Itrion with Sesame and Honey, the Traveler's Sweet
A rustic confection of toasted sesame seeds set in honey, sometimes enriched with dried figs or walnuts. Concentrated energy, it keeps for a long time: the ideal traveler's provision for a Greek.
A rustic confection of toasted sesame seeds set in honey, sometimes enriched with dried figs or walnuts. Concentrated energy, it keeps for a long time: the ideal traveler's provision for a Greek.
Honey and sesame, stranger, that's what saves a man far from home. On the ship's deck, when the contrary wind held us for days, I would reach into my pouch and break off one of these golden cakes: bee's sweetness and toasted seeds, packed tight like a fist. They do not mold, they weigh nothing, and they remind the heart of the taste of home. A prudent king always carries enough to withstand a siege — or an angry sea.
- •Sesame seeds — a good measure (base)
- •Honey — enough to coat everything (binder and sweetener)
- •Dried figs (optional) — a few (fruitiness and binder)
Itrion with Sesame and Honey, the Traveler's Sweet
A rustic confection of toasted sesame seeds set in honey, sometimes enriched with dried figs or walnuts. Concentrated energy, it keeps for a long time: the ideal traveler's provision for a Greek.
Why this dish? Ten years of wandering require provisions that keep and give strength. Small sesame cakes bound with honey are the ancestor of Greek pasteli: sweet, dense, they fit in a sailor's pouch and withstand the long voyages between Troy and Ithaca.
Honey and sesame, stranger, that's what saves a man far from home. On the ship's deck, when the contrary wind held us for days, I would reach into my pouch and break off one of these golden cakes: bee's sweetness and toasted seeds, packed tight like a fist. They do not mold, they weigh nothing, and they remind the heart of the taste of home. A prudent king always carries enough to withstand a siege — or an angry sea.
Ingredients (period version)
- Sesame seeds — a good measure (base)
- Honey — enough to coat everything (binder and sweetener)
- Dried figs (optional) — a few (fruitiness and binder)
Ingredients
- Sesame seeds — 200 g (base)
- Honey — 150 g (binder and sweetener)
- Chopped dried figs (optional) — 50 g (fruitiness)
- A pinch of black sesame seeds (decoration, optional) — 1 pinch (aesthetic)
Method
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan, stirring, until golden and fragrant.
- In a saucepan, heat the honey over low heat until it simmers and thickens slightly (2 to 3 minutes).
- Remove from heat, stir in the sesame (and chopped figs), and mix quickly.
- Spread the mixture on an oiled baking sheet, about 1 cm thick, and smooth.
- Let cool slightly, pre-cut into diamonds, then let harden before separating the pieces.
How it was made : Ancient Greeks knew sesame and honey cakes (sêsamê, itria) served at festivals and weddings, symbols of fertility. Without refined sugar, honey was the only sweetener, and sesame was a precious seed imported from the East. These dry preparations kept well — hence their use as provisions.
The contemporary twist : It is the grandfather of pasteli: present it as bite-sized pieces cut with a hot knife, a kind of "Odysseus energy bar" for hikers.
Sources : Athenaeus of Naucratis, The Deipnosophists (mentions of sesame and honey cakes) · Andrew Dalby, Food in the Ancient World from A to Z (2003)
Odysseus · Charactorium