress.ncsu.edu/2020/09/11/the-history-of-the-cucumber/

14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pistachio

15. https://www.pisti.it/en/pistachio-origins-and-varieties-in-the-world/

16. https://crewsproject.wordpress.com/2018/02/16/crews-display-pistachio-potsherd/

LINKING UP AT....

Throwback Thursday

A Meal In Galilee

According to Bible Lands and Cities, a typical meal in Galilee would consist of lentil soup and flatbread (usually barley bread). With this they might have had fresh fruits in season (grapes, melon, cantaloupe, figs, apricots, pomegranates, and olives) or dried fruit (dried apricots, figs, and pomegranates). They also might have cheese made from goats milk, and curdled milk (similar to yogurt) sweetened with honey. Meat was rarely eaten except on special occasions. The most common meat was probably dried fish. Other meats eaten included goat, lamb, chicken, geese, duck, pigeon, and quail. Beef was only eaten by the elite.

Here are some recipes you can use when recreating a Galilean meal:


Lentil Soup with Flatbread
(You will need to multiply this for a large group)

7 ounces red lentils

15g (1 tablespoon) rice

1 flat bread

1 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, sliced

Salt

Rinse the lentils and rice and put them in a saucepan. Cover lentils with water. Add salt and cumin. Bring to a boil and cook 1 hour.

Fry or grill the sliced onions until blackened. Scatter the onions on the soup and serve immediately.

Flatbread can be used with the soup in two ways:
1. Serve with soup for dipping, either toaster or untoasted.
2. Cut into bite sized pieces and toast, then sprinkle on soup right before serving.

From a recipe found at www.gods-cookbook.com, a website which no longer exists.   But I believe the recipe was a sample from the book God's Cook Book: Tracing the Culinary Traditions of the Levant*.

*(The link is an amazon link through which I can earn commission, which is donated to a charity of my choice.)

Rice was first introduced in Isreal by the Persions, and by the Roman period was a common food and major export.  

Barley Flatbread
This recipe makes 8 loaves. If participants are helping you make this bread, you can also get some barley seed or wheat kernels and have them grind it into flour between two rocks (or a flat rock and a stone rolling pin, which was somewhat like women in Galilee did). I suggest having them grind a small amount and add that to pre-ground store bought barley and wheat flour, since grinding enough to make an entire loaf could be time consuming.

1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup barley flour
1 cup wholewheat flour (or other whole grain)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Stir the yogurt until it is smooth, then stir in baking soda. The yogurt will froth. Combine salt, barly flour, and wholewheat flour (or alternative) in a large mixing bowl. Stir in yogurt yeast/water mixture. Knead for 10 minutes by hand.

Cover the bowl with saran wrap or wet towel and let rise for 1 to 1.5 hours in a warm place. It should doubled in size. Remove the dough from bowl and kneed on a breadboard. Divide into into 8 small balls. Flatten each ball into a 6″ circle. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.

Have cloth ready for pressing the dough and wrapping the finsihed loaves (something you won’t mind getting oil on). Coat a frypan with oil or cooking spray (olive oil would have been used in Galilee, but other oils work just as well). Place dough in the pan (how ever many will fit without touching…and a little room between). Press each circle of dough with the folded cloth to squeeze out air bubbles and prevent air pockets from forming. Cook 1.5 minutes, flip, and cook another minute more. When the bread is cooked the edges of the bread will look moist. Remove from pan and wrap in cloth to keep warm.

From a recipe found here. (Recipe modified to add 1st century details).

PRINTABLE: This coloring page from Bible Printables features women making flatbread.

In rural villages like Nazareth, women would often wake up 3 hours before dawn to grind grain.

Historical source for Rice Fact: Wikipedia:  ancient Israelite Cuisine.  Other sources sited in text.