Pressed Fig, Date, and Sesame Travel Cakes
Compact bars of figs, dates, and raisins bound with toasted flour, rolled in toasted sesame. They keep for days, fit in a pocket, and stave off hunger — the snack for the road.
Compact bars of figs, dates, and raisins bound with toasted flour, rolled in toasted sesame. They keep for days, fit in a pocket, and stave off hunger — the snack for the road.
You set out on the road and already grudge carrying your food? Do as I do, who travel the world's roads: press your fruits into a firm cake, roll it in toasted sesame, and you are fed for three days without having to cook or wait. Bite into it when hunger strikes, and continue on your way — or better, sit in the shade and do nothing at all. The best provision is the one you don't have to prepare twice.
- •Dried figs — two handfuls (sticky base)
- •Dates — a handful (sugar and binder)
- •Raisins — a handful (chew)
- •Almonds — a few, chopped (crunch)
- •Toasted sesame seeds — for coating (signature and preservation)
- •Toasted barley flour — a little (dry binder)
Pressed Fig, Date, and Sesame Travel Cakes
Compact bars of figs, dates, and raisins bound with toasted flour, rolled in toasted sesame. They keep for days, fit in a pocket, and stave off hunger — the snack for the road.
Why this dish? Belphegor is not a sedentary demon: he passes between Hell and the world of men to tempt them, an indefatigable traveler despite the laziness he inspires. These pressed fruit cakes, which keep and transport without care, are the ration of one who wants to feed his journey without stopping.
You set out on the road and already grudge carrying your food? Do as I do, who travel the world's roads: press your fruits into a firm cake, roll it in toasted sesame, and you are fed for three days without having to cook or wait. Bite into it when hunger strikes, and continue on your way — or better, sit in the shade and do nothing at all. The best provision is the one you don't have to prepare twice.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried figs — two handfuls (sticky base)
- Dates — a handful (sugar and binder)
- Raisins — a handful (chew)
- Almonds — a few, chopped (crunch)
- Toasted sesame seeds — for coating (signature and preservation)
- Toasted barley flour — a little (dry binder)
Ingredients
- Dried figs — 200 g (sticky base)
- Pitted dates — 100 g (sugar and binder)
- Raisins — 80 g (chew)
- Almonds — 60 g, chopped (crunch)
- Sesame seeds — 50 g, toasted (signature and coating)
- Toasted barley (or wheat) flour — 2 tbsp (dry binder)
Method
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until lightly colored; set aside. Briefly do the same with the flour.
- Roughly chop figs, dates, and raisins, then pulse them in a food processor into a thick, sticky paste.
- Mix in the chopped almonds and toasted flour to firm up.
- Shape into compact bars or cakes, pressing firmly by hand.
- Roll each piece in the toasted sesame seeds, then let air-dry for 1 to 2 hours. Store in a cloth or airtight container.
How it was made : Pressed fruit cakes were a classic travel and storage ration in the ancient Near East — the Bible even mentions "cakes of figs" (*debela*) offered as provisions. Drying and concentrated sugar ensured long preservation without cooking.
The contemporary twist : Cut into small cubes and coated half with white sesame, half with black sesame, like hiking energy bites — the nomadic demon's snack.
Sources : Bible, 1 Samuel 25 and 30 (fig cakes as provisions) · Nathan MacDonald, What Did the Ancient Israelites Eat?, Eerdmans, 2008
Belphegor · Charactorium