flipPasteli, the traveler's sesame and honey bar
Pasteli, the traveler's sesame and honey bar
Why this dish? Shod with Hermes' winged sandals, Perseus flew over vast lands: Libya and the desert of the Garamantes, then Ethiopia. A hero on the road needs compact, energizing food that does not spoil—the mixture of sesame and honey, already known to the Greeks as itrion, keeps for days in a pouch.
A golden, crunchy bar of sesame seeds bound in caramelized honey. Light to carry, rich in strength, it is the ideal treat for a long journey—and also offered to newlyweds for fertility.
When Hermes' sandals carried me over the sands of Libya, stranger, I had neither fire nor table: only what I kept in my pouch. Crushed sesame bound with hot honey becomes hard as amber once cooled, and a single piece sustains a man a whole day of flight. Only beware your teeth, for hardened honey does not forgive those who bite too quickly! Always keep some on you: you never know when a god will decide to send you to the ends of the earth.
- •Sesame seeds — a good measure (base)
- •Thyme honey — half the volume of sesame (binder)
Pasteli, the traveler's sesame and honey bar
A golden, crunchy bar of sesame seeds bound in caramelized honey. Light to carry, rich in strength, it is the ideal treat for a long journey—and also offered to newlyweds for fertility.
Why this dish? Shod with Hermes' winged sandals, Perseus flew over vast lands: Libya and the desert of the Garamantes, then Ethiopia. A hero on the road needs compact, energizing food that does not spoil—the mixture of sesame and honey, already known to the Greeks as itrion, keeps for days in a pouch.
When Hermes' sandals carried me over the sands of Libya, stranger, I had neither fire nor table: only what I kept in my pouch. Crushed sesame bound with hot honey becomes hard as amber once cooled, and a single piece sustains a man a whole day of flight. Only beware your teeth, for hardened honey does not forgive those who bite too quickly! Always keep some on you: you never know when a god will decide to send you to the ends of the earth.
Ingredients (period version)
- Sesame seeds — a good measure (base)
- Thyme honey — half the volume of sesame (binder)
Ingredients
- Sesame seeds — 200 g (base)
- Thyme honey — 120 g (binder)
- A few extra sesame seeds — for the work surface (non-stick)
Method
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until golden and fragrant (3 to 5 minutes).
- In a saucepan, heat the honey until it simmers, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Pour the sesame into the honey and stir vigorously off the heat to coat well.
- Spread the mixture on an oiled or sesame-sprinkled surface, about 1 cm thick, pressing with a wet spoon.
- Mark portions with a knife while still warm, then let harden and break into bars.
How it was made : The sesame-honey mixture is one of the oldest Mediterranean confections. Greeks offered this type of cake (linked to fertility) at weddings, and it travels without spoiling—hence its role as marching and campaign food.
The contemporary twist : Add an orange zest and some black sesame seeds for a “starry sky” effect worthy of a flight over the desert.
Sources : Andrew Dalby, Siren Feasts (1996) · Athenaeus of Naucratis, Deipnosophistae (cakes and tragemata)
Perseus · Charactorium
