The Ancient Egypt Foods and Drinks played a wonderful role in shaping Egypt’s magnificent civilization. With the Nile River rising every summer, the low-lying plains were rich in nutrients needed to grow crops. When the water did not rise enough, the fields did not receive enough nutrients and moisture to support the crops, resulting in Famine. The ancient Egyptians lived and ate from the diverse plant and animal life of the floodplains. There is no doubt that ancient Egyptian food included many different dishes. They enjoyed a large variety of foods that are not very different from what we consume today. Because of the Nile River and the fertile soil, the ancient Egyptian was able to farm and raise livestock after he had lived on the plateaus and his main food was hunting animals. The basic food was bread, and they excelled in the art of cooking and inventing new recipes.
There were many pictures and sculptures on the walls of the temples that indicate ancient Egyptian food. Food was served with bread, vegetables, fruits, and cakes, some with honey and some with dates. The seating positions at the food certainly differed, with the upper class sitting on chairs and the middle class having seats. The last class, which includes servants, sits on the floor.
Food was cooked in several ways, including grilling, frying, and boiling, in addition to the scents of spices and herbs. They preserved meat by salting and used oils, beans, sesame, and olives, and honey was the main sweetener for some eating.
There is no doubt that garlic was one of the most popular vegetables, as were onions and lettuce, and they also had legumes such as lentils and chickpeas.
Meat was one of the foods that only the wealthy ate, and it was a luxury delicacy, such as lamb, pork, and cow. They used to hunt animals such as deer.
Fruits are more seasonal than vegetables, and figs became widespread because they contain sugars. There were also grapes and dates eaten fresh for dessert because they are more expensive than honey, in addition to coconut fruits, but they were imported and their price was expensive.
Bread is one of the basic meals on the tables of the rich and the poor. It was made from wheat or barley. The process of making bread was very cumbersome, starting with grinding the grains and mixing flour with water and yeast in different sizes. They also made cakes.
The most common drink in ancient Egypt was beer, as many people did not drink water directly from the Nile River, as they noticed that people got sick, and for this reason they drank beer. It was made from barley. It had a high nutritional value and contained minerals and vitamins. They also made white and red wine from it. Grapes, in addition to non-alcoholic drinks made from dates and natural fruits with high health benefits.
It is certain that we still use the same methods of preparing food as they were in ancient Egypt, and the tools have not changed, such as the mortar and pestle, to transform grains into spices. Pottery played an important role in cooking meat and vegetables, and they also used ladles, knives, and spoons, in addition to wood, which was used as fuel and charcoal as well. They used to boil, bake, and roast, and many ancient cooking methods still exist to this day.
Kings had distinctive, delicious and varied meals of fruits, meat, and vegetables. They would go on hunting trips to catch fish, birds, and predatory animals, and also hunt rabbits and deer. An example of this is King Tutankhamun on a hunting trip with his wife. In fact, the meals of the kings differed from the meals of the poor, which included onions, garlic, and beans.
It is certain that Egyptian food was and still is one of the most delicious foods in the world because it included the innovations of the ancient Egyptians and the continuation of the same cooking method to this day, where the ancient Egyptian lived and enjoyed the Nile River, the fertility of the soil, and the introduction of new agricultural crops.
With our company, enjoy spending your time and holidays in Egypt, learn more about the life of the ancient Egyptian, and enjoy food innovations that still exist from the days of the ancient Egyptians.
