Consider the Quail

Consider the #Quail

Ever wonder what ancient cooks used for eggs before the jungle fowl was domesticated?

Or ducks or geese?

For most of us Quail eggs and meat are luxury items.

Ever wonder why there are no references to sweet cakes or omelettes or other deserts in Homer and why they don't start getting mentioned until Aristophanes?

No or few eggs for cooking! Duck and geese eggs would have been seasonal.

Quail however are small birds that can be trapped with nets and raised for both eggs and meat.

However you still would have had to have spare grain to feed them!

While they will eat a variety of grain ... you have to have surplus to feed them hence quail eggs and meat as a luxury item , hunted or farmed, in ancient Greece and Europe.

They can't thrive on table scraps like some chickens.

Thats why many scholars think references to cakes in lyric poetry were references to cakes of pressed dried fruit .

See my previous post and the notes and  translation of the swallow song.

Spicy or not so spicy Greeks

Greek cooking has used the same herbs and spices for centuries yet the ANCIENT Greeks also lacked or only had as expensive imports spices we take for granted.

We know for sure these spices were used being used as they are mentioned in Linear B texts or have origin myths.

Coriander Sesame Cumin Mint

Scholars think these herbs were used since they are mentioned by Theophrastus or Hellenistic and Imperial era writers like Athenaeus

Some of them may have been used more for essential oils and making perfume or medicines.

Cassia Cinnamon Chervil Dill Fennel Oregano Rocket Lovage Bay Cardamon Thyme Rosemary

Only about half or less of the herbs and spices available this century!

And fruit ... most of the fruits were not citrus or stone and unless a shepherd brought them down to a lowlands market the supply of nuts and berries was limited too!

No pepper or ginger  before the Roman era. No or very few  Indian or Chinese spices.
No nutmeg No AllSpice  No curry masalas

Some things we do better than the Classical world!