Food fit for Pharaohs: An Ancient Egyptian Cookbook

by Michelle Berriedale-Johnson

The great fertility of the Nile valley provided the ancient Egyptians with a delicious and wholesome diet ranging from staples such as bread and beer to herbs and spices like dill, mint and cumin. Using these ingredients the British Museum's 'chef du tempe perdu' has created 35 recipes for dishes the pharaohs and their people may have eaten, including soups, starters and snacks, main dishes, desserts and baking.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, History, Egypt, Egyptology

64 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 1999

Reviews

[Iset · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not too much to say about this cookbook. It's certainly a quick read, if it can be called a read, and it has some delicious recipes contained within. My one quibble was that some of the recipes include modern ingredients such as rice, tomatoes, potatoes etc. that the ancient Egyptians wouldn't have had. The author does note this and says this utilises modern ingredients and flavours whilst remaining true to the historical culinary spirit, but it is supposed to be "An Ancient Egyptian Cookbook", right?

7 out of 10.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good cookbook offering a little taste of Egyptian foods. I had the lamb tajine with chickpeas and it was delicious--I'm sure the other recipes are too. I would have wished for a few more recipes, but there are other resources listed in the back if I get the urge to try more dishes.

[Diann · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a small little cookbook I forgot I had. It's published by the British Museum, and provides 35 recipes of Egyptian provenance. Oh wow, I thought, as I opened it after years of forgetting it was somewhere in the house!

Although there's some bow to foods of ancient Egypt, many of the recipes are made with New World foods, or other items not available in the days of the Pharaohs, so the title and inclination of this book is inaccurate from the get go. Which is a shame, I'd love to see such an august institution as the British Museum do right about authentic foods of Egypt from 2000 or so years ago. I'd understand perfectly if they'd have to assign quantities of ingredients when that is not to be known, but to add in irrelevant ingredients (and make ice cream, in one case) doesn't do anything approximating a historical cuisine justice.

Titles of recipes are given in English or in more modern Arabic-derived languages, not in ancient Kemetan (Egyptian), even when some recipes sound plausible.

I think this one is destined for a life outside of my home or kitchen. Disappointed.

[Gaye Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting