Gastronomy in Byzantium
Comenius Project 2nd High School of Kilkis, Greece2013 – 2014
Project team no. 3
• Christos Christoforidis• Stelios Foutsitzhs • Thanos Mauropoulos• Leonidas Naoumis
In Byzantine Times The written sources testify much information about nutrition in Byzantium. Τhe main goal was the self-sufficiency of the household and therefore each family cultivated basic vegetables and harbored some animals (mainly poultry). Certainly this would be difficult to apply in large cities and especially in Constantinople, which in the heyday of it reached 500,000 inhabitants. For these cases the government behaved mainly through the governor of the city.
Byzantine Diet
Cereal
Bread
Dairy Products
Meat
Vegetables
FruitBarle
yOlive
oil
Wine
Wheat
Honey
Legumes
Nutrition in Byzantium
Main meals of the Byzantines
They used to eat mainly using hands, because the fork was unknown until the 10th century but after then, fork’s use was rare. They also used spoons and knives. Before and after dinner they washed their hands using chernivon which is something similar to the current basin!
Breakfast or
Profagon
Lunchor
Ariston
Supper
SpicesThe shelves in the kitchen of a Byzantine house should be equipped with various spices. Cookers used them in order to create more delicious dishes. Some of these spices were definitely the salt, oregano, vinegar, thyme, sesame seeds, capers, cumin and several others.
Spices
Oregano
Salt
Thyme
Basil
RosemaryCumin
Capers
Celery
Vinegar
Some Information About SpicesOregano comes
from dried leaves and flowers of the
homonym tree. Mainly used in
cooking and as a decoction.
Dill. The herbaceous stems
of the plant are used in flavoring
various foods.
Cumin. The dried fruits of the plant
are used in flavoring dishes, main dishes of
Oriental cuisine.
Basil. Used mainly in cooking dried leaves of broadleaf variety whose flavor is a bit
like that of anise. Flavors mixed grill, salads, stews, etc.
Sesame seeds . The seeds of the plant
are of great economic
importance. They have many uses in cooking, baking , making oil etc.
Daphne. The leaves of the tree as fresh or dried
are used in flavoring blushed,
soups etc.
Byzantine Recipes Monokythron: was cooked from various
salted or fresh fish, along with various pieces of cheese, eggs and vegetables in oil with pepper and garlic.
Myttoton: was chopped cloves of garlic mixed with olive oil and black olive puree.
Garos (sauce): blended small fish, offal, blood and gills of fish with salt. They added pepper and old wine. Simmer the mixture for several hours or let it "ferment" in the sun for 2-3 months. Garos was served mixed with oil (elaiogaros) or with water (ydrogaros) or wine (oinogaros) or vinegar.
Κρασάτον ή ξιδάτον λαγομαγείρευμα: Οι Βυζαντινοί αγαπούσαν να μαγειρεύουν τον λαγό μέσα σε κόκκινο κρασί ή σε ξίδι, με την προσθήκη πιπεριού, γαριφάλου και νάρδου (βαλεριάνα). Για να ενισχύσουν τη γεύση
προσέθεταν, κατά το μαγείρεμα και λίγο χοιρινό κρέας. Φάβατα:
Έβραζαν σε νερό ξερά κουκιά μέχρι να μπορούν να τα διαλύσουν, ανακατεύοντάς τα με μία ξύλινη κουτάλα. Προσέθεταν λάδι και αλατοπίπερο.
Όρνις μονθυλευτή: Άφηναν ένα κοτόπουλο για λίγες ώρες σε κρασί ή ξίδι, με διάφορα καρυκεύματα (πιπέρι,
γαρίφαλο, κανέλα, μοσχοκάρυδο). Μετά το παραγέμιζαν με ψίχα ψωμιού, αμύγδαλα και άλλα καρυκεύματα. Συχνά, προσέθεταν σταφίδες, κουκουνάρια και ψιλοκομμένα μανιτάρια.
Σιγόβραζαν το κοτόπουλο σε κρασί ή το έψηναν στο φούρνο μέσα σ΄ ένα καλά κλεισμένο πήλινο σκεύος, αφού το άλειφαν καλά με βούτυρο.
Αμανίται: Έκοβαν φέτες μανιτάρια και τα αλατοπιπέρωναν και στη συνέχεια τα τηγάνιζαν με
φέτες αχλαδιού. Σφουγγάτον:
Έτριβαν ένα κρεμμύδι και το τσιγάριζαν στο τηγάνι. Προσέθεταν μυρωδικά και στο τέλος τ΄ αβγά.
HospitalityXenia (Greek: ξενία, xenía) is the Greek word for the concept of hospitality, or generosity and courtesy shown to those who are far from home. It is often translated as "guest-friendship" (or "ritualized friendship") because the rituals of hospitality created and expressed a reciprocal relationship between guest and host. The Greek god Zeus is sometimes referred to as Zeus Xenios, meaning he was god of, among other things, travelers. This created a particular religious obligation to be hospitable to travelers, but guests also had responsibilities, beyond reciprocating hospitality.
Hospitality In Byzantium
Material & Moral Obligations Of Hospitality
Moral Obligations
• The respect from host to guest.
• The host must be hospitable.• . It is not polite to ask
questions until the guest has stated his/her needs.
• The guest must be courteous to their host and not be a burden.
Material Obligations:
• The host must provide their guests with food, drink and a bath, if required.
• The parting gift (xenion) from host to guest. The parting gift is to show the host's honor at receiving the guest.
Top Related