Palathê — dried fig and pomegranate paste
A dense loaf of dried figs kneaded with sesame seeds, walnuts and dried pomegranate arils, pressed then sliced. Sweet, slightly tart, it keeps for weeks — the ultimate preserved sweet.
A dense loaf of dried figs kneaded with sesame seeds, walnuts and dried pomegranate arils, pressed then sliced. Sweet, slightly tart, it keeps for weeks — the ultimate preserved sweet.
Do you think I am only darkness and deprivation? I am also Plouton, the Wealthy: all that slumbers beneath the earth belongs to me, metal as well as seed. Take the figs that summer has gorged with sun, crush them, mix in the nuts and my pomegranate seeds, and press it all into a hard loaf. Store it: it will last through winter without spoiling, just as the seed waits under the soil for the time to rise again. That is my wealth — the kind one keeps.
- •Dried figs — in abundance (sweet base)
- •Toasted sesame seeds — a handful (binder and crunch)
- •Walnuts — a handful (texture)
- •Dried pomegranate arils — a handful (tart signature)
- •Honey — a splash (binder)
- •Fennel or anise seeds — a pinch (flavor)
Palathê — dried fig and pomegranate paste
A dense loaf of dried figs kneaded with sesame seeds, walnuts and dried pomegranate arils, pressed then sliced. Sweet, slightly tart, it keeps for weeks — the ultimate preserved sweet.
Why this dish? Hades' realm is that of buried riches and harvests stored underground. The *palathê* — pressed figs formed into a loaf that keeps all winter — is the very image of subterranean abundance: what autumn hides, winter returns. And the pomegranate stamps it with the god's mark.
Do you think I am only darkness and deprivation? I am also Plouton, the Wealthy: all that slumbers beneath the earth belongs to me, metal as well as seed. Take the figs that summer has gorged with sun, crush them, mix in the nuts and my pomegranate seeds, and press it all into a hard loaf. Store it: it will last through winter without spoiling, just as the seed waits under the soil for the time to rise again. That is my wealth — the kind one keeps.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried figs — in abundance (sweet base)
- Toasted sesame seeds — a handful (binder and crunch)
- Walnuts — a handful (texture)
- Dried pomegranate arils — a handful (tart signature)
- Honey — a splash (binder)
- Fennel or anise seeds — a pinch (flavor)
Ingredients
- Soft dried figs — 250 g (sweet base)
- Toasted sesame seeds — 40 g (binder and crunch)
- Walnut halves — 60 g (texture)
- Fresh pomegranate arils (partially dried in oven) or dried — 40 g (tart signature)
- Honey — 1 tbsp (binder)
- Fennel seeds — 1/2 tsp (flavor)
Method
- If the figs are dry, soften them for 10 minutes in a little warm water, then drain well.
- Coarsely chop the figs and walnuts.
- In a bowl, knead by hand the figs, walnuts, sesame, pomegranate arils, honey and fennel seeds into a compact mass.
- Press firmly into a lined mold (or form a dense loaf by hand).
- Press under a weight and let dry for 1-2 days in a dry, cool place.
- Unmold, slice thinly. Keeps for several weeks wrapped in a cloth.
How it was made : The *palathê* was a 'loaf' or cake of pressed dried fruits (especially figs), a long-lasting staple in ancient Greece, where little was preserved with sugar due to the lack of refined sugar: they relied on drying, honey and oil. Drying pomegranate arils to extend their shelf life is attested; the exact combination proposed here is a reconstruction consistent with the ingredients and techniques of the time.
The contemporary twist : Cut into small cubes rolled in sesame, served as ancient 'energy balls' with a Greek coffee — provisions for the traveler of the Underworld.
Sources : Aristophanes / Attic comedy (mentions of palathê) · Andrew Dalby, Food in the Ancient World from A to Z (2003), entry 'fig' · Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat, History of Food
Hades · Charactorium