Palathai, Pressed Fig Cakes for the Traveler
Dried figs crushed into compact cakes, sometimes rolled in sesame or fennel seeds. A concentrated sun, sweet and chewy, that keeps for months and fits in a satchel.
Dried figs crushed into compact cakes, sometimes rolled in sesame or fennel seeds. A concentrated sun, sweet and chewy, that keeps for months and fits in a satchel.
When I leave Samos for Alexandria, I do not load my bag with meats that rot. I press my figs ripened in the sun until they become cakes hard as wax, which I sprinkle with sesame. A single one suffices to sustain me a whole night of vigil, my eye glued to the course of the stars; and as I chew it slowly, I think that the Earth itself races around the Sun as surely as I walk southward.
- •Well-ripened sun-dried figs — a full basket (sweet base)
- •Sesame seeds — a handful (coating and flavor)
- •Fennel or anise seeds — a pinch (aroma)
- •Fig or laurel leaves — a few (storage wrapping)
Palathai, Pressed Fig Cakes for the Traveler
Dried figs crushed into compact cakes, sometimes rolled in sesame or fennel seeds. A concentrated sun, sweet and chewy, that keeps for months and fits in a satchel.
Why this dish? Aristarchus traveled between Samos, Athens, and great Alexandria. Pressed figs, sweet and imperishable, were the viaticum of the Greek traveler — and of the observer who kept late vigils under the stars.
When I leave Samos for Alexandria, I do not load my bag with meats that rot. I press my figs ripened in the sun until they become cakes hard as wax, which I sprinkle with sesame. A single one suffices to sustain me a whole night of vigil, my eye glued to the course of the stars; and as I chew it slowly, I think that the Earth itself races around the Sun as surely as I walk southward.
Ingredients (period version)
- Well-ripened sun-dried figs — a full basket (sweet base)
- Sesame seeds — a handful (coating and flavor)
- Fennel or anise seeds — a pinch (aroma)
- Fig or laurel leaves — a few (storage wrapping)
Ingredients
- Soft dried figs — 250 g (sweet base)
- Sesame seeds — 3 tbsp (coating and flavor)
- Fennel seeds — 1/2 tsp (aroma)
- Honey (optional) — 1 tsp (binder)
Method
- Toast the sesame seeds dry for a few minutes until golden.
- Remove the stems from the figs and chop them roughly.
- Crush them with a mortar (or pulse in a food processor) with the fennel seeds and, if needed, a little honey, until a sticky paste forms.
- Shape small flat compact cakes by hand.
- Roll them in the toasted sesame, then let them air-dry for a few hours. They keep for several weeks wrapped in cloth.
How it was made : Palathai, pressed fig cakes, were part of the basic provisions of the Greek world: food for sailors, soldiers, and travelers, rich in sugar and easy to store. They were wrapped in leaves and kept in jars for winter.
The contemporary twist : Cut them into diamonds and serve with fresh cheese as an "ancient energy bar," a nod to today's hiking snacks.
Sources : Andrew Dalby, Food in the Ancient World from A to Z · Athenaeus of Naucratis, The Deipnosophists (Book XIV)
Aristarchus · Charactorium