EGYPTIAN FOOD:
ALICE EDWARDS, CHLOE RICHARDSON, EMMA FURGUSON, MADDIE JONES

The foods the Ancient Egyptians used to eat were probably one of the better diets than some other countries at that time. Archaeologists today have found many statues and pictures of ancient Egyptians who are well overweight.The kitchen was usually situated at the rear of the house, or in the roof. It was quite open, but partially shady. Egyptian food was cooked in simple clay pots, using wooden utensils and stored in jars.

The kitchen tables on which the meat and fish were cut up had three or four legs, but most preparations were made with the dishes on the floor and the cooks crouching or sitting on the ground beside them.

Most Egyptians used dishes which we the made from clay but those who we wealthier like the emperors use dishes which were made from bronze, silver and even gold.

The most was made by mixing the dough, kneading it with both hands or sometimes with the feet in large containers. Yeast, salt, spices, milk and sometimes butter and eggs were then added, before the bread was placed in a baking form or patted into various shapes.

THE EGYPTIAN DIET
An Egyptians diet included many foods which are a part of our diet today. Those foods are; fish (there were many species of fish found in The Nile and other rivers and lakes), birds (geese etc.), meat from cattle (but also from gazelles...), bread and pastry, and many types of vegetables and spices.
Egyptians liked strong-tasting vegetables such as garlic and onions. They thought these were good for the health. They also ate peas and beans, lettuce, cucumbers, and leeks. Vegetables were often served with an oil and vinegar dressing. Figs, dates, pomegranates and grapes were the only fruits that could be grown in the hot climate. The rich could afford to make wine from their grapes. Baskets of figs have been found in Egyptian tombs.


The Egyptians liked to season their food. Some of the seasonings included: salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, sesame, dill, fennel, fenugreek and assorted seeds.
In the Ancient times, the Egyptians didn’t really eat beef. The priests who performed the sacrifice of animals to the gods, were probably the only ones to eat this type of meat. Because Egypt was very dry, and still is, they relied mostly on the Nile River to water the crops. The Egyptians could only grow certain kinds of food. Mainly they grew wheat and barley.

Numerous varieties of fruits and vegetables were grown in irrigated gardens. Fruits included figs, grapes, plums, dates, and watermelon. Vegetables included beets, sweet onions, radishes, turnips, garlic, lettuce, chick peas, beans, and lentils.
The Egyptians ate a variety of meat, fish, and fowl. Beef, mutton, pork, and wild game such as hyenas were also part of their diet. The Nile supplied many kinds of fish, including catfish, mullet, bolti, and perch. Having a wide range of food, the poor Egyptian’s ate a fairly healthy diet. Bread was the staple food of most Egyptians even those who were rich. For dessert, dates were eaten. Obviously, even for the poor, other items such as vegetables, fruit and fish were consumed. Most of these foods came from the Nile or grown there.
Beer was the main drink, made from the crops of barley. To improve the taste the Egyptians would add spices and it was usually stored in labelled clay jars.

The Ancient land of Egypt was one of the most fertile valleys in the world and supported one of the world’s greatest civilisations. Rich soil, provided by the river’s annual flooding, deposited thick silt over the land providing sometimes two, or even three, harvests a year. Herodotus, a famous Greek historian, once wrote that Egypt was the Gift of the Nile.




Other interesting facts:
• In the ancient Egyptian times bread was very popular and was made in thirty different shapes
• The bread was made in the shape of animals and birds
• Beer was the main drink in ancient Egypt, the beer had certain nutrients (made of barley)
• The average kitchen was situated on the roof or at the back of the house
• Meat was mostly served to the privileged or rich
• Many ingredients are still used in Egypt today
• Food was put into graves of people, they believed they could eat and enjoy it in there next life.
• The Egyptian ate with their fingers and at low tables.
• In Around 6,000 BC Egyptians began farming grains to make beer.