Kykeon - Barley groats

Kykeon is a meal we often cook on our camps. the recipe is described by Dalby, A., & Granger, S. in their book Küchengeheimnisse der Antike (p. 144) and we would like to share it with you.

The Recipe: Kykeon

For 4 servings you need

  • 120 g semolina (preferably barley)
  • 375 g Ricotta cheese (Take care to use unbaked Ricotta, baked (“al forno”) Ricotta will not dissolve properly
  • 60 g of Honey
  • 1 Egg

 

Boil the Barley semolina with water. After a while of cooking add the Ricotta step by step and keep stirring until Ricotta is fully dissolved and the groats begins to thicken. Crack the egg into the mixture and stir. Sweeten to taste with honey and bring to a final boil.

Kykeon

Experiences

Kykeon is a simple and fast prepared dish which might have been a frequent meal in the camps of ancient Greek soldiers. Only one serving of this dish is already extremely satiable. However its taste is rather unimpressive. An upgrade with nuts or fruits (either fresh or dried) should be considered. We have tried to add roasted almonds to the Kykeon which is a very nice taste enhancement. A rather hearty version may also be possible. Kykeon is well suited as a basic meal, but without variation it might get boring if eaten on a regular basis.

If you would like to know more about ancient food, please take a look at our separate article about the food in the ancient Greek armies.