Comparison between Egyptian and Mongolian Food
|Criteria||Egyptian Food||Traditional Mongolian Food|
|Food Source||- Settled river irrigation
- In the Early Dynastic Period c.4000 BC, Egyptians first began to settle along the banks of the Nile and to evolve from hunters and gatherers to settled Farmers
- A revolution occurred in food production. Meat ceased to be the chief article of diet and was replaced by plants such as wheat and barley.
- The relatively egalitarian tribal structure of the Nile Valley broke down because of the need to manage and control the Egyptian Agriculture and the surplus it generated.
|- Nomadic herders|
|Food Security||- Egyptians were relatively secure in the fertile Nile valley
- storage of crops in communal government granaries
|- suffered regular famines - livestock heavily dependant on rain|
|Meat||As it was difficult to raise livestock on the Egyptian deserts, meat was a luxury, Fish and meat had to be especially prepared for storage. One method was salting. Another was to hang up the fish in the sun, which baked them dry.||Main Diet - dependent on meat and animal products for their dietary staples. Animals include sheep, cattle, goats, camels and horses|
|Bread||The basic food was bread - wheat was the most important crop used to make bread||Bread wasuncommon, flour was used to make noodles in some areas|
|Sugar||Sugar was unknown - honey was used as a sweetener by the rich, and poor people used dates and fruit juices||Unknown|
|Vegetables and fruits||Important crops included sesame, beans, chickpeas, lettuce, onions, garlic, dill, grapes, melons and gourds||Few fruits|
|Drink||Beer was made from barely, and was the main drink for common people||Milk from all livestock|
|Alcohol||Wine was produced by the first Dynasty in extensive cellars.
Accurate records were kept of the vintages and quality of wines, jars were clearly labeled. Wine was a luxury and the main consumption took place as:|
- Hathor was the goddess of wine and beer, temples associated with the goddess had their own vineyards to make sure that the celebrants had enough wine for the rituals.
|- Airag - the fermented milk of mares (female horses)|
- Nermel - a home brewed vodka
Video: Tasting some ancient food in Egypt
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