Sweet date *henqet* beer
A cloudy, thick, low-alcohol beer made from fermented barley bread and sweetened with dates. Sweet, tangy, nourishing: it was as much a food as a drink, and the joyful heart of Bastet's festival.
A cloudy, thick, low-alcohol beer made from fermented barley bread and sweetened with dates. Sweet, tangy, nourishing: it was as much a food as a drink, and the joyful heart of Bastet's festival.
Ah, my festival of Bubastis! They come down by the thousands on boats, they clack the sistra, they sing until they lose their voice, and they drink my sweet *henqet* until their hearts dance. My brewers soak the barley bread, mix it with water and dates, and let the brew bubble on its own like a secret river. Drink, mortal, but drink in my honor: on that day, I want your joy more than your fear.
- •Half-baked barley bread — several loaves (source of sugars and yeasts)
- •Germinated barley grains (malt) — a measure (fermentable sugars)
- •Ripe dates — a good handful (sweetness and wild yeasts)
- •Water — to cover (maceration)
Sweet date *henqet* beer
A cloudy, thick, low-alcohol beer made from fermented barley bread and sweetened with dates. Sweet, tangy, nourishing: it was as much a food as a drink, and the joyful heart of Bastet's festival.
Why this dish? At the festivals of Bubastis, Herodotus recounts that more wine and beer were drunk than in the rest of the year. Beer was the quintessential liquid offering, poured before the goddess and drunk by the jubilant crowd.
Ah, my festival of Bubastis! They come down by the thousands on boats, they clack the sistra, they sing until they lose their voice, and they drink my sweet *henqet* until their hearts dance. My brewers soak the barley bread, mix it with water and dates, and let the brew bubble on its own like a secret river. Drink, mortal, but drink in my honor: on that day, I want your joy more than your fear.
Ingredients (period version)
- Half-baked barley bread — several loaves (source of sugars and yeasts)
- Germinated barley grains (malt) — a measure (fermentable sugars)
- Ripe dates — a good handful (sweetness and wild yeasts)
- Water — to cover (maceration)
Ingredients
- Crushed malted barley — 500 g (fermentable sugars)
- Stale whole-wheat bread — 200 g (starch and body)
- Pitted dates — 150 g (sweetness and yeasts)
- Water — 3 liters (maceration)
- Baker's yeast (optional) — 1 pinch (fermentation starter)
Method
- Heat the water to 65 °C, dissolve the malted barley and crumbled bread; keep warm for 2 hours to release sugars.
- Mash the dates and add to the mixture, then let cool to room temperature.
- Pour into a large jar, optionally add a pinch of yeast, cover with a cloth.
- Let ferment for 2 to 3 days at room temperature, stirring daily — it will foam and turn sour.
- Strain roughly through cheesecloth and serve cool, cloudy and thick.
- Note: low-alcohol drink — for children, stop fermentation at 12 hours to obtain a non-alcoholic sparkling date drink.
How it was made : Egyptian beer was made from barley bread and malt mixed together, fermented for a few days; it was cloudy, nourishing, and drunk by everyone, from workers to gods. It was sometimes sweetened with dates or honey. It was both the daily ration and the festival drink.
The contemporary twist : Served chilled in a terracotta cup with a date pinned to the rim, it is a cloudy "date ale" that surprises craft beer enthusiasts.
Sources : Herodotus, Histories, Book II, 60 · Samuel, D., Investigation of ancient Egyptian baking and brewing methods
Bastet · Charactorium
