Barley Kykeon with Herbs
A thick drink of toasted barley mixed with water, flavored with grated goat cheese and fresh herbs. Halfway between beverage and soup, it was the daily comfort of the Greeks, already mentioned by Homer.
A thick drink of toasted barley mixed with water, flavored with grated goat cheese and fresh herbs. Halfway between beverage and soup, it was the daily comfort of the Greeks, already mentioned by Homer.
Before I bend over the arguments of a long day, I mix toasted barley in cool water, grate a little goat cheese, and toss in herbs from the garden. Drink it slowly, stirring—kykeon means 'what is mixed.' It does not intoxicate like pure wine; it restores: and a well-restored mind judges pleasure better than one that is dazed.
- •Toasted barley flour (alphita) — two spoonfuls (nourishing base)
- •Cool water — a bowl (liquid)
- •Grated goat cheese — a handful (richness and acidity)
- •Fresh herbs (mint, thyme, pennyroyal) — a few sprigs (aroma)
- •Honey — to taste (optional) (sweetness)
Barley Kykeon with Herbs
A thick drink of toasted barley mixed with water, flavored with grated goat cheese and fresh herbs. Halfway between beverage and soup, it was the daily comfort of the Greeks, already mentioned by Homer.
Why this dish? Kykeon was the restorative drink of the Greeks: drunk to regain strength, like in the morning before study. For a school that scrutinized bodily pleasures, this simple mixture of barley and cheese, warming without weighing down, was a drink for the worker of the mind.
Before I bend over the arguments of a long day, I mix toasted barley in cool water, grate a little goat cheese, and toss in herbs from the garden. Drink it slowly, stirring—kykeon means 'what is mixed.' It does not intoxicate like pure wine; it restores: and a well-restored mind judges pleasure better than one that is dazed.
Ingredients (period version)
- Toasted barley flour (alphita) — two spoonfuls (nourishing base)
- Cool water — a bowl (liquid)
- Grated goat cheese — a handful (richness and acidity)
- Fresh herbs (mint, thyme, pennyroyal) — a few sprigs (aroma)
- Honey — to taste (optional) (sweetness)
Ingredients
- Toasted barley flour (or blended and toasted barley flakes) — 2 tbsp (base)
- Cool water — 250 ml (liquid)
- Fresh goat cheese or crumbled feta — 40 g (richness and acidity)
- Fresh mint and thyme — a few leaves (aroma)
- Honey — 1 tsp (optional) (sweetness)
Method
- Mix the toasted barley flour into the cool water, whisking to avoid lumps.
- Stir in the grated or crumbled cheese and mix until it partially melts and thickens the mixture.
- Add finely chopped herbs and, if desired, a drizzle of honey.
- Serve immediately, drinking from a wide bowl, stirring with each sip as the barley settles.
How it was made : Kykeon appears already in the Iliad and Odyssey: Circe prepares one (with drugs) and Nestor serves one with cheese and wine. A popular and ritual drink (it played a role in the Eleusinian Mysteries), it was made with water or wine depending on the use.
The contemporary twist : Serve it chilled as an 'ancient smoothie' in summer: toasted barley, fresh goat cheese, and mint blended very cold—the little-known ancestor of herbed ayran.
Sources : Homer, Iliad (Book XI, Nestor's kykeon) and Odyssey (Book X, Circe) · Andrew Dalby, Food in the Ancient World from A to Z (2003), entry 'kykeon'
Arete of Cyrene · Charactorium