Ancient Egyptian Cuisine: Part II 

October 27, 2024
Dr. El-Shaimaa Talaat Abumandour

The ancient Egyptian civilization was a radiant light among the darkness of the rest of the ancient world. The Nile River was the center of every Egyptian activity during the ancient era. The Nile River provided ancient Egyptians with water for drinking, irrigation, and transportation, as well as cultural communication and linkage with others. Additionally, it was a source of food. Fortunately, ancient Egyptians documented their daily activities on papyri and ostraca, as well as painted them on the walls of temples and tombs. The documentation gives us a glimpse into many activities that were daily routines done by the ancient Egyptians, like the ways they used to hunt, irrigate, cultivate, breed cattle, and work in the field. They represented the way they celebrated definite holy occasions and the food preparation during these occasions.

Ancient Egyptians had recorded their fishing activities in the Nile River, as well as the types of fish they caught on the temples’ walls. The inscriptions on the temples’ walls represented ancient Egyptian fishermen catching various kinds of fish, such as tilapia, catfish, eel, and mullet from the Nile. As I mentioned in the last article, fish was the main course for poor and middle-class inhabitants of the Delta and Fayum because of its abundance and easy availability, compared to fresh meat due to its high price. Elite and wealthy people used to catch fish from artificial lakes in their villas. Fish was cooked and served in the kitchens of the royal and noble palaces. Ancient fishermen caught fish using tools such as pots, harpoons, and lines. Fish was cooked in different ways as boiling in water with adding salt and spices. It was grilled, smoked and salted, dipped in honey and wheat then fried.

In this article, I would like to highlight a special dish we inherited from our ancestors, which is “Fesikh”. “Fesikh” is a traditional ancient Egyptian dish. It is salted and dried fish that was—and still is—made of mullet that annually swam up the Nile canals. It was stated in many historical documents that ancient Egyptians used to eat “Fesikh” during a special occasion called “Sham el-Nessim.” Historically, “Sham el-Nessim” was related to the season of harvesting, the low water level of the Nile River, and agricultural activities. Egyptians are still celebrating the same occasion as a national holiday, celebrating spring and the day after Easter, yearly eating similar dishes as “Fesikh”, boiled colored eggs, raw vegetables, lupin beans, and Fenugreek seeds. The ancient Egyptians believed in omens. Hence, they were keen to eat green raw vegetables during “Sham el-Nessim” as an omen of hopefulness at the beginning of spring. Eggs represented the life renewal cycle. “Fesikh” symbolized fertility, goodness, giving, and welfare. The ancient Egyptians salted mullet fish, which is abundant in the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Nile River, and let it dry for a long time until it had a strong smell. It is documented that the salting process started with cleaning the fish gills carefully and then putting them in wooden, clean barrels. Plenty of salt was placed between fish rows and on their tops, then barrels were closed tightly for a long period. 

Once we navigate through our history, we will notice that we inherited plenty of occasions, customs, words, food, and even characteristics and features from our ancient Egyptian ancestors. I am thrilled to share with you more of this great historical treasure in the upcoming article.