flipDate, honey and sesame balls (the traveler's sweet)
Date, honey and sesame balls (the traveler's sweet)
Why this dish? Horus crosses the sky each day in his solar barque, the Mandjet, from east to west. In his image, Nile sailors and caravaners carried these balls of dates and honey: a concentrated energy that does not spoil, perfect for the long crossing. This is the traveler's food placed under the sign of the celestial falcon.
Small soft balls of crushed dates, bound with honey and rolled in sesame or toasted flour. Sweet, dense, easy to carry and keep — the energy bar of Antiquity.
Each day I cross the sky in my barque, without ever resting, from the first ray to the threshold of night. For such a journey, one needs a food that fits in the hand and does not spoil: crush the ripe dates, bind them with honey, roll them in toasted sesame seed. Slip them into your linen bag before pushing your boat onto the river. A single one, and you will find the strength to go as far as the horizon, like me.
- •Ripe dates — a good measure (sweet base)
- •Honey — a little (binder)
- •Sesame seeds — for rolling (coating)
- •Nuts or almonds (optional) — a few (crunch)
- •Cinnamon or coriander (optional) — a pinch (flavor)
Date, honey and sesame balls (the traveler's sweet)
Small soft balls of crushed dates, bound with honey and rolled in sesame or toasted flour. Sweet, dense, easy to carry and keep — the energy bar of Antiquity.
Why this dish? Horus crosses the sky each day in his solar barque, the Mandjet, from east to west. In his image, Nile sailors and caravaners carried these balls of dates and honey: a concentrated energy that does not spoil, perfect for the long crossing. This is the traveler's food placed under the sign of the celestial falcon.
Each day I cross the sky in my barque, without ever resting, from the first ray to the threshold of night. For such a journey, one needs a food that fits in the hand and does not spoil: crush the ripe dates, bind them with honey, roll them in toasted sesame seed. Slip them into your linen bag before pushing your boat onto the river. A single one, and you will find the strength to go as far as the horizon, like me.
Ingredients (period version)
- Ripe dates — a good measure (sweet base)
- Honey — a little (binder)
- Sesame seeds — for rolling (coating)
- Nuts or almonds (optional) — a few (crunch)
- Cinnamon or coriander (optional) — a pinch (flavor)
Ingredients
- Pitted Medjool dates — 250 g (base)
- Honey — 1 tbsp (binder)
- Toasted sesame seeds — 50 g (coating)
- Chopped almonds or walnuts — 50 g (crunch)
- Ground cinnamon — 1 pinch (flavor (optional))
Method
- Mash the dates into a paste (in a mortar or food processor) with the honey.
- Mix in the chopped almonds and the pinch of cinnamon.
- Form small walnut-sized balls with slightly wet hands.
- Roll them in the toasted sesame seeds to coat well.
- Let dry for 1 hour at room temperature; store in a cloth or airtight container.
How it was made : Dates, honey, sesame and figs were the great sweets of Egypt, since sugar did not exist. Fruit and honey confections were already made — some tomb paintings show conical pastries and sweet preparations. Dense and not very perishable, this type of confection was perfect for long river and desert journeys.
The contemporary twist : These are the direct ancestors of 'energy balls': roll them in coconut... no, let's stay period — in golden sesame, and serve on a palm leaf.
Sources : Pierre Tallet, La cuisine des pharaons (Actes Sud) · Hilary Wilson, Egyptian Food and Drink (Shire Egyptology)
Horus · Charactorium
