What was their nutrition like?
The diet of an Ancient Egyptian varied depending on their social position and their wealth, for example the diets of Pharaohs would have been higher in expensive meats and richer foods and would have had a larger choice whereas a Peasants diet would have consisted of a much simpler diet.
Grains Agriculture existed from early into Ancient Egypt and so the main parts of their diet were made up of bread. Their bread was made of spelt, barley and emmer wheat and was seasoned by sour dough, yeast, salt or beer, sweetened with honey or dates and flavoured by sesame seeds, aniseed and fruit if you were wealthy. The bread was kneaded with both the hands and the feet in a large container and then cooked in an open fire; because of these utensils, germs were almost always present in the bread. Sometimes, in thick loaves, they would hollow out the inside and then stuff it with vegetables, beans or other ingredients. Fruits It is not known all the different types of fruit available in Ancient Egypt however we do know that the main fruit that was consumed in Ancient Egypt was dates, for both the rich and the poor. While the wealthier normally used honey as a sweetener, the lower class opted for dates, as they are rich in natural sugars and protein. Dates were also dried for eating, and were sometimes fermented to make wine. Figs, grapes, raisins, pomegranates, watermelons, olives, plums, palm coconut and apple were also eaten. Vegetables Everyone, from poor to rich, ate vegetables as the River Nile provided the Ancient Egyptians with them. Garlic was thought to repel diseases and agents of diseases and onions were used in medicine and so both were consumed regularly. Other vegetables and legumes include beans, chickpeas, lentils, green peas, leeks, lettuce, and broad beans. Meat, Fish & Poultry The meat that the Ancient Egyptians ate widely differentiated between the different social classes. Whilst the poor did of course eat regular meat fish and poultry, it was much more common for them to consume game such as quail, geese, ducks, cranes and other species similar to that. Fish was from the River Nile however some did not get eaten as they were forbidden because they were too closely associated with the myth of Osiris; fish was prepared by roasting, boiling or salting and then preserved and dried in the sun. Beef, goat and sheep were normally only eaten by the rich, however the poor ate them at special festive occasions. Wild game such as ibex, antelope, deer, oxen and gazelles were also consumed. Even though it was associated with the evil god, Seth, pork was consumed early on in Lower Egypt, and sometimes, but very rarely in Upper Egypt. Later on pork was bred and widely eaten all throughout Ancient Egypt. Dairy In written, there is no proof of there ever being any milk, butter or cheese however it is thought that the Ancient Egyptian people were familiar with these items as there are drawings and stone carvings showing people carrying what looks to be pots of milk and cream. In one stone carving inside a Theban tomb, there is a woman sitting pulling white cones of cheese or butter out of a vessel. Dairy products would have been provided by the cattle, goats and oxen. Fats & Oil There were multiple different fats and oils in which were used in preparing food, mostly used for frying meat and vegetables. The most popular was horseradish oil however there are many others; butter and milk was also used in cooking. Fats include beef fat, goose fat, goats fat and others. Oils include horseradish oil, castor oil plants, sesame oil, flax seed oil, radish seed oil, safflower oil and colocynth. Seasonings Typical salt and pepper was not used in Ancient Egypt, sea salt because of its association with the evil god Seth, and pepper was not used because it was not discovered yet. There were however a number of other spices that they used. These include salt from the ‘Siwa Oasis’, aniseed, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, dill, fennel, fenugreek, marjoram, mustard and thyme. Sweeteners Sugar itself was not consumed in Ancient Egypt until much later in history however there were other sweeteners that were used. Honey was used to sweeten foods for the richer people although the poorer could not afford it and so instead, the lower class used fruit. Various fruits were used to sweeten their food but the most popular would be dates. |