Honey and Sesame Cake for the Gods
A small golden honey, flour, and sesame flatcake, sweet and sticky, inspired by the sweet offerings the Greeks placed on the altars of their gods.
A small golden honey, flour, and sesame flatcake, sweet and sticky, inspired by the sweet offerings the Greeks placed on the altars of their gods.
Before I stretch the string of my lyre, I never forget the Immortals. On the altar, I place the honey cake mixed with sesame and flour, and I pour the libation of pure wine. May the fair-haired Muse accept my offering and grant me song! Taste it yourself too, stranger: what pleases the gods rejoices the hearts of men, and the honey of bees is the sweetest of gifts.
- •Honey — generously (binder and sweetness)
- •Wheat or barley flour — as needed (base)
- •Sesame seeds — a handful (signature and crunch)
- •Olive oil — a little (cooking)
Honey and Sesame Cake for the Gods
A small golden honey, flour, and sesame flatcake, sweet and sticky, inspired by the sweet offerings the Greeks placed on the altars of their gods.
Why this dish? Homer's entire epic is traversed by the gods, to whom libations and cakes are offered before every undertaking. The pelanoi — honey, flour, and sesame flatcakes — were sweet offerings placed on altars. Inspired by these ritual gifts, this cake evokes the Greek piety that the aoidos constantly sang about.
Before I stretch the string of my lyre, I never forget the Immortals. On the altar, I place the honey cake mixed with sesame and flour, and I pour the libation of pure wine. May the fair-haired Muse accept my offering and grant me song! Taste it yourself too, stranger: what pleases the gods rejoices the hearts of men, and the honey of bees is the sweetest of gifts.
Ingredients (period version)
- Honey — generously (binder and sweetness)
- Wheat or barley flour — as needed (base)
- Sesame seeds — a handful (signature and crunch)
- Olive oil — a little (cooking)
Ingredients
- Honey — 150 g (binder and sweetness)
- Wheat flour — 150 g (base)
- Sesame seeds — 80 g (signature and crunch)
- Olive oil — 2 tbsp (cooking)
Method
- Toast the sesame seeds dry for a few minutes until golden and fragrant.
- Gently warm the honey over low heat, then incorporate the sesame and flour to form a thick, sticky dough.
- Lightly oil your hands and form small round flatcakes.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 170 °C (or gently brown in an oiled pan) until colored.
- Let cool slightly: the cake becomes firm and crunchy as it cools.
How it was made : The Greeks offered cakes (pelanoi, popana) often made of honey, flour, and seeds to the gods, as a supplement or replacement for blood sacrifices. Sesame and honey, associated since the Bronze Age, formed confections close to the pasteli still alive in Greece. Here, we draw inspiration from these ancient offerings without reproducing a religious ritual.
The contemporary twist : Shape into bars like a modern pasteli, sprinkled with a pinch of fleur de sel — the granola bar of the Olympian gods.
Sources : A. Dalby, Siren Feasts · Studies on Greek food offerings (pelanoi, popana)
Homer · Charactorium