The Hellenistic Greek meal is divided into two halves: the sîtos, the cereal base (barley flatbread maza, wheat bread), and the ópson, everything eaten "with" it — fish, vegetables, olives, sauces. The evening meal (deîpnon) ends with the sympósion, a moment of wine mixed with water accompanied by tragémata, small treats of figs, honey, and dried fruits. In cosmopolitan Alexandria, this Greek framework is enhanced with products from the Nile and spices arriving from the East through the port.

A brine of small fish fermented in the sun, ancestor of Roman garum. A few salty, umami drops enhance fish, vegetables, and even maza. It is the king of seasonings in the Hellenistic Mediterranean, produced in large quantities along the Egyptian and Greek coasts.