Kykeon — barley porridge-drink, beverage of travelers, shepherds, and rites
Barley Kykeon with Pennyroyal Mint
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A rustic, restorative drink: ground barley mixed with water (or a little wine), flavored with grated cheese, honey, and pennyroyal mint. Thick, herbal, slightly bitter and fermented — stir before drinking because the barley settles.
Kykeon — barley porridge-drink, beverage of travelers, shepherds, and rites
A rustic, restorative drink: ground barley mixed with water (or a little wine), flavored with grated cheese, honey, and pennyroyal mint. Thick, herbal, slightly bitter and fermented — stir before drinking because the barley settles.
You are weary, throat dry, foot heavy? Here is what is brewed in the summer pastures, where I lead the flocks. Mix your barley flour in cool water — a finger of wine if you fancy — grate a little cheese over it, toss in a pinch of pennyroyal and a drop of honey. Stir, stir constantly, else the barley sinks to the bottom of the bowl! Drink it in one draught: you will be on your feet again, ready to hit the road. This is the walker's brew; and I, of walkers, am the patron.
Ingredients
- •Roasted barley flour (alphita) — two spoonfuls (body of the drink)
- •Fresh water — one bowl (base)
- •Wine (optional) — a splash (strength, preservation)
- •Grated goat/sheep cheese — a pinch (richness, umami)
- •Pennyroyal mint (glechon) — a few leaves (scent, bitterness)
- •Honey — a drop (sweeten)
How it was made : The kykeon held a special place: a drink of the humble and travelers, but also a ritual beverage (notably in the Eleusinian Mysteries, in a form based on barley and pennyroyal). Its composition varied — water or wine, with or without cheese and honey. The unfiltered barley gave it a thick texture that had to be constantly stirred.
Sources : Homer, Iliad (Book XI); Odyssey (Book X, Circe) · Homeric Hymn to Demeter · Andrew Dalby, Siren Feasts (1996)