flipFig and date preserve with sesame
Fig and date preserve with sesame
Why this dish? In the land of Asherah, figs and dates were sun-dried to last through the dry season and for travel. Pressed into dense cakes, these fruits kept for months—a humble provision also offered as a portion to the goddess, near her sacred tree and terracotta figurines.
Dried figs and dates, chopped and kneaded into a dense paste with a little wine vinegar and sesame, then pressed into a firm cake. A sweet-and-sour preserve that can be sliced like fruit paste.
When summer burns the hills and nothing grows, it is the reserve that saves the house. We spread figs and dates on the rooftops, the sun candies them; then we crush them, press them into loaves, roll them in sesame. A drop of vinegar, and they keep until the rains. I love this portion of fruit placed near my tree: it says the household has provided, and does not forget the sky.
- •Dried figs — two handfuls (base)
- •Dried dates — two handfuls (sweetness and binder)
- •Toasted sesame seeds — a handful (coating)
- •Wine vinegar — a few drops (preservation and acidity)
- •Olive oil — a drizzle (pliability)
Fig and date preserve with sesame
Dried figs and dates, chopped and kneaded into a dense paste with a little wine vinegar and sesame, then pressed into a firm cake. A sweet-and-sour preserve that can be sliced like fruit paste.
Why this dish? In the land of Asherah, figs and dates were sun-dried to last through the dry season and for travel. Pressed into dense cakes, these fruits kept for months—a humble provision also offered as a portion to the goddess, near her sacred tree and terracotta figurines.
When summer burns the hills and nothing grows, it is the reserve that saves the house. We spread figs and dates on the rooftops, the sun candies them; then we crush them, press them into loaves, roll them in sesame. A drop of vinegar, and they keep until the rains. I love this portion of fruit placed near my tree: it says the household has provided, and does not forget the sky.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried figs — two handfuls (base)
- Dried dates — two handfuls (sweetness and binder)
- Toasted sesame seeds — a handful (coating)
- Wine vinegar — a few drops (preservation and acidity)
- Olive oil — a drizzle (pliability)
Ingredients
- Dried figs — 200 g (base)
- Pitted dates — 150 g (sweetness and binder)
- Sesame seeds — 4 tbsp (coating)
- Wine vinegar — 1 tsp (acidity and preservation)
- Olive oil — 1 tsp (pliability)
- Grated untreated zest (optional) — a little (freshness (modern option))
Method
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until golden, then set aside.
- Roughly chop the figs and dates, removing hard stems.
- Blend or pound the fruits with vinegar and oil until a thick, sticky paste forms.
- Shape into a cake or small tightly packed cylinders.
- Roll in toasted sesame to coat completely.
- Let air-dry for a few hours; store in a cloth or airtight container in a cool, dry place.
How it was made : Sun-drying was the main preservation technique in the ancient Near East, lacking refined sugar and refrigeration. Figs and dates pressed into 'loaves' (mentioned in the Bible as cakes of figs) were travel and famine provisions, energy-rich and nearly imperishable.
The contemporary twist : Slice thinly and serve with fresh goat cheese and a drizzle of olive oil: the sweet-sour tension against creamy saltiness makes a perfect Levantine snack.
Asherah · Charactorium
