Nefertiti at the table

At the Amarna court, the meal of the Great Royal Wife was organized not as starter-main-dessert but as successive platters placed on low tables: bread (the staple of every Egyptian table), roasted meats and poultry in the center, vegetables and Nile fish around, then honey and fruit sweets, all accompanied by fine beer and wine served in gold and faience cups. A portion of each platter was first raised toward the Aten disk before being consumed.

The cuisine of the 18th Dynasty knew no sugar: honey was the soul of sweetness, enhanced with dates and figs. On the savory side, coriander (seed and leaf), cumin, and onion gave their signature to dishes, with precious oasis salt for preserving and seasoning.