flipDried Figs with Sesame and Honey for the Road
Dried Figs with Sesame and Honey for the Road
Why this dish? After her wedding, Andromeda left Ethiopia to follow Perseus to Mycenae, Tiryns, and Argos — a long journey by sea and land. Dried figs, energy-packed and easy to carry, were the ideal provisions for a Greek traveler.
Dried figs stuffed with toasted sesame and bound with honey, compact and nourishing. The sweetness that travels well, provisions for sailors and wayfarers.
When I left my father's land to follow Perseus to Argos, I had to bring supplies for the seas. I tell you: nothing beats dried figs. You open them, slip toasted sesame and a little honey inside, then press them together. They do not spoil, they satisfy, and their sweetness comforts the heart of one who leaves his homeland forever.
- •Dried figs — a generous handful (sweet base)
- •Toasted sesame seeds — a handful (filling and energy)
- •Honey — a dash (binder)
- •Fennel or anise seeds — a pinch (perfume (optional))
Dried Figs with Sesame and Honey for the Road
Dried figs stuffed with toasted sesame and bound with honey, compact and nourishing. The sweetness that travels well, provisions for sailors and wayfarers.
Why this dish? After her wedding, Andromeda left Ethiopia to follow Perseus to Mycenae, Tiryns, and Argos — a long journey by sea and land. Dried figs, energy-packed and easy to carry, were the ideal provisions for a Greek traveler.
When I left my father's land to follow Perseus to Argos, I had to bring supplies for the seas. I tell you: nothing beats dried figs. You open them, slip toasted sesame and a little honey inside, then press them together. They do not spoil, they satisfy, and their sweetness comforts the heart of one who leaves his homeland forever.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried figs — a generous handful (sweet base)
- Toasted sesame seeds — a handful (filling and energy)
- Honey — a dash (binder)
- Fennel or anise seeds — a pinch (perfume (optional))
Ingredients
- Soft dried figs — 250 g (base)
- Sesame seeds — 60 g (filling)
- Honey — 2 tbsp (binder)
- Fennel or anise seeds — 1/2 tsp (optional perfume)
- Chopped almonds or walnuts — 50 g (optional) (crunch)
Method
- Toast the sesame seeds dry until fragrant; add fennel in the last seconds if using.
- Slit each fig and fill with a little honey and sesame (and chopped nuts if desired).
- Roll the stuffed figs in the remaining sesame to coat.
- Press the figs tightly together in a container or roll into small compact logs.
- Let rest a few hours in a cool place: they hold together and keep for several days on the road.
How it was made : The fig was one of the most beloved and consumed fruits in Greece, fresh in season and dried for winter and travel. Paired with sesame and honey, it formed tragemata, well-attested end-of-meal sweets and energy provisions.
The contemporary twist : Rolled into small spherical bites dusted with sesame, 'Andromeda's Energy' style for hiking.
Sources : Athenaeus of Naucratis, The Deipnosophists (on figs and tragemata) · Andrew Dalby, Food in the Ancient World from A to Z (2003)
Andromeda · Charactorium
