Christmas is fast approaching! Nine days left to buy and wrap gifts, pick out your best holiday outfit and plan a Christmas menu that will delight the senses and fill your guests with holiday cheer. AntiquityNOW is here to help. We’re bringing you recipes with a past that will tickle the taste buds and fill your feast with historic meaning. Each of the dishes below has a fascinating history you can share with your family and friends. And the foods are from all over the world, so you’ll be serving a truly international and timeless meal! Continue reading
Tag Archives: ancient recipes
Bon Appetit Wednesday! A Christmas Feast
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Punic Porridge
It’s beginning to look a lot like winter! As snow blankets the ground and temperatures start to plummet, there’s nothing better on a chilly morning than a bowl of piping hot porridge. And if you want a dose of history with your breakfast, AntiquityNOW is here for you. This recipe, courtesy of On Agriculture by the Roman, Cato the Elder, was taken from the Phoenicians during the Punic Wars. It is considerably more exciting than the boring Roman version, also printed in On Agriculture. Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Ancient Cacao Wine
Cacao pod. Image courtesy of Genet at German Wikipedia.
We love chocolate at AntiquityNOW. One of the first blog posts we published was about the history of chocolate (Hot Chocolate: Gift of the Gods Since 1900 BCE), so it shouldn’t be surprising that given the chance to bring you another chocolate recipe we jumped for joy! This holiday season, look no further for the drink that will delight your guests and make you the talk of the party scene: Cacao Wine from ancient Honduras. You can either buy some from Dogfish Head breweries (it is in limited release and may be difficult to find) or tackle the adventure of making your own batch with the recipe below. Continue reading
Happy Two-Year Anniversary Bon Appetit Wednesday! Celebrate Our Most Popular Ancient Recipe
Two years ago we published our first official Bon Appetit Wednesday post. Since then we’ve brought you 125 recipes with a past: 125 dishes with ancient stories to tell, and 125 ancient treats for your taste buds. And we’ve loved all that we’ve learned along the way. Isn’t uncovering the culinary secrets of ancient history deliciously amazing? Continue reading
Fact or Fiction? Ancient Grain
Wheat has been cultivated as a crop for thousands of years, sustaining many cultures through time. It has often been referred to as the “mother of all grains” for its importance, and even today is used in a wide range of products that supports the economies of countries around the world. Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! National Sundae Day
I scream! You scream! We all scream for ice cream! It’s National Sundae Day and you know what that means… cool, creamy, delicious sundaes served with a topping of ancient history. Did you know that Hot Fudge Sundaes have ancient origins? Check out our blog post, Hot Fudge Sundae: A Dessert 5,000 Years in the Making, to learn more about this yummy combination of past and present. And don’t miss our version written just for kids here. Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Sesame Balls (Jian Dui)
Chewy and crispy, sweet and savory, this ancient Chinese treat has it all. Today we’re bringing you a recipe sure to delight even the pickiest of palates. Sesame balls, Jian Dui, date back to the Tang Dynasty (7th century CE) in China. These round pastries were a popular palace food in Chang’an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty.[1] Not surprisingly, as people migrated across China, they brought Sesame Balls with them and the recipe persisted from century to century. Continue reading
Happy Halloween from AntiquityNOW!
Maybe you’re adding the finishing touches to a costume you’ve been hand-sewing for weeks or maybe you’re scrambling to find last-minute costume ideas on the internet. Perhaps you’re preparing to observe an ancient Samhain or perhaps you’re headed to a modern Halloween bash. No matter how you plan to celebrate tonight’s festivities, it’s almost certainly going to involve delicious treats. Feasting on this night is nothing new. Check out our post The Colorful Past of Halloween Treats to learn more about the ancient origins of this holiday and more importantly, the food!
Also, don’t miss this fascinating slideshow of Halloween being celebrated all over the world.
And here’s a recipe for adorable mini ghost cupcakes.
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Ancient Amaranth Leaves
Today we’re bringing you another ancient African super vegetable, amaranth leaves. You may be thinking, “Didn’t they already do a Bon Appetit Wednesday article about amaranth?” The answer is “Yes!” Bon Appetit Wednesday! Popping Up Some Ancient Amaranth was about the ancient use of the amaranth grain in the Americas. The amazing thing about amaranth is that it was used in a completely different way in ancient Africa. It was and continues to be a very popular green vegetable, called a potherb. The leaves are boiled, sometimes with other green leafy veggies, and provide numerous vitamins and minerals. As is the case with many ancient food staples, amaranth grows quickly and easily in many habitats so it was perfect for those needing an inexpensive and healthy meal.[1] In fact, the word “amaranth” actually comes from the ancient Greek word meaning “life everlasting.”[2] Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! African Nightshade
“Eat your greens and you’ll grow big and strong!” Since childhood we’ve been taught the importance of eating leafy green veggies, but that never seemed to persuade our minds or palates. But times have changed, and as a surprise to our younger selves, it seems that greens are getting more and more popular. No longer do we run from kale, or hide our collards under the napkin. Today, greens are all the rage. In fact in Africa, restaurants are increasingly turning to ancient, indigenous species to invigorate their menus and bring back a taste of the past. One of the most popular veggies making a comeback is the African Nightshade. Today, we’re bringing you a recipe for Cream of Nightshade Spinach. Spoiler Alert: There’s no spinach involved. Continue reading
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