to precisely identify the species that they ate from Egyptian words
or paintings, and there aren’t remains as with other animals. They
did have elaborate ways of preparing and preserving fi sh, which are
obviously very perishable. There are depictions of fi sh, presumably
dried and salted, being carried in baskets or being stacked for
sale. Egyptians also ate salted dried fi sh roe. They sometimes ate
crocodile, but this was also a sacred animal. Like wheat, grapes were introduced into Egypt, and vineyards
were owned only by the wealthiest people. Frequently, harvesting
scenes were painted on tombs. Egyptians became connoisseurs
of wine, too. Wine jars were buried in tombs, such as King Tut’s,
and sometimes the jars contained information like the estate,
winemaker, and year of vintage. There is pretty good evidence that
there was a luxury trade in wine—or at least that pharaohs could
expect to drink the best wine in the afterlife.
The milky sap of older varieties of lettuce was suggestive of semen
to the Egyptians, which is why they used it as a fertility offering to
the gods. They also had celery, cabbage, gourds, and cucumbers.
The only beans that the Egyptians could’ve had were fava beans,
black-eyed peas, or chickpeas. They also had lentils and vetches.
Priests were supposed to avoid beans. Beans were as important then
as they are today.
The young shoots of papyrus can be peeled and steamed, but
papyrus was much more useful for paper. Other plants that were
familiar to Egyptians were sedge (a kind of small starchy tuber),
lotus, and water lily.
The spices that were common to Egyptians include cumin, anise,
coriander, fenugreek, mustard, and juniper. All were used in cuisine,
medicine, and mummifi cation. In addition, garlic and onions
were very important; they were apparently fed to slaves building
the pyramids.