In the mythical times of Genesis, the nomadic shepherd knows neither appetizer nor dessert: he eats what the flock gives and what the hand gathers along the pastures. The meal revolves around milk in all its forms (fresh, curdled, dried), a barley bread baked on stone, wild herbs, and — rarely, during an offering — a little meat. They share directly from a cloth laid on the ground (the sofra), sitting near the fire, thanking Heaven for the firstfruits of the flock.

Before historical Mesopotamia, the shepherd preserves milk by letting it curdle in a goatskin bag: fermentation makes it tangy, digestible, and long-lasting. This sour milk is the thread running through Abel's entire table — drunk fresh, drained into cheese, or dried into balls for the road.