Onions, Garlic and Cucumber with Cumin — the Bite that Drives Away the Serpent
A raw and crunchy mix of sweet onions, garlic, cucumber and herbs, seasoned with cumin and coriander — the amulet salad of the common folk, lively and protective.
A raw and crunchy mix of sweet onions, garlic, cucumber and herbs, seasoned with cumin and coriander — the amulet salad of the common folk, lively and protective.
You rub your thresholds with onion and chew acrid garlic believing to keep me at bay, sons of the black earth. Bite on, make your eyes water! No clove, no bulb closes the throat of chaos. But I grant you, stubborn little humans: as long as you bite, sting and weep with life, you resist me one more night. It is little. It is all you have.
- •Sweet onions — several (base, protective)
- •Fresh garlic — a few cloves (pungent, protective)
- •Nile cucumber — one or two (freshness, crunch)
- •Cumin and coriander seeds — a pinch each (signature spices)
- •Linseed or sesame oil, vinegar — a drizzle (dressing)
- •Salt — to taste (flavor)
Onions, Garlic and Cucumber with Cumin — the Bite that Drives Away the Serpent
A raw and crunchy mix of sweet onions, garlic, cucumber and herbs, seasoned with cumin and coriander — the amulet salad of the common folk, lively and protective.
Why this dish? Onion and garlic, ubiquitous in Egyptian diet, were considered protective: they were placed in tombs and believed to ward off snakes and evil forces. Against Apep, the embodiment of reptilian darkness, this pungent and invigorating dish is a popular protective gesture — cooking as amulet.
You rub your thresholds with onion and chew acrid garlic believing to keep me at bay, sons of the black earth. Bite on, make your eyes water! No clove, no bulb closes the throat of chaos. But I grant you, stubborn little humans: as long as you bite, sting and weep with life, you resist me one more night. It is little. It is all you have.
Ingredients (period version)
- Sweet onions — several (base, protective)
- Fresh garlic — a few cloves (pungent, protective)
- Nile cucumber — one or two (freshness, crunch)
- Cumin and coriander seeds — a pinch each (signature spices)
- Linseed or sesame oil, vinegar — a drizzle (dressing)
- Salt — to taste (flavor)
Ingredients
- Spring onions or sweet red onions — 2 (base)
- Garlic — 1-2 cloves, minced (pungent)
- Cucumber — 1 (freshness)
- Ground cumin — 1 tsp (spice)
- Coriander (ground seeds + fresh leaves) — 1 tsp + 1 handful (spice and herb)
- Sesame oil + wine vinegar — 3 tbsp + 1 tbsp (dressing)
- Salt — to taste (flavor)
Method
- Thinly slice onions, salt and let sit 10 min then rinse to mellow the bite.
- Cut cucumber into half-moons, chop garlic and fresh coriander.
- Briefly toast cumin and coriander seeds dry, then crush.
- Mix everything, dress with oil, vinegar and salt; let rest 15 min.
- Serve fresh, alongside an emmer flatbread.
How it was made : Onion, garlic, leek, cucumber and lettuce formed the everyday vegetables of Egypt. Cumin, coriander and fenugreek flavored dishes. The 'protective' significance of garlic and onion is documented by their presence in burials and certain medico-magical texts. (No chili or bell pepper: New World products, absent before 1492.)
The contemporary twist : A swirl of plain yogurt and a few grilled onion petals turn this amulet salad into a fresh contemporary meze.
Sources : William J. Darby et al., Food: The Gift of Osiris (1977) · Pliny the Elder, Natural History (on Egyptian onion and garlic)
Apep · Charactorium