Passover begins this Friday, April 22nd, and this year will be different for many Jewish families. For the first time in 800 years, conservative Jews are allowed to eat kitniyot. Don’t know what kitniyot is? Don’t worry. We’re here to help. First, we’ll tell you about this centuries old ban and then we’ll bring you a recipe for a version of kitniyot. Whether or not you observe this sacred day, you can enjoy this hearty and nutritious dish. Continue reading
Tag Archives: ancient food
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Kitniyot for Passover
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture
Tagged ancient food, ancient history, ancient recipes, AntiquityNOW, kitniyot, lentils, Passover, rice
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Peach Almond Cake
Sun-kissed a blushing gold, peaches are a deliciously succulent marvel. Fuzzy or smooth, they tickle the palate and are versatility personified when gracing entrees, salads and desserts.
As much as we enjoy peaches today, you may be surprised to learn that they have quite an ancient—make that very ancient—history.
In 2010 a road crew near the North Terminal Bus Station in Kunming, central Yunnan Province, southwestern China, unearthed a strange find in the strata of a rock outcrop from the late Pliocene Ciying Formation. A team of paleontologists led by Dr. Tao Su of Xishuangbanna Tropical Garden and the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology identified the objects as eight fossilized peach endocarps or pits. They realized the discovery as a new species of the genus Prunus and named the pits P. kunmingensis. The endocarps were dated back 2.5 million years. Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! National Noodle Month
Did you know that March is National Noodle Month? Neither did we! We almost missed out on celebrating this ancient and fantastic food! In our humble opinion, noodles may be one of the world’s most perfect foods. They are the base for recipes from China to Italy and can be savory, sweet, salty and more. Today you can find noodles to suit every taste and inclination. There are zucchini noodles, gluten free noodles, cellophane noodles, flat noodles, thin noodles, long noodles, short noodles, so many noodles! Read our Ancient Noodle post below to learn about the noodle’s fascinating history and scroll down for a yummy zucchini noodle recipe. Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Ancient Roman Eggs for Easter
Easter is this Sunday and if you’ve already had enough of brightly-colored hardboiled eggs, we’ve got you covered. Just in time for Easter breakfast we’re reposting an ancient Roman egg recipe that had the Romans begging for seconds. Click here for all of the scrumptious details about Ancient Roman Eggs in Pine Nut Sauce or jump right to the recipe below! Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Ancient Stir Fry
Simple, delicious and ancient. It’s not difficult to understand why stir fry has endured the test of time. It’s healthy, easy-to-prepare and there are so many variations! Today we’re bringing you a recipe for traditional Chinese stir fry, but first, let’s take a quick look at its history.
There is evidence that the stir frying technique was first practiced during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 221 AD). Inscriptions of the Chinese character “chao” (炒), which means “stir fry”, on bronze vessels point to stir-frying being used in parching grain, and archaeological evidence of woks, along with thinly cut strips of meat, suggest it was also employed as a cooking method.[1] By the time of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE), stir fry was being used regularly. Remarkably, we have 12 surviving stir fry-related recipes from this time period.[2] Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! National Chocolate Lovers Month
Miss a chance to celebrate chocolate? Not at AntiquityNOW! It’s National Chocolate Lovers Month and we’re bringing you all of our chocolatey content in one decadent post. Humans have been chocoholics for thousands of years. Even our ancestors knew that sometimes all you need after a tough day is the taste of the velvety concoction. Click on the links below to learn about the ancient history of chocolate and to enjoy recipes inspired by chocolate’s unique and delicious past. Scroll down to find an adventurous and unexpected recipe for Chocolate Chicken. With all of these fantastic recipes, you can observe this holiday by serving chocolate for every meal! Continue reading
Don’t Miss Our Latest Recipes With a Past E-Cookbook!
Are you having a difficult time deciding what to cook for the historian in your life? Do you have a dinner party coming up and you don’t know how to wow your guests? Do you want to spice up meal times at your house? AntiquityNOW to the rescue! Download our latest free e-cookbook, Recipes With a Past 2015, and you’ll have recipes for everything from soup to nuts. And you won’t just be serving up delicious and unique dishes, you’ll also be helping to preserve cultural heritage by passing on the history behind these ancient foods.
Posted in Blog, Culinary, Culture, Recipes With a Past
Tagged ancient food, ancient history, ancient recipes, AntiquityNOW, Recipes with a Past
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Ancient Thai Rose Salad
In preparation for Valentine’s Day, today we are celebrating the rose. You may not think of the rose as a food, but we assure you it is an ancient culinary treat. In fact, the rose has been cultivated since ancient times as a source of food, medicine and for perfume. In some cultures, rose gardens were considered important croplands, much like orchards.[1] Read our post, The Rose in History: Power, Beauty and the Sweet Smell of Success, for a fascinating history of this beautiful, fragrant and delicious flower. And once you’ve learned all about the rose’s past, you’re going to want to indulge in some rose cuisine. Look no further! We’re bringing you an exotic and delightful recipe for an ancient Thai Rose Salad. This Valentine’s Day, don’t just shower your love with a bouquet of roses. Serve up this dish redolent with flavor and flair! Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture, Holidays, Public Life
Tagged ancient food, ancient history, ancient recipes, ancient Thai food, AntiquityNOW, rose history, rose salad, roses
Bon Appetit Wednesday! National Cherry Month
We’re celebrating cherries! In honor of National Cherry Month take a look back at our fact-filled Bon Appetit Wednesday! Cherry Clafoutis for Cherry Blossom Season, including a mouth-watering recipe for Cherry Clafoutis at the end of the post.
Of course, we’re not just bringing you one delicious cherry recipe today! Enjoy the recipe below for an ancient Cherry Honey Drink from Russia. Not only is it delicious, but it has detoxifying properties to help you fight cold and flu season. This drink was consumed by the nobility in Russia for thousands of years. The best versions were said to be found in monasteries where the monks devoted their time to perfecting the nectar.[1] Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture
Tagged ancient cherries, ancient food, ancient recipes, AntiquityNOW, Bon Appetit Wednesday, cherries, cherry, Cherry Blossoms, Cherry Clafoutis, honey cherry beverage, honey cherry drink, National Cherry Month, Russian honey drink, Russian recipes
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Figs Part 2: Greek Fig Cakes (Sykomaitha)
Last week we told you a bit about the prehistoric history of the fig and how it spread to Greece and Rome, where it became a major dietary staple. This week we’re exploring more about the fig itself and as well bringing you a recipe for Greek fig cakes, called Sykomaitha. Just as figs have some unexpected palate-tickling qualities, these sweet little cakes up the deliciousness factor with a delightful surprise ingredient. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture
Tagged ancient fig, ancient food, ancient history, ancient recipes, AntiquityNOW, Bon Appetit Wednesday, fig, fig cakes, figs, Sykomaitha\
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