DINING WITH THE SAINTS AND EMPERORS:
A Byzantine Feast

The Byzantine Empire was a major world power spanning over a millennium and a vast geographical region. Its capital city of Constantinople stood as a metaphor for the exotic complexity of this legendary empire. Here, ancient traditions of art, scholarship, and science continued to thrive while the rest of Europe slipped into the “Dark Ages.” Also thriving, according to travelers’ accounts, was a rich culinary world that astonished visitors as much as the exoticism and beauty of the setting. The many ethnic traditions influencing this strategically placed trade center combined with its surrounding fertile land and teeming waters yielded a rich and diverse cuisine unrivalled anywhere in the West.

Upon arrival in Constantinople, European visitors encountered taverns and food stalls dotting the city’s streets, serving fare so delectable that even emperors frequented this bustling public scene. Visitors experienced a dazzling assault on the senses as they strode past elegantly dressed locals and took in the unusual smells and tastes of an entirely foreign cuisine. Those important or fortunate enough to be invited to one of the legendary imperial banquets were also amazed at the glittering tableware, luxurious fabrics, and unusual eating utensils they encountered. Many tasted certain foods for the first time, such as rice, eggplant, citrus fruits, yogurt, caviar, and rich sauces such as the ancient Roman fish sauce, garum, no longer used in the West, all put together in complex and creative ways by Byzantine cooks. The complex sophistication of this culinary culture underscored the great divide between it and “barbarian” cultures whose meals and dining habits were far less impressive, a point not lost on guests attending an imperial feast.

Both the Church and dietetic medicine regulated the Byzantine diet. The Church’s strict Lenten schedules dictated what could and could not be eaten on certain days. Dietetic medicine was based on the ancient theory that the “4 humors” in the body that could be balanced by a healthy diet. It was in Byzantine cuisine that exotic spices from faraway places, such as nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and sugar—solely considered as medicine in ancient times—first made their way into prepared dishes adding both flavor and health benefit to the meal.

Much is now known about the intricate workings of Byzantine society, but sadly no recipe books survive to reveal the secrets needed to replicate this culture’s culinary masterpieces. Nevertheless, contemporary literary references to food, health treatises, monastery diet rules, and visitors’ descriptions of meals fill in many of the blanks and allow us to combine ingredients in such a way as to approximate the culinary experience of a Byzantine meal.

The meal herein proposed will replicate that of a well-to-do citizen of Constantinople around the 11th-14th centuries who would typically eat 2 to 3 times a day, with the most substantial meal consumed at mid-day or at evening in the case of a banquet or symposium. This meal would consist of several courses, starting with the appetizers to “awaken” the appetite, continuing with side dishes of legumes and vegetables, often consumed barely cooked or raw (unheard of in the West) with a sprinkling of vinegar or fish sauce. The more complex prepared dishes of meat and fish would follow, often heavily sauced and accompanied by or incorporating grains in their preparation. The Byzantine meal famously concluded with sweets such as fruits (fresh, dried or preserved), honeyed cakes and spiced cookies, tarts and puddings, candied nuts and seeds, and marzipan or baklava.

In serving this meal, be sure to use your finest table linens, dinnerware, and cutlery, and do strew some root vegetables about the table for added authenticity. They are seen displayed on Byzantine tables in artworks from the period and were likely used as breath fresheners and digestive simulants and were believed to contain properties that alleviate the effects of food poisoning or excessive alcohol consumption.