flipCourt Tragémata: Figs, Walnuts and Honey with Cinnamon
Court Tragémata: Figs, Walnuts and Honey with Cinnamon
Why this dish? The sympósion, the second part of the Greek meal, was at the Seleucid court the moment of hushed politics and shared wine. There they served tragémata — small sweets of dried fruits and honey — which accompanied the king's cups. Antiochus, a cultured and shrewd politician, forged alliances and confidences there.
Dried figs and walnuts bound with warm honey, rolled in cinnamon and sesame: the wine treat that calls for another cup and loosens tongues at the sympósion.
True power, my guest, is not decided on the battlefield but around the cup, when the deîpnon ends and the time for drinking comes. Taste these figs bound with honey and rolled in cinnamon — take them with your right hand, and drink your wine mixed with water, never pure like the barbarians. I watch you: a man reveals himself at the sympósion. It is by sharing these sweets that I have sealed more treaties than with my war elephants.
- •Dried figs — a generous handful (sweet base)
- •Walnuts (or almonds) — a handful (crunch)
- •Honey — enough to bind (sweet binder)
- •Cinnamon (cassia) — a pinch (perfume)
- •Sesame seeds — a handful (coating)
Court Tragémata: Figs, Walnuts and Honey with Cinnamon
Dried figs and walnuts bound with warm honey, rolled in cinnamon and sesame: the wine treat that calls for another cup and loosens tongues at the sympósion.
Why this dish? The sympósion, the second part of the Greek meal, was at the Seleucid court the moment of hushed politics and shared wine. There they served tragémata — small sweets of dried fruits and honey — which accompanied the king's cups. Antiochus, a cultured and shrewd politician, forged alliances and confidences there.
True power, my guest, is not decided on the battlefield but around the cup, when the deîpnon ends and the time for drinking comes. Taste these figs bound with honey and rolled in cinnamon — take them with your right hand, and drink your wine mixed with water, never pure like the barbarians. I watch you: a man reveals himself at the sympósion. It is by sharing these sweets that I have sealed more treaties than with my war elephants.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried figs — a generous handful (sweet base)
- Walnuts (or almonds) — a handful (crunch)
- Honey — enough to bind (sweet binder)
- Cinnamon (cassia) — a pinch (perfume)
- Sesame seeds — a handful (coating)
Ingredients
- Dried figs — 200 g (sweet base)
- Walnut halves (or almonds) — 80 g (crunch)
- Honey — 3 tbsp (binder)
- Ground cinnamon — 1 tsp (perfume)
- Sesame seeds — 4 tbsp (coating)
Method
- Dry-toast the sesame seeds until golden, then set aside.
- Coarsely chop the walnuts and dried figs.
- Warm the honey in a saucepan, add figs, walnuts and cinnamon; cook 2-3 minutes stirring to get a sticky mass.
- Let cool slightly, then form small balls or bite-sized pieces the size of a walnut.
- Roll each piece in the toasted sesame seeds.
- Let firm up in a cool place before serving, to nibble with a sweet wine or grape juice.
How it was made : The tragémata ("what one nibbles") closed the Greek meal and accompanied the drink during the sympósion. Figs, walnuts, almonds and honey formed its core, as refined cane sugar was unknown: all sweetness came from honey and dried fruits.
The contemporary twist : Arranged in small pyramids on a fig leaf, like a court offering, with a touch of edible gold leaf as a nod to the tetradrachm.
Antiochus III · Charactorium
