LaurenPutnam

NanoHistoryResearchPaper:HellenisticFood
HIST134K.Lark
March22,2016

AncientGreekcuisinewashistoricallyknownforreflectingtheagriculturalhardshipsas
wellasthefrugalityoftheirefforts.(AncientGreekCuisine)Theknowledgethatwehaveonthe
Greekcuisineisfromartisticandliteraryevidence.Hellenization,orHellenismisthespreadof
GreekcultureafterthecontrolofAlexandertheGreat.Thiswasalsothemostmajor
developmentoftheeasternmediterranean.Thecuisinethatwasdevelopedinthistimewas
exquisiteandverydifferentthanthemealsthatweenjoytoday.ThethreetopicsthatIwillbe
discussingare,typesofmealsanddining,differentfoods,andtheroleoffood.Thiswill
encompassalloftheeraofHellenisticfoodsandwillgiveanoverviewofhowitdiffersthan
whatwereusedtotoday.
Inancientgreekculture,theyhadthreetofourmealsperday.Thisissimilartotheway
thatweeatintodayssociety.Theywouldhavenormalbreakfast,lunch,sometimesalighter
secondlunch,anddinner.Thesedifferenttypesofmealsallwerepairedwithdifferenttypesof
food.Sometimesincurrentculture,foodscanoverlapintolunch,dinnerandalsobreakfast.In
Greekcuisine,thiswasntthecase.Forbreakfast,theywouldhavebreaddippedinwine,and
sometimesolivesandfigswithit.Theywouldalsohavetheoptionforaversionofpancakes,
andthingstheycouldcookinafryingpan.Tagenitieswereapopularbreakfastfoodmadeof
milk,honey,oil,olive,wheat,andflour.Itwastoppedwithhoneyandagreatbreakfastaddition.
Forlunch,itwasoftenquickandwasaroundnoonorearlyafternoon.Thiswasconsideredtobe
themostimportantmealoftheday.Thelunchanddinnerchoiceswereverymuch
interchangeableandtheoptionswillbeexplainedinthenextsection.Dinnerwasofteninthe
eveningandthosemealsweredesignedtobeheartyandfull.Theywerefullofhealthy
ingredientsandmeanttobuildstrongpeople.Menandwomenseparatelytooktheirmeals.Ifthe

housewastoosmall,themenwouldeatfirstandthewomenwouldeatafterthem.Youwereto
havetheupmostrespectforthebreadwinnerofthehouse,thefather.Sooftentimesiftherewere
noslaves,thewivesorchildrenwouldservedinner.Thedishesthatservedthefoodbecame
moredurableovertime.Theywereoftenmadeoutofpreciousmetalsorglass.
Allofthedifferentfoodsservedanequallydiversepurpose.Thecombinationsofmany
dishesweremadetobelighter,heavier,moreorlesscomplex.(AncientGreekCuisine)The
combinationswereendless.Breadforexamplewasastapleofthediet.Barleyandwheatwere
thetwomaingrains.Wheatgrainsweresoaked,andgroundintoflour,andthenformedinto
loavesmykneading.Itwascookedinaclayovenorovercoalsandwassignatureatmostmeals,
accompaniedwithmeat,fish,fruitsorvegetables.Thepopularityofmeatandfishdishesvaried
withthewealthofthehousehold.(HellenisticCulture)Inthecity,meatwasveryexpensivewith
theexceptionofpork.Theslaveswouldtypicallyhavefarmyardstoprovidethemwithchickens,
geese,andtrappingallowedfortheconsumptionofbirdsandhares.Inthegreekislands,and
onesthatborderedthecoastfreshfishandseafoodwerecommonly,eatenlocallyandoften
transportedin.AnchoviesandsardineswerenormalforthecityofAthens.(FoodinAncient
Greece)Therewasadiversegroupoffishthatwereeatenaswellthatvariedinpriceforhow
richorpooryouwere.Spartansprimarilyateasoupmadefrompig'slegsandbloodknownas
blacksoup.Itwasdesignedforthespartans,whowereknownasthebravestmenintheworld.
Egganddairyproductswereessentialtocertaindishes.Greekswouldbreedtheirhensandquails
fortheireggs.Whites,wholeeggsandyolkswereingredientsinthepreparationsofdishes.More
countrypeoplewoulddrinkmilk,buthardlyusedincooking,similartotheuseofbutter.Greeks
verymuchenjoyedtheirdairyproducts,cottagecheese,milk,andyogurt.Goat'sandewes

cheesewerestapledairyfoods.Cheesewaseatenwithvegetablesorhoney,andusedinalotof
dishes,includingfishdishes.Allofthesedifferentfoodtypeswereessentialtothepreparationof
thedifferentgreekdishesandthevarietyofhealthychoicesthatgreekswereaccustomedto.
FoodhasplayedanimportantroleinthewayofthoughtsforGreeks.Goodandbadmen
areseparatedfromforeignersinthewaysthattheyate.Eatingandfoodwasawaytoidentify
someone.Uptothe3rdcenturyBCthefrugalityplayedanimportantroleinthevirtuous
country.(FoodInAncientGreece)TheGreekstypicallyhadtwotypesofsymbolismintheir
food.Onewasareligioussymbolism.Winewasanintricatepartoftheirdiningexperienceand
wasservedwitheverymeal.Itwasalsothoughttohavemedicinalpowersandwouldmake
womenfertile.Greeksocietydidnotapproveofwomendrinkingwine,however.Spartawasthe
onlycitywherewomenfrequentlydrankwine.Thesecondsymbolismisthefoodanddrink
woulddistinguishthemselves.(HellenisticCulture)Thiswouldprovethattheyareacivilized
peopleandnotbarbarians.Thesocialdiets,aswellassocialetiquettewouldreinforcethis
thought.(AncientGreekCuisine)Theywouldthinkthatovereatingandattractingattentionwhile
eatingwereconsideredbarbaricaswell.Theywouldapproacheatinganddrinkingwithfrugality
andtomakethemselvesheldtotheideaofbeingpoorbutfreepeople.
HellenisticFoodandfoodculturediffersalotfromwhatwehavetodayandthesociety
thatwelivein.AncientGreeksforexamplewouldreallyputalotoftimeandeffortintothe
mealsandmakingsuretheyarecraftedwithexcellence.(FoodinAncientGreece)Whichdiffers
fromwhatwehavetoday,wherefoodisn'tnecessarilythoughttobeanartform,justsomething
thatweeatandmoveon.Culturetodayisveryfastandconstantlymoving,wehaveinandout
burgers,wehavefastfood,aswellassitdownrestaurants.Ourabilitytocookamealeverynight

isdiminishingeveryyearwithage,andaconstantlychangingagenda.AncientGreekcultureis
veryinterestingtoseetheimpactthatjustfoodcanmakeonasociety,thewayit'smoved,
changedandadaptedovertheyears.Ancientgreekcuisinewasdefinedintypesofmealsand
dining,differentfoods,andtheroleoffoods.Inallofthesethreetopics,youcanseehowthe
GreekCuisineshapedthemtobetheculturethattheywere.

WorksCited
"AncientGreekCuisine."
Wikipedia
.WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.16Mar.2016.
"FoodinAncientGreece:Bread,Dairy,Fish,Meat,Meals,WineandWater."
CooksInfo.com
.
Cook'sInfo,n.d.Web.17Mar.2016.
"HellenisticCulture."
PBS
.PBS,Apr.1998.Web.16Mar.2016.