Kaš — barley beer drunk with a straw
A cloudy barley beer, low in alcohol, slightly tart and sweetened with dates, drunk warm through a reed straw to avoid swallowing floating grain residues.
A cloudy barley beer, low in alcohol, slightly tart and sweetened with dates, drunk warm through a reed straw to avoid swallowing floating grain residues.
Seven jugs, that's what they poured me! I who had never drunk anything but spring water, I tasted kaš, and my heart expanded, my face shone, I sang. Take your half-baked bappir bread, crumble it into warm water, add dates for sweetness, and let the days do their work. Drink with a straw, friend, for the grain floats — and don't be ashamed to laugh loud.
- •Half-baked barley bread (bappir) — several loaves (source of sugars and yeasts)
- •Malted barley (sprouted then dried) — a measure (fermentable sugars)
- •Crushed dates — a handful (sugar and flavor)
- •Water — a large jar (fermentation medium)
Kaš — barley beer drunk with a straw
A cloudy barley beer, low in alcohol, slightly tart and sweetened with dates, drunk warm through a reed straw to avoid swallowing floating grain residues.
Why this dish? The second act of Enkidu's civilization: after the bread, Shamhat makes him drink 'seven jugs' of beer. He gets drunk, his heart joyful, his face lights up — and he becomes fully human. Beer seals his entry into the world of Uruk.
Seven jugs, that's what they poured me! I who had never drunk anything but spring water, I tasted kaš, and my heart expanded, my face shone, I sang. Take your half-baked bappir bread, crumble it into warm water, add dates for sweetness, and let the days do their work. Drink with a straw, friend, for the grain floats — and don't be ashamed to laugh loud.
Ingredients (period version)
- Half-baked barley bread (bappir) — several loaves (source of sugars and yeasts)
- Malted barley (sprouted then dried) — a measure (fermentable sugars)
- Crushed dates — a handful (sugar and flavor)
- Water — a large jar (fermentation medium)
Ingredients
- Stale barley or whole wheat bread — 200 g (starch and yeasts)
- Crushed barley malt (or malt extract) — 300 g (fermentable sugars)
- Pitted crushed dates — 100 g (sugar and roundness)
- Spring water — 3 liters (base)
- Brewer's yeast (or bread starter) — 1 packet (fermentation)
Method
- Crumble the bread and malt into the water, add the crushed dates.
- Gently heat to about 65 °C for 1 hour without boiling, to release the sugars.
- Let cool to 25 °C, strain roughly into a clean jar or bucket.
- Add the yeast, cover with a cloth and let ferment 3 to 5 days in a temperate place.
- Taste: the drink becomes tart and slightly fizzy. Strain again and drink cool, with a straw.
- Non-alcoholic version: skip the yeast, drink after 24 hours as a date-flavored barley water.
How it was made : Beer (kaš in Sumerian, šikaru in Akkadian) was the national drink, consumed by everyone from gods to slaves. It was brewed from bappir, a special sourdough bread, mixed with malt and water, sometimes sweetened with dates or honey. Cloudy and full of residues, it was drunk by several people using long reed straws dipped into the jar — a gesture depicted on many cylinder seals. The 'Hymn to Ninkasi', goddess of beer, describes the recipe.
The contemporary twist : Serve it in a large shared earthenware jar with real reed straws, to re-enact the scene of Enkidu and Shamhat — a family-friendly non-alcoholic date barley water version for younger ones.
Enkidu · Charactorium
