In ancient Egypt, meals were not thought of in terms of starter-main course-dessert, but around the *htep*, the offering that "appeases" the god. On the altar table, bread (*pesen*), beer (*henqet*), poultry, fish, vegetables, and fruits were stacked in a ritual order, as listed in the offering lists carved on the walls. What the goddess had "consumed" through sight and smell then descended to the priests and the people: the offering became a meal. The feast of Bubastis, however, overflowed this framework: it was the great annual popular festival where people ate, drank, and sang in honor of Bastet.

Two markers recur around Bastet: Nile fish, which is particularly associated with her, and honey, a sacred commodity and choice offering. Toasted sesame and fresh coriander also hallmark the cuisine of ancient Egypt.