Pressed Fig and Date Cakes
Dried figs and dates pounded with almonds, pressed into compact cakes that are sliced. Sweet, nourishing, long-lasting: the energy bar of antiquity.
Dried figs and dates pounded with almonds, pressed into compact cakes that are sliced. Sweet, nourishing, long-lasting: the energy bar of antiquity.
Take some for the road, for the way from Jerusalem to Rabbah is long and the sun harsh. We pounded dry figs and dates together until they became a dark paste, and pressed them into cakes that kept for moons. A single piece sustains a man from morning till evening. Thus I always filled the satchels of those I sent to carry my words to the king.
- •Dried figs — two measures (sweet base)
- •Pitted dates — one measure (sweet binder)
- •Almonds — a handful (crunch and sustenance)
- •Raisins — a handful (sweetness and texture)
- •Sesame seeds — a little (coating)
Pressed Fig and Date Cakes
Dried figs and dates pounded with almonds, pressed into compact cakes that are sliced. Sweet, nourishing, long-lasting: the energy bar of antiquity.
Why this dish? Cakes of dried figs (debelah) and raisins were the provisions carried on journeys and offered as gifts, as Abigail brought to David. In a royal household always moving between Jerusalem and its estates, these dense cakes fed messengers and filled the queen mother's store chests.
Take some for the road, for the way from Jerusalem to Rabbah is long and the sun harsh. We pounded dry figs and dates together until they became a dark paste, and pressed them into cakes that kept for moons. A single piece sustains a man from morning till evening. Thus I always filled the satchels of those I sent to carry my words to the king.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried figs — two measures (sweet base)
- Pitted dates — one measure (sweet binder)
- Almonds — a handful (crunch and sustenance)
- Raisins — a handful (sweetness and texture)
- Sesame seeds — a little (coating)
Ingredients
- Dried figs — 250 g (sweet base)
- Pitted dates — 125 g (sweet binder)
- Whole almonds — 80 g (crunch and sustenance)
- Raisins — 60 g (sweetness and texture)
- Sesame seeds — 2 tbsp (coating)
Method
- Roughly chop the almonds (or leave whole for more crunch).
- Blend or pound the figs and dates until a thick, sticky paste forms.
- Mix in almonds and raisins, kneading by hand.
- Press firmly into a mold or shape into a compact log rolled in sesame seeds.
- Let firm up in a cool place for a few hours, then slice into cakes or bars.
How it was made : Debelim (pressed fig cakes) and tsimmoukim (raisin cakes) are mentioned as preserved foods and diplomatic gifts throughout the Hebrew Bible. Sun-drying and compression allowed storage for several months without any modern methods.
The contemporary twist : Cut into small cubes rolled in toasted sesame and presented as ancient 'energy bites' on an olive wood board.
Sources : 1 Samuel 25:18 (Abigail brings fig and raisin cakes to David) · 1 Samuel 30:12 (a fig cake revives strength)
Bathsheba · Charactorium