flipHoney and sesame figs of the offering
Honey and sesame figs of the offering
Why this dish? Beyond meat sacrifices, vegetable and sweet offerings, first fruits and sweets were presented to the gods. Inspired by these gifts, this preparation honors El as the dispenser of the earth's fertility — figs, honey, and sesame, treasures of the Canaanite orchard.
Dried figs stuffed with honey and rolled in toasted sesame seeds, a sweet offering that keeps well and can be shared.
The earth I have fertilized gives the fig and the olive, and the bee deposits its honey there for the righteous. When you wish to honor the father of the gods, do not come empty-handed: open the fig, fill it with honey, roll it in toasted sesame seed. It is a humble and sweet offering, and the god who has everything sometimes prefers the simplicity of a fruit to the blood of a bull.
- •Dried figs — a nice handful (base)
- •Honey — as needed (filling)
- •Sesame seeds — a palmful (coating)
- •Almonds or pistachios — a few (crunchy center (optional))
Honey and sesame figs of the offering
Dried figs stuffed with honey and rolled in toasted sesame seeds, a sweet offering that keeps well and can be shared.
Why this dish? Beyond meat sacrifices, vegetable and sweet offerings, first fruits and sweets were presented to the gods. Inspired by these gifts, this preparation honors El as the dispenser of the earth's fertility — figs, honey, and sesame, treasures of the Canaanite orchard.
The earth I have fertilized gives the fig and the olive, and the bee deposits its honey there for the righteous. When you wish to honor the father of the gods, do not come empty-handed: open the fig, fill it with honey, roll it in toasted sesame seed. It is a humble and sweet offering, and the god who has everything sometimes prefers the simplicity of a fruit to the blood of a bull.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried figs — a nice handful (base)
- Honey — as needed (filling)
- Sesame seeds — a palmful (coating)
- Almonds or pistachios — a few (crunchy center (optional))
Ingredients
- Soft dried figs — 12 (base)
- Honey — 3 tbsp (filling)
- Sesame seeds — 4 tbsp (coating)
- Almonds or pistachios — 12 (crunchy center)
Method
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until golden; set aside.
- Slit each fig and insert an almond or pistachio.
- Close the fig and drizzle with honey.
- Roll immediately in the toasted sesame seeds to coat well.
- Let set for 30 minutes; serve in a pyramid on a small dish.
How it was made : Figs, raisins, dates, and honey were the sweets of the ancient Levant, where sugar did not exist. Sesame was cultivated for its seeds and oil. Vegetable and first-fruit offerings accompanied rituals; these gifts were placed on altars or offering tables of temples.
The contemporary twist : Arrange the figs on a fig leaf and dust with a cloud of black sesame for contrast: "the orchard offering."
Sources : N. MacDonald, Food and Diet in the Biblical World / What Did the Ancient Israelites Eat?, Eerdmans, 2008
El · Charactorium
