1. Gastronomy in Byzantium
Comenius Project
2nd High School of Kilkis, Greece
2013 – 2014
Project team no. 3
• Christos Christoforidis
• Stelios Foutsitzhs
• Thanos Mauropoulos
• Leonidas Naoumis
2. 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.
4. 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
Lunch
or
Ariston
Supper
5. Spices
The 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
6. Some Information About Spices
Oregano 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Hospitality
Xenia (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
10. 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.
