flipBarley Kykeon with Honey and Mint
Barley Kykeon with Honey and Mint
Why this dish? Daedalus works alone, far from banquets, and he needs a drink that nourishes as much as it quenches. The kykeon, a mixture of barley, water, and honey beaten together, is exactly what working men and travelers drank — an ideal provision for one preparing a long escape across the sea.
A thick, nourishing drink of toasted barley mixed with water or watered wine, flavored with honey and herbs. Between a drink and a light meal, it is the comfort of Greek workers and walkers.
When work presses and I have no time to sit, I prepare a kykeon. I mix the toasted barley in cool water, I stir in a spoonful of honey, I crush mint between my fingers and stir, stir until everything is combined. Drink it without ceremony, stranger: this brew has sustained reapers, soldiers, and more than one man in a hurry to take the road. It satisfies and quenches in one draught.
- •Toasted barley flour (alphita) — two spoonfuls (body of the drink)
- •Cool water (or watered wine) — one cup (liquid)
- •Honey — one spoonful (sweetness)
- •Mint or pennyroyal — a few leaves (aroma)
Barley Kykeon with Honey and Mint
A thick, nourishing drink of toasted barley mixed with water or watered wine, flavored with honey and herbs. Between a drink and a light meal, it is the comfort of Greek workers and walkers.
Why this dish? Daedalus works alone, far from banquets, and he needs a drink that nourishes as much as it quenches. The kykeon, a mixture of barley, water, and honey beaten together, is exactly what working men and travelers drank — an ideal provision for one preparing a long escape across the sea.
When work presses and I have no time to sit, I prepare a kykeon. I mix the toasted barley in cool water, I stir in a spoonful of honey, I crush mint between my fingers and stir, stir until everything is combined. Drink it without ceremony, stranger: this brew has sustained reapers, soldiers, and more than one man in a hurry to take the road. It satisfies and quenches in one draught.
Ingredients (period version)
- Toasted barley flour (alphita) — two spoonfuls (body of the drink)
- Cool water (or watered wine) — one cup (liquid)
- Honey — one spoonful (sweetness)
- Mint or pennyroyal — a few leaves (aroma)
Ingredients
- Toasted barley flour (or blended toasted barley flakes) — 3 tbsp (body of the drink)
- Cold water — 250 ml (liquid)
- Honey — 1 tbsp (sweetness)
- Fresh mint leaves — 4 or 5 (aroma)
Method
- If needed, toast barley flakes dry then grind into flour.
- Whisk the barley flour into cold water to avoid lumps.
- Add honey and whisk until dissolved.
- Crush the mint between your fingers and stir it in.
- Let rest 5 minutes, whisk again and drink cold, stirring occasionally as the barley settles.
How it was made : Kykeon (from kykaô, 'to mix') is one of the oldest attested Greek drinks: Circe prepares one in the Odyssey, and the reapers in the Iliad drink it with barley, honey, and grated cheese. It was both a ritual drink (Eleusinian Mysteries) and a worker's snack.
The contemporary twist : Served chilled as a 'barley frappé', with a frothy whisked top, in a terracotta cup.
Sources : Homer, Iliad, Book XI (the kykeon of the reapers) · Homer, Odyssey, Book X (Circe) · Homeric Hymn to Demeter (kykeon of the mysteries)
Daedalus and Icarus · Charactorium
