Hatshepsut at the table

In New Kingdom Egypt, the meal is not divided into starter, main course, and dessert. Everything revolves around two sacred pillars: bread (ta) and beer (heqet), considered the very gifts of the gods. Around this foundation are arranged "relishes" — onions, fish, meats, fruits, and honey sweets — all placed together on low mats or tripod tables. Sweet and savory coexist on the same platter, with no imposed order. At the table of a pharaoh as at that of Amun, the banquet and the temple offering follow the same grammar: feeding the living and the divine with the same foods.

Egypt knew neither sugar nor cocoa: its sweetness came from the honey of the Nile hives and sun-candied dates. This golden sweetness, present even in meats and offering breads, is the true signature of pharaonic cuisine.