Kykeon — Barley, Honey, and Herb Drink
A cloudy drink of barley mixed with water, sometimes soured with a little fresh cheese or vinegar, sweetened with honey and scented with herbs. Bitter and sharp, half-food half-drink, it is the ancestor of the liquid meal.
A cloudy drink of barley mixed with water, sometimes soured with a little fresh cheese or vinegar, sweetened with honey and scented with herbs. Bitter and sharp, half-food half-drink, it is the ancestor of the liquid meal.
Night never closes my eyes — those that petrify hardly sleep. So I mix toasted barley in the water of my spring, I add a touch of cheese that sours it, a drop of honey to make it go down, and pennyroyal from the rocks to wake the blood. Stir constantly, mortal, otherwise the barley sinks to the bottom and leaves you with bland water. Drink cloudy and standing: that is how you hold on when you have only the sea and snakes for company.
- •Toasted barley flour (alphita) — two spoonfuls (base)
- •Spring water — a bowl (liquid)
- •Fresh goat cheese — a little (acidity (optional))
- •Honey — a drop (sweetness)
- •Pennyroyal (wild mint) — a few leaves (bitter flavor)
Kykeon — Barley, Honey, and Herb Drink
A cloudy drink of barley mixed with water, sometimes soured with a little fresh cheese or vinegar, sweetened with honey and scented with herbs. Bitter and sharp, half-food half-drink, it is the ancestor of the liquid meal.
Why this dish? The kykeon is the most archaic drink of the Greeks, from the age of heroes and mysteries. For one who keeps watch alone at the ends of the world, like Medusa in her cave, it is the brew that sustains those whom night never leaves.
Night never closes my eyes — those that petrify hardly sleep. So I mix toasted barley in the water of my spring, I add a touch of cheese that sours it, a drop of honey to make it go down, and pennyroyal from the rocks to wake the blood. Stir constantly, mortal, otherwise the barley sinks to the bottom and leaves you with bland water. Drink cloudy and standing: that is how you hold on when you have only the sea and snakes for company.
Ingredients (period version)
- Toasted barley flour (alphita) — two spoonfuls (base)
- Spring water — a bowl (liquid)
- Fresh goat cheese — a little (acidity (optional))
- Honey — a drop (sweetness)
- Pennyroyal (wild mint) — a few leaves (bitter flavor)
Ingredients
- Toasted barley flour — 3 tbsp (base)
- Cold water — 250 ml (liquid)
- Fresh goat cheese — 1 tbsp (optional) (acidity)
- Honey — 1 tsp (sweetness)
- Mint (if pennyroyal unavailable) — a few leaves (flavor)
Method
- Mix the toasted barley flour with a little cold water to form a smooth paste without lumps.
- Gradually add the rest of the water while whisking.
- Stir in the honey and, if desired, the crumbled fresh cheese for a tangy note.
- Flavor with mint or crushed pennyroyal.
- Serve immediately, well stirred, the drink should remain cloudy and homogeneous.
How it was made : The kykeon (from kykaô, "to mix") appears as early as Homer, prepared with barley, water, cheese, and herbs; it played a ritual role in the Eleusinian Mysteries. It was as much a food as a drink, requiring constant stirring.
The contemporary twist : Serve shaken in a clay cup, "hero's smoothie" style, with a mint leaf and a thread of honey.
Sources : Homer, Iliad XI (preparation of kykeon by Hecamede) · Homeric Hymn to Demeter (kykeon of the Eleusinian Mysteries)
Medusa · Charactorium
