flipDried figs with honey and walnuts for the road to Pella
Dried figs with honey and walnuts for the road to Pella
Why this dish? Toward the end of his life, Euripides left Athens for the court of King Archelaus of Macedon in Pella, where he died in 406 BC. Attic dried figs, which keep for months, were the quintessential Greek travel provision — the sweet comfort of an old poet on the long road north.
Dried figs split open, stuffed with walnuts and sesame seeds, glazed with honey and scented with thyme. Concentrated, chewy, and sweet, they travel well and end a meal.
Athens judged me too often; at my age, I took the northern road, to the table of King Archelaus. What does one pack for such a journey? Figs dried in the summer sun, split and filled with nuts, rubbed with honey and thyme — they do not spoil, and their sweetness consoles the exile. Taste them: you will find all the summer of Attica, even far from her.
- •Dried figs — a handful (sweet base)
- •Walnuts (or almonds) — a few kernels (filling)
- •Sesame seeds — a pinch (crunch)
- •Thyme honey — a drizzle (binder and preservation)
- •Thyme — a pinch (flavor)
Dried figs with honey and walnuts for the road to Pella
Dried figs split open, stuffed with walnuts and sesame seeds, glazed with honey and scented with thyme. Concentrated, chewy, and sweet, they travel well and end a meal.
Why this dish? Toward the end of his life, Euripides left Athens for the court of King Archelaus of Macedon in Pella, where he died in 406 BC. Attic dried figs, which keep for months, were the quintessential Greek travel provision — the sweet comfort of an old poet on the long road north.
Athens judged me too often; at my age, I took the northern road, to the table of King Archelaus. What does one pack for such a journey? Figs dried in the summer sun, split and filled with nuts, rubbed with honey and thyme — they do not spoil, and their sweetness consoles the exile. Taste them: you will find all the summer of Attica, even far from her.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried figs — a handful (sweet base)
- Walnuts (or almonds) — a few kernels (filling)
- Sesame seeds — a pinch (crunch)
- Thyme honey — a drizzle (binder and preservation)
- Thyme — a pinch (flavor)
Ingredients
- Soft dried figs — 12 (base)
- Walnut halves — 12 half-kernels (filling)
- Sesame seeds — 2 tbsp (crunch)
- Thyme honey — 2 tbsp (binder)
- Dried thyme — 1 pinch (flavor)
Method
- Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan, then set aside.
- Cut each fig in half without separating completely, and insert a walnut half inside.
- Close the fig, brush with honey mixed with thyme.
- Roll in the toasted sesame seeds.
- Let rest for an hour for flavors to meld; keeps for several days in a container.
How it was made : Figs were dried in the sun on racks (ischades), then packed into baskets or jars; they were so associated with Attica that Athenians were said to be unable to do without them. With walnuts and honey, they formed an energy reserve for soldiers, travelers, and sailors.
The contemporary twist : Arranged in a ring on a wooden board with a drizzle of warm honey — an "ancient" end-of-meal platter ready to share.
Sources : Athenaeus of Naucratis, The Deipnosophists · Andrew Dalby, Food in the Ancient World from A to Z (2003)
Euripides · Charactorium
