Fun facts about food in ancient Egypt

CAIRO – 9 November 2022: Cooking recipes dating back to ancient Egypt were characterized by their simplicity, where not too many food ingredients or spices were used.

Egyptians have used the same ingredients grown in the region throughout historical times, and kept the ancient, inherited way of cooking and baking.

Bread was the most important element of the daily meals of ancient Egyptians. Cattle, sheep, goats, ducks, pigeons, and geese were domesticated. The variety of foods at a feast depended on the prestige and wealth of the person holding it.

The materials from which the tables were made varied from pure gold, alabaster, and glass for the elite to pottery and metal for the workers. Spoons and knives were also placed on the table, as illustrated in the artifacts of the Egyptian Museum. The artifacts exhibited in the Egyptian Museum show the pottery food jars used by the ancient Egyptians, and the inscriptions on other artifacts portray how food was prepared.

Inscriptions on some ancient Egyptian artifacts portray how food was prepared

The floods of the Nile River made the delta and the lands along the river one of the most fertile agricultural lands for the Egyptians, and consequently the Pharaohs planted a variety of crops. 

In addition to various vegetables and fruits, the ancient Egyptians knew honey, dates, raisins, grains, meat, birds and fish in their daily meals. The agricultural product was the main source of ancient Egyptian food.