flipEmmer bread beer (henket)
Emmer bread beer (henket)
Why this dish? Beer was the daily drink of all Egypt, the wage of workers and the offering of temples. The breweries of Malkata supplied the court of Amenhotep III; a thick, nourishing beer, halfway between drink and food.
A cloudy, sweet-sour beer, brewed from crumbled emmer bread and germinated grains, barely alcoholic. It was drunk through a straw to avoid the sediment.
Do you think the dazzling Sun drinks only the wine of the oases? Beer, henket, flows freely at my table as in the potter's hut. My brewers crumble the bread into water, let the grain awaken, and the vat froths like the silt of Hapi. Drink it through a reed straw, thick and sweet-tart: it quenches, it nourishes, it gladdens the heart of god and man alike. It is the blood of barley.
- •Underbaked emmer bread — several loaves (sweet base)
- •Germinated barley grains (malt) — one measure (fermentation)
- •Nile water — to fill the vat (liquid)
- •Dates — a handful (sweetness and wild yeast)
Emmer bread beer (henket)
A cloudy, sweet-sour beer, brewed from crumbled emmer bread and germinated grains, barely alcoholic. It was drunk through a straw to avoid the sediment.
Why this dish? Beer was the daily drink of all Egypt, the wage of workers and the offering of temples. The breweries of Malkata supplied the court of Amenhotep III; a thick, nourishing beer, halfway between drink and food.
Do you think the dazzling Sun drinks only the wine of the oases? Beer, henket, flows freely at my table as in the potter's hut. My brewers crumble the bread into water, let the grain awaken, and the vat froths like the silt of Hapi. Drink it through a reed straw, thick and sweet-tart: it quenches, it nourishes, it gladdens the heart of god and man alike. It is the blood of barley.
Ingredients (period version)
- Underbaked emmer bread — several loaves (sweet base)
- Germinated barley grains (malt) — one measure (fermentation)
- Nile water — to fill the vat (liquid)
- Dates — a handful (sweetness and wild yeast)
Ingredients
- Slightly baked spelt bread, crumbled — 300 g (sweet base)
- Crushed barley malt (or dried germinated barley) — 150 g (fermentation)
- Non-chlorinated warm water — 2 litres (liquid)
- Chopped dates — 5 (sweetness and starter)
- Brewer's yeast (modern safety) — a pinch (controlled fermentation)
Method
- Crumble the bread into warm water, add the crushed malt and chopped dates.
- Mix into a thick porridge, cover with a cloth and leave at room temperature.
- Add a pinch of yeast (modern food safety) and let ferment for 3 to 4 days, stirring daily.
- Strain through a clean cloth to remove sediment.
- Serve cold, cloudy, with a straw — and consume within 2-3 days (live beer, low alcohol).
How it was made : Egyptians brewed without hops: they started with underbaked emmer bread, crumbled into water with germinated grain, fermented by wild yeasts. The result was cloudy and nourishing, drunk through a straw to avoid the dregs. Brewery residues have been excavated at Hierakonpolis and elsewhere.
The contemporary twist : Serve it in a stoneware jar with a reed straw and a fig slice for a 'Theban banquet' mise-en-scène.
Amenhotep III · Charactorium
