20 Foods Ancient Egyptian Workers ACTUALLY Ate To Build The Pyramids (History Forgotten)

In this video, we'll cover staple foods, vegetables, meats, and alcoholic beverages to give you a brief introduction to the food culture of Ancient Egypt. Making these videos isn't easy, so if you feel the quality is decent after watching, we'd appreciate it if you could lend your support with a click. I'm bowing to you from behind the screen and thanking you in advance. So, the concept of Ancient Egypt generally refers to the period from around 3500 BC, during the Nakata culture, to 332 BC, the time of Alexander the Great. That's a history spanning over 3,000 years. Throughout this long history, Ancient Egypt was divided into numerous periods and dynasties. The nation itself was a melting pot, home to many different peoples, cultures, and religious beliefs. But on the whole, the living conditions for Ancient Egyptians were far from ideal. They were surrounded by the Sahara Desert. In fact, the very word desert originally comes from Egypt. Almost the entire population was crowded into an area that makes up only 5% of modern-day Egypt's land. Geographically, Ancient Egypt can be basically split into two main parts. To the north is Lower Egypt, and to the south is Upper Egypt. You might be wondering why is it backwards. That's because upper and lower here are determined by the direction the Nile River flows. The source of the Nile is in the south, so that's Upper Egypt. It eventually flows out into the sea, which is why the north is actually Lower Egypt. Northern Lower Egypt was the center of grain production, while Southern Upper Egypt had a drier climate and suffered from frequent droughts. So in the fight for limited resources, this region later saw constant warfare. Perhaps influenced by their harsh living conditions, the Ancient Egyptians held a deep reverence and gratitude for their food. Let's talk about Egypt. Their mythology is full of gods with animal heads. We can see from the large amounts of food they always buried with their dead, that they generally prepared for the afterlife based on the best version of their daily lives. This was their attitude toward death. So in this ancient civilization bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the east surrounded by desert, what kind of food culture did they actually create? Just hang on a second, and I'll break it all down for you. Grains were the core of the Ancient Egyptian diet. The Egyptians commonly ate grains like barley and a type of emmer wheat. They used these to make bread, but probably because of the climate at the time, their bread always had a lot of sand in it. This is something that archaeologists actually discovered and deduced after studying the teeth of mummies. Now besides traditional bread, the Egyptians also got a little creative with wheat, making a type of thin crispy flatbread. Later on, they developed this into a famous national dessert, Omali. To make it, the flatbread is crushed, mixed with butter and then baked. Then a big pot of milk and condensed milk is simmered. Once that's ready, it's poured all over the crushed flatbread, topped with nuts and baked one more time. And there you have it. What do you all think? I'm not much of a dessert person myself anyway. So besides barley and wheat, rice is of course also one of the staple foods for Egyptians today. But the Ancient Egyptians never got a chance to taste it because it wasn't until around the year 640 that it was brought over by Arab conquerors. Vegetables are a really interesting part of the Egyptian diet. Because of the geographical distance, a lot of the vegetables in Egypt are pretty unfamiliar to us. But of course, there are some familiar ones too. Because of the geographical distance, a lot of the vegetables in Egypt are pretty unfamiliar to us. But of course, there are some familiar ones too. Take garlic for example. There are records of Egyptians growing it 5,000 years ago. In comparison, China also had garlic from very early on. But it was a type with a very low yield. A small and skinny single clove variety. The kind of garlic we're familiar with today didn't show up until the Western Han Dynasty, when it was brought back from the western regions by Zhang Qian to be cultivated. Then there are onions. They also held a very special status in Ancient Egypt. This pungent vegetable that can make you cry was always given some kind of extra meaning. In Medieval Europe, people used it to treat all sorts of diseases and even to fight off vampires. But the Egyptians had a more metaphysical take on it. They believed the concentric layers inside an onion symbolized the cycle of life and death. And that the secret to eternal life was hidden within. It's said that when Ramesses IV was buried, onions were placed in his eye sockets. Putting onions in his eyes, you'd think they were afraid he wouldn't be able to cry in the afterlife. Okra is another vegetable that Egyptians ate often. It actually originated in Africa nowadays. It has a much more memorable nickname. Nature's Viagra. The Japanese also call it green ginseng or just straight up the kidney-boosting herb. No wonder I love eating okra so much these days. I mean, summer's here, isn't it? First, you scramble some eggs. Then hit it with a generous amount of soy sauce. Then add some Thai chilies and minced garlic. Once it's fragrant, slice the okra on a diagonal and toss it in. Then add some button mushrooms with their natural juices. Right before taking it off, the heat thicken it with a light cornstarch slurry and you've got an incredible noodle sauce. After that, just boil some handmade noodles and pour that sauce right over the top. And if you finish the noodles and still have some sauce left, just mix in a couple spoonfuls of the noodle water. Add a couple drops of sesame oil and it's just so satisfying when you're done. So that covers the common vegetables. Now let's talk about some that are a bit more unfamiliar. For example, Egyptian lentils. You could say that in the ancient Egyptian diet, this was the most important vegetable. These lentils are different from what we might imagine. They're a deep brown color and you only eat the little bean part. What do you think it looks more like? Back in the day, these little lentils were even used as wages, paid out to some of the workers on the pyramids. Nowadays, in Egypt's national dish, koshery, lentils are also one of the main ingredients. My first impression of this dish is that it's basically a big mix of carbs. That's because the main ingredients aren't just rice, but also macaroni and a type of Egyptian vermicelli. Then you add all sorts of other toppings. And finally, you drench it in tomato sauce. Don't be fooled just because there's no meat. If you actually eat the whole plate of this, it will definitely keep you full for a long time. Another one is the chufa, also called a tiger nut. This is a food that's both ancient and trendy. The people of ancient Egypt ate them often. They're about the size of a hazelnut or a chickpea. After they're dried, the skin gets wrinkly, and they don't look very appealing. But then around 2013, they were rediscovered by health food enthusiasts who hyped them up big time. Today, they're most popular in Valencia, Spain. Because they're the main ingredient in the famous local drink horchata. At first glance, this thing really does look like a nut. But you might regret it once you pop one in your mouth, because it has none of the crunchy texture of a nut. It's actually a small root vegetable. That's why in ancient Egypt, people would even grind it into flour, shape it, and then cook it further. I'm not sure what the exact texture would be like, though. Has anyone tried this? Can you describe it? I think the best use for this stuff is as a substitute. If you're allergic to nuts but still want to eat them, then this is the perfect choice. If you're lactose intolerant, then tiger nuts can also be made into a lactose-free milk substitute. Molokia is also known as jute mallow. It most likely originated in Egypt. This vegetable is extremely bitter when eaten raw. But when cooked, it thickens up soups and stews. So it's best to stew it with different kinds of meat. The ancient Egyptians once believed it was poisonous. Legend has it that up until 1674 BC, Egypt was ruled by the Hyksos. Back then, the rulers forced the Egyptians to eat Molokia. Their intention was to poison them all. But when they ate it, absolutely nothing happened except that it was actually good for them. And that's how they found out Molokia wasn't poisonous. After that, it became a vegetable that everyone absolutely loved. Today, Molokia chicken soup served with rice is one of the most common everyday meals for Egyptians. You can tell just by looking at it that it's the kind of soupy dish that's perfect with rice. It's kind of like our version of a hearty, savory stew that you just have to eat with rice. To cook it, you first make a big pot of chicken broth. Once that's done, you take the chicken out and shred the meat. Then you give the Molokia a quick stir-fry and then pour the chicken broth back in. After it's stewed for a while, you add the shredded chicken back in to simmer with it. And that's pretty much it. Aside from that, there's another plant. And I'm not sure if you can really call it a vegetable, but it's definitely worth mentioning. And that is the famous papyrus. There are five writing systems in the world that developed independently. Ancient Babylonian cuneiform. Chinese characters based on oracle bone script. The two linear scripts from the Greek island of Crete. And of course, ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. And the medium used for these hieroglyphs back in the day, it was mainly papyrus. Of course, since papyrus doesn't preserve well, when later generations deciphered the hieroglyphs, they mainly relied on the Rosetta Stone. For the people of Egypt, papyrus was a true treasure with every part being useful, much like how important bamboo was to ancient China, besides being used for paper. Its dried stalks could be used to start fires and build houses. The inner pith could be used as a wick for lighting. The outer skin could be woven into baskets, mats, and sandals, all sorts of daily necessities. They could even extract fragrances from it, which were used in rituals and to repel insects. And its young shoots could be eaten raw, while the inner stalk could be eaten after being cooked. But because the papyrus leaves are very sharp, it was pretty inconvenient for people to eat them. So its role as a food source gradually faded over time. Even when it was eaten, it was mostly used to feed livestock. In ancient Egypt, meat was extremely expensive, basically a privileged food for the rich and the nobility. Common people rarely had meat on their tables, but if they did, 99% of the time it would be pork. That's because in ancient Egypt, pork was considered unclean, so the upper class rarely ate it. Later on, the image of the pig even became associated with the God of Death set in some way. This is what set looks like. Would you say it's a pig? It kind of looks like one, but some people say it's a jackal. On the tables of the rich and the nobility, the main types of meat were beef and mutton. As for fish, tilapia was the most commonly eaten fish in ancient Egypt, hands down. Tilapia and the Nile River, they just sound like a perfect match. Of course, their names actually have no connection at all. The Chinese name for tilapia is actually a transliteration from Vietnamese. Also because of their religious beliefs in Egypt, there were many types of fish that they were forbidden to eat. Different types of fish were often associated with different social statuses. There were even rules about who could eat which kind of fish. Take eels, for example. In ancient Egypt, they were once considered a sacred food for the upper class. When it comes to poultry, as breeding techniques developed, chickens gradually became more important in ancient Egypt. But at first, the Egyptians' favorite type of poultry to hunt was none other than the Egyptian goose. There's even a theory that force-feeding geese was actually started by the Egyptians. The reason they did this wasn't to get fatty goose liver. It was just a method the upper class used to get higher quality food. They did the same thing with cattle, too. After all, plump birds and livestock definitely taste better, right? The Egyptians were very talented when it came to making alcohol. The two main types of alcoholic drinks in the world today, beer and wine, were both made by the Egyptians. Beer in particular held a very, very important place in Egypt. But Egyptian beer back then and the beer we have now were vastly different because their brewing techniques weren't fully developed. The beer back then had a lot of clumps in it and there would be a thick layer of sediment at the bottom. Because of this, Egyptian beer at the time had to be drunk through a straw. The alcohol content was also pitifully low. You could pretty much drink it all day long without worrying about getting drunk. Just like the lentils mentioned earlier, beer was also used as payment for the workers who built the pyramids. As for wine, it appeared in Egypt around 3000 BC. It was probably first introduced from Mesopotamia. But the ancient Egyptians definitely made important contributions to the advancement of wine. They cultivated very model grape varieties with such a far-reaching influence. Also, once the ancient Egyptians got the hang of making wine, they started expanding the range of ingredients they used. Take palm wine, for example. This wine comes from the fermented sap of palm trees. Besides drinking it, the Egyptians also used it as a cleaning solution to wash bodies before mummification. In addition, pomegranates, poppy seeds, and carob were all used to make wine at some point. Egypt has a long and storied history. In its early days, the natural conditions of the Nile Valley gave birth to this ancient civilization. You've got vast barren deserts dotted with freshwater springs and oases that's its geography. For a long time, this environment protected Egypt from invasion, allowing it to develop in peace. However, after the era of the pharaohs ended, Egypt repeatedly fell under the rule of outsiders for more than 2,300 years. These foreign powers included the Persians, Greeks, Romans, the Byzantine Empire, Arabs, the Ottoman Turks, and the British Empire to name a few. And with every conquest, the dietary habits and cultural customs of these foreigners would leave their mark on Egypt. When the glint of swords had faded and the horns of war fell silent, Egypt would just quietly absorb and integrate it all. With such a rich and deep history, it's way more than a single video can cover, so I feel like this is a topic worth keeping. We can let it sit for a while, then come back for a deeper dive. What do you guys think?