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Ancient Egyptian food is surprisingly diverse considering the arid landscape from which it came. Although Egypt is a hot, desert country where the lack of water makes it difficult to grow crops and raise animals, the annual flooding of the river Nile (inundation) between the months of June and September made the Nile Valley one of the most fertile areas of the ancient world.

When the river flooded, mud and silt was deposited onto the surrounding area. This soil was rich and fertile and made good farming land. The main crops grown were wheat and barley.

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Wheat was made into bread which was one of the main ancient Egyptian foods eaten by both rich and poor ancient Egyptians. The picture (right) shows the bread-making process.

First the grain was made into flour. It was then made into dough with water and yeast which was placed into a clay mould before being cooked in a stone oven.

Barley was used to make beer. The barley was combined with yeast and made into a dough which was part-baked in a stone oven. It was then crumbled into a large vat, mixed with water and allowed to ferment before being flavoured with dates or honey. Recent evidence suggests that barley malt may also have been used in the process.

Beer was drank by both rich and poor.

Wine made from grapes, pomegranates and plums was enjoyed by the rich.

Ancient Egyptian Food For the Wealthy

The ancient Egyptian food of the rich included meat - (beef, goat, mutton), fish from the Nile (perch, catfish, mullet) or poultry (goose, pigeon, duck, heron, crane) on a daily basis. Poor Egyptians only ate meat on special occasions but ate fish and poultry more often.

The picture (above) shows ancient Egyptians hunting for fish and birds in the reeds that grew on the banks of the Nile.

Meat, fish and poultry was roasted or boiled. It was flavoured with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, sesame, dill and fennel.

Meat, fish and poultry that was not eaten quickly was preserved by salting or drying.

A variety of vegetables were grown and eaten by the ancient Egyptians including onions, leeks, garlic, beans, lettuce, lentils, cabbages, radishes and turnips.

Fruit including dates, figs, plums and melons were eaten for dessert.
This article is part of our larger selection of posts about Egypt in the ancient world. To learn more, click here for our comprehensive guide to Ancient Egypt.
Cite This Article

"Ancient Egyptian Food: Dining Like a Pharoah" History on the Net
© 2000-2022, Salem Media.
February 17, 2022 <https://www.historyonthenet.com/ancient-egyptian-food>
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Ancient Egyptian Food: Dining Like a Pharoah - History

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Loading... Ancient Egyptian food is surprisingly diverse considering the arid landscape from which it came. Although Egypt is a hot, desert country where the lack of water makes it difficult to grow crops and raise animals, the annual flooding of the river Nile (inundation) between the months of June and September made the Nile Valley one of the most fertile areas of the ancient world.

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Few articles tell us about everyday life of the ancient Egyptians. What were their homes like? How was the education of their children? What did they feed on? In this article we will try to answer this last question. This way we can know a little more about everyday life, in this specific case, about food of the ancient Egypt.

The ancient Egyptians ate two or three times a day, at dawn the poorest workers ate bread with onions, and then made a stronger meal.

The richest classes made a light meal in the early hours and a great meal in the afternoon, which they could go on until the night. It is thought that the ancient Egyptians often used their hands to eat.

Ancient Egyptians ate around a small table and the children on the floor on cushions; the most favored classes had meat, fruit, bread and beer on their table; royalty consumed in addition to the latter, wines and juices.

Except for the poor class, the meat was available to everyone, except beef, only consumed by royalty or people like butchers, since it was a great expense to feed large animals; an animal could feed many people and only royalty sacrificed it for big parties and with the security of being able to consume it in later days.

Also domestic birds, small livestock and fish, were available to everyone, since they accessed them through hunting, since at that time the valley of Egypt was much greener and wetter and more animal species lived together.

The middle class raised sheep, pigs and goats for consumption or to sell in the markets.

In any case, meat was not the most consumed food; they consumed vegetables, legumes, eggs and milk as the main source of protein.

Vegetables were available to everyone, mainly onions. Salads, lentils or vegetables was the usual and most consumed among the ancient Egyptians, accompanied by beer and bread.

Cereals were consumed by all social classes; they also consumed cakes filled with dates or figs, the latter only accessible to the poor classes on special occasions.

Were they going hungry in ancient Egypt?

It was very difficult to starve in Ancient Egypt. In that case, it would be because the Nile did not increase enough to flood all farmland or because pests devour crops.

Normally, the entire ancient Egyptians were well nourished, since society promoted sharing food, making common meals ... In addition, the Nile ensured that Egypt was a large granary, and could even store surpluses in silos.

These warehouses were organized by the royal administration during the years when the harvest was very abundant, thus preventing possible famines.

Bread in ancient Egypt

It is the tombs that provide us with information on the diet that the ancient Egyptians followed. Thanks to the Offering Lists we know the list of the necessary foods for the Hereafter.

The main diet of the ancient Egyptians was made of bread and beer. The presence of these cereals is because they are the most common in ancient Egyptian agriculture.

When it comes to bread, we can find many varieties. The simplest were with flour, water and salt or some sweet varieties with honey and dates, made in the ceramic oven.

Drinks in ancient Egypt

The other essential food in their diet, beer, was the favorite drink of the ancient Egyptians. The simplest elaboration processes consisted of mixing half-baked bread crumbs with water, and letting it ferment until it reached the desired degree of alcohol.

There were many types of beer: common beer, sweet, thick, strong ... But the most common is that the beer was lowered with water, since this was given to the workers as payment of their salary.

Therefore, if it was very strong, it could influence the worker to perform his duties properly.

The wine was considered a luxury item for special occasions. The best wine in ancient Egypt was produced in the El Fayum region or in the Delta, but wines imported from other regions were also appreciated.

The jars or amphorae where the wine was stored were marked with the origin of the grapes, as a distinctive seal or signature. Sweet wines derived from figs, dates or pomegranates were also produced.

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Few articles tell us about everyday life of the ancient Egyptians. What were their homes like? How was the education of their children? What did they feed on? In this article we will try to answer this last question. This way we can know a little more about everyday life, in this specific case, about food of the ancient Egypt.

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Food

Agriculture

Each summer, starting in July, the Nile River rose, flooding the low-lying plains on either side. Swollen by the monsoon rains of Ethiopia, it deposited a layer of black soil over the land, rich in nutrients needed for growing crops. The river rose about 8 metres (27 feet) on average. If it rose 2.5 metres (8 feet) higher or lower, disaster struck. When it rose too high, villages were flooded, causing extensive damage and loss of life. When it did not rise high enough, the fields did not receive sufficient nutrients and moisture to support the crops, which resulted in famine.

Under normal conditions, the flood plains supported a rich variety of plants and animals that provided food for the ancient Egyptians. The vast majority of the people were involved in farming. When the flood waters began to recede in mid-September, farmers blocked canals to retain the water for irrigation. Still used today, theshaduf is a mechanical irrigation device used to conduct water from the canals to the fields. One person can operate it by swinging the bucket of water from the canal to the field.

Livestock was important to the Egyptian economy, supplying meat, milk, hides, and dung for cooking fuel. Draft animals such as oxen increased agricultural productivity. Herdsmen and shepherds lived a semi-nomadic life, pasturing their animals in the marshes of the Nile.

(left) Breaking the ground with plough and hoe.
(centre) Reaping. Scattering the seed.
(right) Separating the grain from the chaff.
Paintings: Winnifred Neeler, Royal Ontario Museum

Although the land was worked by the peasants, it was owned by the king, his officials and the temples. Farmers had to meet grain quotas, which were handed over to the owners as a form of taxation. They were allowed to keep a portion of the crops for their own benefit. If they did not produce the quantity expected, however, they were severely punished.

Food staples

The principal food crops, barley and emmer, were used to make beer and bread, the main staples of the Egyptian diet. Grains were harvested and stored in granaries until ready to be processed. The quantities harvested each season far exceeded the needs of the country, so much was exported to neighbouring countries, providing a rich source of income for the Egyptian treasury.

(left) A baker.
(centre) (top) Slab for grinding grain. (bottom) Bread.
(right) Fig gatherers.
Paintings: Winnifred Neeler, Royal Ontario Museum

A large variety of vegetables were grown, including onions, garlic, leeks, beans, lentils, peas, radishes, cabbage, cucumbers and lettuce. There were also fruits, such as dates, figs, pomegranates, melons and grapes, and honey was produced for sweetening desserts. The Egyptian diet was supplemented by fish, fowl and meat, although peasants probably enjoyed meat only on special occasions. Domesticated animals raised for food included pigs, sheep and goats. Grapes were processed into wine for the noble class, but beer was the favourite drink of the common people. Food was served in pottery bowls, but no utensils were used for eating.

Bread- and beer-making
Model from the tomb of Mentuhotep II
(Valley of the Kings)
Plaster and wood
Royal Ontario Museum 907.18 series

Hunting and fishing

Pharaohs and nobles participated in hunting, fishing and fowling expeditions, a means of recreation that had ritualistic and religious significance. Hunting scenes often depicted on temple walls and tombs reinforce the prowess of kings and nobles. Rabbits, deer, gazelles, bulls, oryx, antelopes, hippopotamuses, elephants and lions were among the wild animals hunted for their meat and skins.

Assisted by his wife, Tutankhamun hunts birds in the marshes along the Nile. In accordance with artistic convention, the end of the bow string and the butt of the arrow are concealed behind his head. His left arm is protected by an archer's leather brace, and he sits on a folding stool, accompanied by his tame lion. The vulture hovering above the king's head indicates that this is a ritual hunting scene, and the birds symbolize enemies in the land of the gods.

Fishing allowed the working class to add variety to its diet. The poor substituted fish for meat, which they could not afford. The Nile, the marshes of the delta and the Mediterranean Sea offered them a rich variety of species. Fishing methods included the use of a hook and line, harpoons, traps and nets. Birds, including geese and ducks, were also hunted in the marshes and papyrus thickets along the Nile. Small fishing boats (skiffs) were made from papyrus reeds, which are naturally filled with air pockets, making them particularly buoyant. Skiffs were also used for hunting game in the Nile marshes.

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Egyptian civilization - Daily life - Food

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Food Each summer, starting in July, the Nile River rose, flooding the low-lying plains on either side. Swollen by the monsoon rains of Ethiopia, it deposited a layer of black soil over the land, rich in nutrients needed for growing crops. The river rose about 8 metres (27 feet) on average.

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What Egyptians Ate: Did the Cuisine of Ancient Egypt Reflect the Tastes of Today?

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The ancient Egyptians enjoyed a variety of foods, not unlike what we enjoy today. Nevertheless, compared to many other ancient civilizations, the ancient Egyptians had access to better foods. The Nile River provided irrigation for crops and water for livestock. Generally speaking, bread and beer wer…

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Lyrics

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Heat, red waves, I'm swimmin' in a-

Sometimes all I think about is you

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Sometimes all I think about is you

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Sometimes all I think about is you

Late nights in the middle of June

Heat waves been fakin' me out

Heat waves been fakin' me out

Sometimes all I think about is you

Late nights in the middle of June

Heat waves been fakin' me out

Can't make  bread  better now

Sometimes all I think about is you

Late nights in the middle of June

Heat waves been fakin' me out

Can't make you happier now

Road shimmer, wigglin' the vision

Heat, heat waves, I'm swimming' in a basket of food

Road shimmer, wigglin' the vision

1. Heat, heat waves, I'm swimming' in a basket of food