Shat — pressed date, fig, and tiger nut cakes
Small, dense, naturally sweet cakes made from crushed dates and figs bound with honey, studded with crushed tiger nuts and sesame, hand-shaped and dried. They keep for weeks and fit in the palm of the hand for travel.
Small, dense, naturally sweet cakes made from crushed dates and figs bound with honey, studded with crushed tiger nuts and sesame, hand-shaped and dried. They keep for weeks and fit in the palm of the hand for travel.
For the long journey, mortal, take this. These cakes of dates and figs, my cooks pressed them with honey and tiger nuts, then left them to harden in the sun until time had no hold on them. They were slipped into tombs to feed the dead forever — see how they defy the seasons, just as I defy death. Keep some for the road: they will last as long as your memory.
- •Pitted ripe dates — a good part (sweet base)
- •Dried figs — a part (fruity binder)
- •Crushed tiger nuts — a handful (texture and nutty flavor)
- •Honey — a drizzle (binder)
- •Sesame seeds — for coating (finish)
Shat — pressed date, fig, and tiger nut cakes
Small, dense, naturally sweet cakes made from crushed dates and figs bound with honey, studded with crushed tiger nuts and sesame, hand-shaped and dried. They keep for weeks and fit in the palm of the hand for travel.
Why this dish? Cakes of dried fruits and tiger nuts filled the eternity provisions placed in tombs, as they kept indefinitely — a fitting image for Osiris, guardian of life that never ends. Authentic examples have been found intact after three thousand years.
For the long journey, mortal, take this. These cakes of dates and figs, my cooks pressed them with honey and tiger nuts, then left them to harden in the sun until time had no hold on them. They were slipped into tombs to feed the dead forever — see how they defy the seasons, just as I defy death. Keep some for the road: they will last as long as your memory.
Ingredients (period version)
- Pitted ripe dates — a good part (sweet base)
- Dried figs — a part (fruity binder)
- Crushed tiger nuts — a handful (texture and nutty flavor)
- Honey — a drizzle (binder)
- Sesame seeds — for coating (finish)
Ingredients
- Pitted Medjool dates — 200 g (sweet base)
- Dried figs — 100 g (fruity binder)
- Tiger nuts or ground almonds — 60 g (texture)
- Honey — 1 tbsp (binder)
- Sesame seeds — 3 tbsp (coating)
Method
- Blend dates and figs together until a sticky paste forms.
- Mix in crushed tiger nuts and honey; knead into a homogeneous dough.
- Shape into small balls or flattened patties by hand.
- Roll in sesame seeds.
- Let air-dry for a few hours (or 1 hour at 60°C in the oven); they keep for several weeks in an airtight container.
How it was made : Cakes of this type, made from figs, honey, and tiger nuts, have been found intact in tombs. Tiger nuts (Cyperus esculentus) were cultivated and prized for their sweet taste; they were roasted, ground, or pressed for a milky drink.
The contemporary twist : Roll half in black sesame: a box of 'eternity bites' that taste like a luxury energy bar with no added sugar.
Sources : Fruit and tiger nut cakes, British Museum collections · Delwen Samuel, food and funerary provisions in ancient Egypt
Osiris · Charactorium
