Date, fig and almond balls for the road
Dried fruits pounded with almonds and rolled into small dense balls, rich in energy and easy to carry in a saddlebag. The ideal travel and military campaign provision.
Dried fruits pounded with almonds and rolled into small dense balls, rich in energy and easy to carry in a saddlebag. The ideal travel and military campaign provision.
Before mounting, prepare your saddlebag as one who knows how to return alive prepares his. I pound the dates of the oasis with the figs that the sun has hardened and the almonds of our valleys, I roll it all tight between my palms. One of these balls under your tongue, and you will ride until evening without weakening. The mountain does not feed the absent-minded: carry your strength with you.
- •Pitted dates — two handfuls (sugar and binder)
- •Dried figs — one handful (sugar and chew)
- •Almonds — one handful (fat and protein)
- •Sesame seeds — a little (coating)
Date, fig and almond balls for the road
Dried fruits pounded with almonds and rolled into small dense balls, rich in energy and easy to carry in a saddlebag. The ideal travel and military campaign provision.
Why this dish? Dihya led her horsemen far, from the gorges of the Aurès to the plains of Meskiana and the gates of Kairouan. For these rides where water and bread are scarce, one carries the concentrated sugar of dried fruits: dates, figs and almonds, pressed into balls that last for days and give strength.
Before mounting, prepare your saddlebag as one who knows how to return alive prepares his. I pound the dates of the oasis with the figs that the sun has hardened and the almonds of our valleys, I roll it all tight between my palms. One of these balls under your tongue, and you will ride until evening without weakening. The mountain does not feed the absent-minded: carry your strength with you.
Ingredients (period version)
- Pitted dates — two handfuls (sugar and binder)
- Dried figs — one handful (sugar and chew)
- Almonds — one handful (fat and protein)
- Sesame seeds — a little (coating)
Ingredients
- Pitted dates (Deglet Nour or Medjool) — 150 g (sweet and binding base)
- Dried figs — 100 g (flavor and texture)
- Almonds — 80 g (crunch and nutrition)
- Toasted sesame seeds — 3 tablespoons (coating)
- Orange blossom water (optional) — 1 teaspoon (flavor)
Method
- Coarsely chop the almonds (keep a few whole for crunch).
- Finely chop the dates and figs, then crush with a mortar or briefly blend into a sticky paste.
- Mix with the almonds and, if desired, a dash of orange blossom water.
- Shape into walnut-sized balls, pressing firmly so they hold together.
- Roll each ball in sesame seeds; let dry in the air for a few hours. They keep for several days in a cloth.
How it was made : Dried fruits — dates from oases, figs, raisins — were the energy reserve of the peoples of the Maghreb and the Sahara, essential for long journeys and lean periods. Concentrated in sugar and easy to transport, they accompanied caravans and military expeditions.
The contemporary twist : Roll half the balls in sesame, the other in finely chopped almonds, for a small assortment to offer like truffles.
Dihya · Charactorium