Ancient Egyptian Spiral Bread of the Pharaoh

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Subtitles: Jose Mendoza | IG @worldagainstjose
PHOTO CREDITS
Ramses III: By Asavaa - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Mastaba of Ti - By Mastaba_of_Ti_05.JPG: Einsamer Schützederivative work: JMCC1 (talk) - Mastaba_of_Ti_05.JPG, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Seamus Blackley: By Seamus Blackley - Personal communication, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Mentuhotep III: By EditorfromMars - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Ramses II: By Speedster - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Deir El-Medina: By Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Thebes: By wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/... wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/... Collection gallery (2018-03-29): wellcomecollection.org/works/... CC-BY-4.0, CC BY 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
#tastinghistory #ancientegypt

[@TastingHistory]

Yes, I know Vizier is pronounced “Vih-zeer”. I don’t know why I pronounced it as if it’s a French word. Though it’s not the first or last time 😂 Start speaking a new language in 3 weeks with Babbel 🎉. Get 60% OFF your subscription sale➡Here: go.babbel.com/t?bsc=usa-influ-eg-dt-1m&btp=default&KZbin&Influencer..May-2024..USA-TATAM..1200m60-yt-tastinghistorywithmaxmiller-may-2024

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Can't get enough of this max

[@justrosy5]

Yay! More content! How's the new kitchen going?

[@coreymerrill3257]

Hey Max, have you considered pre colonial Hawaiian recipes or ancient Sumerian?

[@GlobalOutcast]

Bro how does it say your comment was posted 6 days ago if this video came out 30 mins ago?

[@VlRGlL]

Could it be that they glazed the bread by “frying” it in a honey syrup like in the Roman date recipe?

[@Direk091]

"You should grind flour at least once in your life." - A man literally last named Miller

[@terpman]

Didn't even occur to me! That's hilarious.

[@andersjjensen]

Thanks for the chuckle!

[@philliusphoggwick8299]

But only did it once, he should change his name to Min Miller, instead of Max. Math programmer joke. Sorry.

[@CptMuttonchops]

wdym his name is clearly Matt Milton, it's right in the channel's name.

[@akivameola2558]

LMAO

[@crazjtk]

Akhenaten placating his irate employees with a banquet sounds a lot like modern bosses throwing pizza parties to quell complaints. 😅

[@druid_zephyrus]

Damn, they've been doing it since prehistory. Godsdamnit

[@bmetalfish3928]

​@@druid_zephyrus not really, food budget would be the greatest expense to a pre industrial commoner, depending on how frequently provided, job provided meals could be the equivalent of paying employee rent to us.

[@slwrabbits]

Our new manager has been very keen on feeding us. It does make me kind of nervous.

[@WhichDoctor1]

@@bmetalfish3928 he wasn't talking about commoners. He was talking about the pharaohs courtiers being placated with food. They would have been among the wealthiest few percent of the population. So food wouldn't have been a big part of their expenditure, but they were still placated with bread parties

[@cvvzdesigns]

Except they got fed essentially 1.5 pizza's each, where we're lucky to see 2 slices each.

[@blue_bach]

“If you can’t source your yeast directly from the tomb of an ancient pharaoh, store bought is fine.”

[@creativespark61]

This should be higher rated. 😂

[@webwarren]

@@creativespark61 I'd be more interested in learning how they standardized their yeast cultures, considering "commercial yeast" is supposedly something less than 200 years old. I'm presuming a sourdough or preferment basis, with perhaps an array of different starter types for different types of bread. I'm curious how much the addition of modern wheat (in the sourdough starter) affected the final bread, versus creating a starter _de novo_ (setting out the flour blend, hydrated with water, and waiting a week or two)...

[@kroganlove3640]

The same yeast strains that Egyptians used are still wild and unchanged in the world to this day. You can catch them on a cool breeze at night, or you can even just use your body yeast. Which was the most common form used back then. The genomes are identical.

[@waynehendrix4806]

@@kroganlove3640 That is making me very unhungry. Thanks.

[@kroganlove3640]

@@waynehendrix4806 There's a modern beer called Beard beer that's all made from a guys beard yeast. And there is actually for real a vagina yeast beer made from, you guessed it. google them if you don't believe me lol

[@darkestalmond]

It is a recipe. A cow above the pot means deep fried in tallow, an ibis above the pot means boiled.

[@ebonyblack4563]

Ancient donuts.

[@chadenright]

This one definitely seems to have been cow themed, so maybe Max can try this again with fried spiral donuts instead of bagels :p

[@zhiracs]

Fried, then baked... I've only heard of that with stuffed meat cutlets like Chicken Kiev, or really thick steaks. They must have been flash-frying a crust on the breads before getting them up to temp in the oven... Or could it be that we're misinterpreting the order, and they're actually doing a "reverse sear" method? Bake it, then fry until brown and crispy on the outside?

[@xxmidnight12xx18]

That’s so cool!

[@lilhar9678]

I was gonna guess something like that

[@timthenetchanter]

“Bread was everything”. As an Egyptian I can tell you. Bread IS everything

[@gtpower3]

right! bread is still very much the staple of Egypt!

[@kathleenhensley5951]

Without it no human is healthy.

[@goblinqueen4991]

@@kathleenhensley5951 Not true for those us with Celiac disease. D:

[@belisarius6949]

​@@goblinqueen4991Im sure theres celiac friendly bread versions!

[@kathleenhensley5951]

@@goblinqueen4991 True. Rough illness. Sorry to hear you suffer so. I'm Lactose Intolerant but I will still say that pasta without cheese if torment. 🙂🙂🙂🙂

[@The_Kentuckian]

Ancient Egyptians spilling the tea: "I heard Nebatah's wife has been grinding grain at Tuya's house lately."

[@dowsingelf77]

"Noooooo! * clutches cartouche *"

[@GabrielaChaves-gy7jo]

🤭🤭🤭

[@ericthyren1015]

“Maybe if Nebatah was providing the grain at home she wouldn’t have to go to Tuya’s house!”

[@gruv2nz]

@@ericthyren1015 🤣

[@SimuLord]

Did you hear Nebatah's wife is pregnant? Nebatah's gonna be an uncle!

[@giraffelord94]

I laughed so hard at the segment about the ancient Egyptian guy complaining about his mother-in-law. I always love these glimpses into everyday life of ancient peoples because you get to see how we've fundamentally always been the same.

[@terpman]

I love how people are just people, even thousands of years apart. The ancient gossip and squabbles sounds like something you'd overhear from the next apartment or at a family reunion today. Love it!

[@pifilixxiv3192]

Replace the kneading bread with any other work and you'd get a story which carries on with time, humanity is eternal with the stupid squabbling

[@JayM409]

You would love John Romer's show, 'Ancient Lives.' kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqvLn3SLp5mfZrc

[@M50A1]

Yapping about petty drama is a time honored tradition

[@Lafeolamom]

I showed my son the lessons about how he should treat his mother, he answered “you don’t give me beer” 😂

[@TastingHistory]

Not till he's 21 :)

[@robertojosedgzmoro]

So wise, so young…

[@matasa7463]

Tell him he can have beer, but the Egyptian kind. Then show him what Egyptian beer is like (very little alcohol, made by women chewing the grains, and is basically liquid bread).

[@shirleyannconfer9651]

LMAO

[@gwennorthcutt421]

@@matasa7463 from what i hear the consistency is like a milkshake. so enjoy your wet bread :D

[@Andrew-li6ie]

4:50 leave it to a Miller to advocate milling you own flour, making your grandparents proud!!😂

[@H.G.Halberd]

as an apprentice miller, please just make sure it has been cleaned at least once, ergot poisoning and liver cirrhosis from several other toxic fungi commonly found in grain is no joke

[@odinfromcentr2]

​@@H.G.HalberdYeah, let's not have another Salem. 😰

[@Wario-The-Legend]

​@@H.G.HalberdHow do you clean flour?

[@phubans]

@@H.G.Halberd Yeah but doesn't ergot also induce a psychedelic trip akin to LSD? At least I can learn the secrets of the universe before I die of cirrhosis.

[@H.G.Halberd]

@@Wario-The-Legend I was talking about the grain, many people buy grain straight from the farmer (being closer to nature and all that) who often doesn't clean the grain (properly) since the mill often does that anyway, which means that in many cases there are other things mixed in that you really don't want to have inside of you

[@Omnis2]

The spiral bread was almost certainly fried. What's you're seeing is two processes, with the tandoor-like oven used for the chapchak-like breads, and then the spirals being fried. Archeological texts describe some depictions of dough being poured as if it's more like a batter, which lends itself to the likelihood that this particular scene from Ramses tomb is depicting some kind of fried dough/cake. The depicted vessel also looks more similar to discovered or otherwise depicted containers used for oils than what was typically used to carry water. The conical items are also not moulds but lids for baking the bread. The cones were heated in fire and then set over the pot to make a dutch-oven, but the shape would concentrate and reflux moisture.

[@klila16]

Agree, with this comment, I thought the same thing. I get that it’s confusing. He could have tried both methods and compared. India also makes fried bread, one variety has yeast and almost certainly comes from outside influences since they don’t usually use yeast in their breads.

[@deadflunky]

This spiral, sticks and wide frying pan reminds me a lot of modern-day Spanish churros.

[@Janthdanl]

They made elephant ears?

[@katrussell6819]

When I was in Egypt in 1980 I would go to get fresh bread. It was baked after sunset when the temperature was cooler in wood -fired ovens. Bakers made it and crowds came to buy it. It was slightly smoky. Delicious. And the firelight made the scene dramatic.

[@waaagh3203]

Ramses III at dinner: "Guys, this spiral bread....it's so awesome, like awesome enough I'd want it carved into the walls of my tomb. Seriously, best thing I've ever had."

[@PhotonBeast]

You're not far off! Since it was believed that the pharaohs took the contents of their tomb into the afterlife, carvings like that would have been thought to literally provide that bread (and the instructions to the afterlife servants) to the dead ruler.

[@waaagh3203]

@@PhotonBeast Oh wow, that's actually really interesting. Thanks!

[@IceQueen975]

People in the modern day leave family recipes on their tombstone, soooo.....

[@waaagh3203]

@@IceQueen975 I've honestly never seen that. Not saying it doesn't exist, I just never heard or seen it before.

[@TheRandomMaori]

@@PhotonBeast Having been an archaeology student in Egypt we were taught that the pictorial depictions acted like labels denoting where different grave goods were to be stored in most cases. You would generally find different food stuffs beneath the pictures or scenes, but this would change from dynasty to dynasty. By the time of the 20th dynasty (the one Rameses III belonged to) it was important to have as much detail of life within their tombs as well as the accompanying grave goods to make their afterlives as "lifelike" as possible.

[@KorianBossMonster]

So whenever I get little debbie's pecan wheels from Walmart, I can just say Im fetching the pharaohs royal spiral bread

[@TastingHistory]

😂 I love those

[@TroubleToby3040]

Those things (is that what they're called?) are delicious... Must warm in microwave for a couple minutes.

[@TastingHistory]

@@TroubleToby3040 oh definitely

[@mecahhannah]

That's exactly what I thought of too! Lol! They're called pecan rolls or swirls I believe!

[@LindseyLouWho]

Spinwheels! Love me some Debbie cakes! Also, does ANYone else colloquially call them (in their geographic region) "Debbie cakes" I live in SC, grew up here, and have always called them that, but no one else does. Where the heck did that come from?

[@archaurore3323]

I am no egyptologist by any means, but I remember reading somewhere a while ago that archaeologists are not sure on how to translate all of the different words for bread, cake and such. In other words, they're not sure if the word they have translated as cake is actually what we would think of as cake today. As a former archaeologist, I absolutely love these episodes, which are a lot like experimental archaeology. What a delightful episode!

[@skypaver989]

Some things that are considered "cake" today are not things I would consider cake too haha (looking at you, cake boss. Fondant covered rice krispy treat is not cake)😊

[@SweetButDeadly101]

As soon as you said "boiled before being baked" I had flashbacks to my weekend job in a bakery. One of my jobs was to boil the bagels, before they went into the ovens!

[@hnglbanana]

'the "recipe" i'm going to be using today comes from the valley of the kings on the walls of the tomb of pharoah ramses the third' what a cool sentence

[@TastingHistory]

It really is 😂 Definitely not something one uses daily.

[@winkythemagicpixie5637]

​@@TastingHistorythat's not something you might say at panera?

[@AngelicHarmony00]

I can just see this episode. giving the Great British Baking Show the newest idea: ancient Egypt week. "Make this recipe based off these five obscure pictures! Oh, and they're not in order. Good luck!" 😂

[@TastingHistory]

I’d enjoy that

[@tktyga77]

Also see the Sudanese edible spoons such as bread kinds such as kisra & asida among others, there are many especially by way of neighbors including Chad 🇹🇩 (both of which can be found in said country)

[@HagobSaldadianSmeik]

That sounds like a Horrible Histories bit.

[@Emily-tv1iz]

Make the Brits regret ever looting the country of its people and artifacts

[@Local_Lich]

​@@Emily-tv1iz lol, lmao even

[@user-do4eu9gl3x]

Sir,as I am egyptian (coptic) myself i do really appreciate your videos

[@dinolil1474]

Heyyy!!! Fellow Coptic Egyptian here! Hello!

[@user-do4eu9gl3x]

@@dinolil1474 yo

[@blackkennedy3966]

I am sorry sir but you aren’t Egyptian, according to African Americans they are the Egyptians.

[@user-do4eu9gl3x]

@@blackkennedy3966 Those who claim Afrocentrism suffer from psychological issues and self-hatred. They believe that appropriating the culture of others and engaging in this type of colonialism, genocide, and cultural theft will elevate their status in society. However, this is the complete opposite of the truth. Their practice of these cultural attacks and dissemination of historical and scientific falsehoods will not reduce racism towards them; on the contrary, it will increase racism. Rather than gaining high standing among nations, they become a subject of ridicule that history will never forget. They claim that everyone discriminates against them and practices racism due to the difference in their skin color. In reality, they are the ones perpetuating racism against others. They are the hidden racists disguised as victims.

[@abdibarri9012]

ANCIENT EGYPT IS NOT ARABS OR MIDDLE EAST BUT AFRICA ALL RACIST ENVY YDNA PROOF U WRONG M35 y clade is not Arabic

[@marwaqoura7804]

Great video Max 🙏 I am Egyptian we still make this kind of buns , it is actually a bun ..and call it 'Shoreik' شريك now they use high quality wheat flour , and top it with cane sugar grains ..My Mum used to bake it when we were young , I have a recipe for it but the modern version , it takes a lot of kneading ...BTW , till now Egypt has more than 80 kinds of local breads and pastries , lots of them are still made in the ancient ways using sun rays , or other methods of baking and ovens , bread everything here still that it is called عيش which means 'life' itself !

[@meganofsherwood3665]

Okay, that puts a whole 'nother dimension on the Christian phrase "Bread of Life...He who comes to me will never hunger". I love how learning about language and culture just make everything deeper and so much more cool!!

[@marwaqoura7804]

@@meganofsherwood3665 Thank you dear , Egyptians were and still believers in God and goodness , an Ancient Egyptian saying goes as 'Give bread to those who don't have a field ' as it is a matter of life and death here 🙏

[@thesamwisegamegee]

Pharaohs plying unhappy staff with an excessive banquet instead of a raise is just an Ancient Office Friday Pizza Party… though it still sounds way better than tepid Dominoes.

[@hannahbrown2728]

Actually their wages were food and beer in many cases, so its sorta like a bonus when you think about it.

[@m.dilitto5488]

Bread and circuses baby

[@MsLeenite]

Ugh. Just give me a raise, skinflint, and I'll buy my own dang lunch.

[@ShanRenxin]

One of the theories I've heard about knowing when the gods were "full" of the bread, and makes a kind of sense to me, runs like this: the bread would be put upon the altar when it was still fresh, often still steaming. The gods, as spiritual beings, only ate the spiritual part of the bread which was the steam/smell, rather than the body of the bread, which is what we humans eat. Once the offered bread is no longer steaming, it shows that the gods have eaten their fill!

[@ravenousdi]

This is probably correct, the Greeks did the same thing with, for example, a piece of meat. I think there is even a play where the gods starve because the smoke rising from the roast food can't leave the room.

[@ramona4516]

We still have this belief in Orthodox Christianity, but not for God, only for the dead. We make meals and a weat berry porridge for the dead to feed off of the steam. It is fascinating how this connects to Ancient Egypt.

[@Franky_Sthein]

Guess the gods where quick eaters...I mean how long does it take for fresh bread to stop steaming? My Father bakes a lot of sweet bread, in germany it is called "Stuten", and let me tell you it takes only a couple of minutes for the steam to stop though it is still warm on the inside.

[@cvvzdesigns]

@@Franky_Sthein If it referred to the steam once "broken" open, that can take quite a while. I know my loaf still lets off a bit of steam when I cut in to it an hour later during summer temps (30+ Celsius). I can only imagine how long it could stay warm in Egypt. 😊 My "uneducated guess" would be that they're actually thinking of when the bread is no longer warm to the touch that it is then served to the humans.

[@bewilderbeestie]

“As I understand it,” said Moist, “the gift of sausages of Offler by being fried, yes? And the spirit of the sausages ascends unto Offler by means of the smell? And then you eat the sausages?” “Ah, no. Not exactly. Not at all,” said the young priest, who knew this one. “It might look like that to the uninitiated, but, as you say, the true sausagidity goes straight to Offler. He, of course, eats the spirit of the sausages. We eat the mere earthly shell, which believe me turns to dust and ashes in our mouths.” “That would explain why the smell of sausages is always better than the actual sausage, then?” said Moist. “I’ve often noticed that.” The priest was impressed. “Are you a theologian, sir?” --- Going Postal, Terry Pratchett

[@gwennorthcutt421]

i love when you include passages from more everyday people. i am of course reminded of ea nasir, the guy who we knew ripped people off with cheap copper only because he inscribed all his complaints into stone and kept them all in a room especially. like he really kept a complaint log in a spare room!

[@naomid1609]

I love how dependable Tasting History is. Every time without fail, I forget that it’s a history video during the baking part, and forget that it’s a baking video during the history part. ❤️ 100% invested all the way through.

[@YT4Me57]

What a great Mother's Day message from ancient Egypt! "Your mother carried you and you came LATE! Your excrement was disgusting, but she was not repulsed. She picked you up from school and had bread and beer ready. TREAT YOUR MOTHER RIGHT!" 🤣

[@vbrown6445]

Don't forget the THREE years of breastfeeding!

[@gwennorthcutt421]

@@vbrown6445 i know ~2 years is normal and was more common in earlier times, but it is very funny to me to picture a little toddler being like mother i hunger and the mom sighing and pulling at her shirt. just the baby being able to Talk while still nursing amuses me a lot

[@signsfrombeyond4863]

@@gwennorthcutt421 Actually it was always common and is still common in many countries to breastfeed a child at three years old. In modern times with our sex obsessed western cultures (especially America) people have more plebeian interpretations of breast feeding and almost view it in a perverse way rather than understanding the benefits on a developing child's brain. Children who are breast fed longer will have a lot more nutritional support than children who are not, and that is why so many cultures embrace breast feeding for toddlers. It is perfectly healthy, natural and beautiful and our world needs to support breastfeeding for all cultures.

[@gwennorthcutt421]

@@signsfrombeyond4863 i know weaning way early is a recent thing, its just the idea of a kid talking and having a personality before weaning strikes my funnybone for some reason. like dang the calf has Opinions! the latcher Speaking Back is the amusing part, not any sexual joke. at least with america, its obsession via repression imo, since its so sex negative that even neutral things like nudity or nursing are seen in an immortal/forbidden light. im so sorry for making this pun, but it really sucks.

[@marwaqoura7804]

Shukran شكرا ، we learned this saying at school , Egyptian here ❤🙏

[@KarlRoyale]

Just FYI to anyone looking for it. Emmer grain is often sold under the Italian name, Farro. Same stuff.

[@llobinske]

Good to know. Thanks for sharing that with us.

[@timmermansj1300]

Traditional beer in Brussels is farro beer. Little sour

[@smalltime0]

@@timmermansj1300 Faro refers to the use of wild yeast. Its not a traditional beer style technically since it uses hops as the preserving agent, which only started being a regular thing in the mid 1500s and soon caught on since hops preserve beer better than bittering herbs. Part of the issue is that hops are difficult to reliably cultivate, so it wasn't until cultivars that were a bit hardier were found/developed that they could be reliably used. Perhaps ironically, its popularity was strongest in modern day Netherlands/Low Countries, because the herbs to bitter beer (called gruit) were subject to heavy taxation - whereas hops were more associated with churches and monasteries and were hence exempt. Hop usage spread from that region outwards, Flemish traders were even the first to introduce hops to England.

[@DuelScreen]

I have seen a video of a professional doughnut maker flipping hot doughnuts in oil with two sticks which resembles the Egyptian imagery: Place one stick over the doughnut on one side and the other underneath the doughnut on the opposite side. Then with a quick movement lift up the doughnut on the one side using the underneath stick while holding it down using the top stick which works as a pivot. The top stick next works to catch the now flipped doughnut to minimize splashing. Once mastered this can be performed very, very quickly.

[@kimberlybehm2522]

I have fried doughnuts for a bakery before and I can totally confirm this! Once I saw the picture of the guy with the sticks I was thinking these were probably supposed to be doughnuts.

[@brianbarker2551]

Now max interprets ancient Hieroglyphs in search of a recipe, THAT'S dedication.

[@Tezunegari]

And silently in the kitchen corner sits Amun-Ra weeping. A quiet but teary "my bread..." can barely be heard.

[@pretzel2272]

Oh my... 💔🍞💖

[@snazzypazzy]

😭😭😭

[@NotMeButAnother]

Wherefore didst thou feel the need to make me sad?

[@the-human-being]

Though, thankfully, he understands that it was born not of disrespect, but rather misunderstanding, for otherwise, he’d enact some furious smiting.

[@matasa7463]

@@the-human-being I donno, plenty of time for droughts and forest fires to hit this year. Maybe Amun-Ra will make his anger known in due time...

[@H.G.Halberd]

4:55 as an apprentice miller, yes I do appreciate pre-ground flour because I am the one who pre-grinds it for you

[@jorgelotr3752]

Anything bought at the grocery store comes from someone's toiling. Sadly, people tend to forget that. I'd say thanks for the fruits of your labour, but since I'm pretty sure it falls putside of my supply chain, I must resign myself to just thank you in behalf of all the people who enjoy dishes made with it (or use it for other purposes).

[@jamalisujang2712]

​@@jorgelotr3752some people do not get that and keep looting stores resulting in food deserts. 😂😂😂

[@alienonion4636]

Max truly is a Miller.

[@queenoflammersland8562]

Cheers for that!

[@PhotonBeast]

You are the one who mills.

[@wildestsquirrelwildestsqui5020]

The barley/emmer bread is meant to keep a person feeling full so which ever the heavy task they were doing meant they wouldn't get hungry fast. Being a dense heavy loaf keeps the stomach occupied to digest slowly.

[@octaviasaenz6666]

So cool that you mentioned Seamus Blackley. He was the one who first got me interested in old recipes! So he was basically my gateway drug into watching your channel 😄

[@madiantin]

What I love about the instructions from father to son was how the father clearly loved and appreciated his wife. Very sweet.

[@xandyrwlkyr2563]

We keep saying the teenagers of the up and coming generation are the most disrespectful and despondent.... Nope teenagers are teenagers all around the world since the beginning of time...

[@georgesconyers9769]

​@@xandyrwlkyr2563 at every point in history, the youth were disrespectful, the men were lazy, the rulers were incompetent, and the world was sure to end soon.

[@stormRed]

The more you learn about history the more you remember that people haven't changed a bit. It's really lovely.

[@XxPsykosXS]

People haven't really changed, the world around us, did

[@gwennorthcutt421]

the "what" rarely changes, only the "how"

[@stormRed]

Well said!

[@kellymoses8566]

You could probably go back in time 200,000 years and take a baby back to the present and it would grow up to be a normal person.

[@SgtPnkks]

Yep ancient Egypt or modern times most of us just going to work tryin to get that bread

[@theuser810]

I love itwhen you make recipes from the ancient times. It feels mysterious, but also reminds us how similar the people of the past are to us.

[@AaronC.]

The image of the Egiptian using two sticks to manipulate the bread reminds me of how they cook churros here in Spain: most of the time, the most skilled just use sharpened wooden sticks to turn around the fried dough... So, maybe it wasn't boiled, but fried!

[@mmts96]

As an Egyptian, I can confirm that we still consider bread to be everything.

[@wildestsquirrelwildestsqui5020]

Accompanied with onions too, flavourful.

[@maddogtank8425]

As a German, I share that sentiment

[@matasa7463]

The people have changed, the religion have change, the government have changed... yet we still seem to be the same as ever. Humans gonna just keep doing human things.

[@moth.monster]

As an American, I agree as well

[@jeffcook3747]

As a Christian, I can confirm that we receive the Host , literally the transubstantiatiated body of Jesus/God, during the Mass as a piece of bread (usually a wafer).

[@AlexandreSejournant]

Could it be that the boiling was in alkaline water ? They probably knew how to get that from ash, and it has an impact on texture - the Germans still do it for traditional pretzels

[@historyish7873]

Came here to say this. We in the modern day love a fresh pretzel, with the doughy inside and crispy outside. And what could be better than a pretzel loaf like this one? And even if this was fried, it would be akin to Native American fry bread which is delicious and filling just like a pretzel is. It's kind of amazing and crazy how every culture has baked/fried/boiled breads.

[@stephweasenforth7891]

@@historyish7873despite language and cultural barriers, there’s always beer and fried/baked/boiled food

[@JaniceVineyard-kf6wm]

That's where i was, beer and pretzels.

[@tahursh637]

Bread is life!

[@kathleenhensley5951]

I thought of pretzels immediately, too. Glad I wasn't the only one. They definitely knew about alkaline water ...

[@themini_b]

An interesting thought hit me, with a recipe like this it makes me wonder when the last time someone made that bread.. Then it made me a little sad thinking about the countless recipes lost to time only because no one thought to write them down.

[@capncheeks]

Im so proud of you man, i remember watching this channel years ago, and I remember the video of you talking about quitting your job and making YT full time. I just get happy everytime I see you upload. Went from making Garum to making bread of the pharaohs. I believe they were frying the bread. Olive oil was a massive import from Greece. Ancient olive oil has even been found as far back as 6000BC.

[@fredericapanon207]

I remember reading that ancient Egyptians would grow lettuce for the oily seeds, not the leaves. So lettuce seed oil would also have been likely.

[@ShanRenxin]

Last time I was this early, Ra still had both eyes!

[@jillscott4029]

You mean Horus right? And technically he also has both eyes just one of them is a replacement made by Thoth.

[@Estarile]

@@jillscott4029 Sekhmet (the murderous lion goddess who got placated with booze and then split into a less murderous version, and either Bast or Hathor depending) was created by Ra tearing out his eye. Horus also lost an eye in the whole "evil uncle, reclaim throne" thing.

[@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059]

If you ask Egyptologists they will tell you that wherever they find a bakery, there is usually a brewery next door or "behind the back fence" etc. They both used grain and yeast so that was common sense.

[@SimuLord]

Before Louis Pasteur came along and figured out the science, breadmakers understood that the best way to get their bread to rise was to use the "barm", or leftover foam, from the brewer. Less maintenance than a sourdough starter.

[@walkfarm1]

A Hungarian Jewish lady lent me a book (in the uk) and it really had recipes for cakes made with goose fat. It was a book about Hungarian Jewish cookery.

[@DarkSiv]

As I get older and older I really start to appreciate those in my life that can put a genuine smile on my face. So long have I lived in misery and depression, but not anymore. And whenever I watch your videos you make me genuinely happy and filled with joy. Maybe its your voice and the way you talk, or your personality, or maybe the topics at hand, or all of the above. Either way, I just want to say thank you for your content and bringing me joy when you upload. I cherish your work and greatly respect you for what you are doing. Cheers!

[@venusdiablo]

The moment I saw the images of them making this bread, it literally looked like they were making portuguese farturas! We even use a similar frying pan and sticks! If you look up "how to make farturas" you'll find photos of people making these just like the egyptians. A fartura is similar to a churro, but with a lighter dough and it's fried in a spiral. You'll then cover it with sugar and cinnamon. It's delicious!

[@joanhoffman3702]

It sounds like the funnel cakes made at food stands at fairs in the U.S. The dough is poured out of a funnel into hot oil. Very tasty and a calorie bomb, but hard to resist.

[@absalomdraconis]

Am I correct in guessing his pot was too deep? The one in the pictures in the tomb looked quite shallow, and I can't help suspecting that greatly helped.

[@shirleyannconfer9651]

This sounds heavenly!

[@christopherbusch1933]

That pot pictured on the tomb wall is too shallow for boiling water. Also, the metal cover is expensive. So clearly for oil. Water would have been boiled without a cover in a cauldron shaped vessel, not a wok shaped one.

[@TrueFork]

I too immediately thought of frying in oil when I saw the sticks drawing

[@johnritchie3889]

The workers comments sound like “the real housewives of ancient Egypt”.

[@NorthSeaRaider]

Things like this are vastly important to the preservation of history. It’s things like this that remind us that we aren’t so different from the people of the past.

[@charlotteillustration5778]

It’s people like you and others that make the internet so completely delightful. Where before could we have learned about such interesting and unusual topics as bread from ancient Egypt and all your other subjects? I love your videos - thank you!

[@justrosy5]

"Granite comes to you unhindered, so do not destroy the monuments of another." These words would save our world, if we followed them.

[@joegalindez2438]

we should stop taking people for granite

[@calmeilles]

Have you tried to get granite delivered recently? 🤣

[@joegalindez2438]

@@calmeillesNo, but I inquired about how to go about building walls out of rammed earth. They told me to pound sand.

[@ericgrumbles447]

That's Wu Tang right there...

[@esthermcafee5293]

“Are You There God? It’s Me, Baguette”.

[@marwamourad]

Many thanks for this episode, all the love from Egypt ❤️

[@p.s.shnabel3409]

Is there anything comparable to this recipe in modern day Egypt? And is it possible that they baked the bread first and then dipped it in hot syrup/fat? With respect and love from Maine (USA)

[@texascontessa5818]

Loved this one!! No doubt this is where the Hebrews learned to make bagels.

[@glenngriffon8032]

I love them little stories about the people of Egypt. It's a great comfort to know even after thousands upon thousands of years humans are still the same as they have always been. It is also exceptionally depressing to know that even after thousands upon thousands of years humans are still the same as they have always been.

[@Agamemnon2]

I think that's why the Ea-Nasir memes took off, because they show someone from an ancient civilization in such a relatable light - complaining about bad customer service and substandard copper ingots.

[@grimgrahamch.4157]

If they had to deal with bullshit thousands of years ago, so can we. I think humanity will be just fine.

[@catherinesanchez1185]

Beautifully put

[@glenngriffon8032]

@@Agamemnon2 "Good evening. Our top news story tonight, archeological researchers have unearthed what appears to be the remains of an ancient Egyptian indoor market. A remarkable mural of Hieroglyphics is currently being translated and appears to say 'To all would be Karenhoteps: Do not ask for the manager, he cares even less about your opinions'."

[@CuriousCat1111]

My grandparents recently moved from the city they were born in to be closer to me and my mum. They're near they're 100's, feeling down on themselves about being somewhere so new. They both love history though, and, limited as their pallets are, they can be adventurous with food. I've sent them videos of yours and asked them to pick new recipes for us to try. It's really picked them up. Thanks for doing what you do 💜

[@maeve4686]

Lovely, & you'r e wonderful grandchild. I know it's a very tough job. I took care of my mum for the last 19 years of her life , passing at age 98. Tho, she thought I was trying to poison her..even with frozen dinners...lol Sometimes you never win !

[@christinebenson518]

​@maeve4686 My mom and I were caregivers to her dad for about a year. He complained about the chicken liver meal I made, saying, "I liked the way I'd make liver." Never mind at 90, he couldn't eat shoe leather, especially with his issues swallowing. He told the hospice nurse my mom was waiting for him to die so she could inherit his millions, no one got millions. He also tried firing me because I wouldn't give him water when he was in bed because of his aspiration pneumonia. Sadly, care taking is incredibly difficult and thankless.

[@maeve4686]

@@christinebenson518 So true. Fortunately for her, my mother had no health issues other than constipation as she wouldn't drink fluids. It's a thankless endeavor, I had no help from her 2 other daughters, one of whom lived in a small house on her property & literraly in 18 months never stoped to say hello tho she drive by htje house at least twice a day.. But, they could tell me what they thought I was doing wrong, which I wasn't. If Mom wanted to eat cereal for kids (Capt Crunch her fav) I let her. Oh, no! It has to be healthy stuff. Yeah. Not gonna happen. I just ignored them. No one has any idea what you are going thru. The selfless , uncountable hours you put in, the sometimes unbearable stress, temper tantrums you listen to. They have no idea what being in stuck onto a "care home" is like, which my Dad swore me to never placing her in one. Believe it or not it's worth it for you. I had a terrible mother. But, I learned to love her & thank her for my life in the few hours before she died. No guilt over my head knowing I did all I did do which was like a good patent with a bratty child. Christine, remember to take care of yourself. I did it alone. Make sure you have help. Take care...

[@jennifercopley1626]

Those spirals are huge!!

[@KSt-nv8eb]

Max, you never disappoint! Just love this recipe, and appreciate all of your diligence to bring this recipe through history to us. Thank you kindly 😊

[@thehelmsdepot]

If it was a form of currency, ancient Egyptians really did go out and get that bread.

[@Yurt_enthusiast7]

I just want to know what the bakers got paid in😅

[@thehelmsdepot]

@@Yurt_enthusiast7 They were literally making their own money 😱

[@reisshep]

​@@thehelmsdepot So if they somewhat industrialized the production if would create inflation?

[@bewilderbeestie]

Q. Why do bakers get up so early in the morning? A. Because they knead the dough.

[@PhotonBeast]

@@Yurt_enthusiast7 I would assume the grain or flour. That is, they'd probably be allowed to 'take a little off the top' for themselves from a given shipment. Or they'd take some extra loafs for themselves.

[@eflarsen]

honestly the episodes where there's the vaguest hint of a recipe are some of my favorites! the culinary detective work, the anthropology, the connection to our ancient past!!

[@SZvenM]

This was the first of your recipes that I tried for myself and I absolutely loved it!

[@morrigankasa570]

This sounds delicious and hearty, although what would be interesting with this is do the boiled method for a few loafs. But also do a few loafs fried.

[@scafleet]

What a mother's day gift: bread recipe, hot Egyptian tea, and all the guilt is trips I could need! 😂

[@maeve4686]

And we never are allowed to get over it... Cheers!

[@LaundryFaerie]

At least now we know where the Jewish mothers got it from

[@SimuLord]

I just listened to the audiobook of Eric Cline's "After 1177 B.C.", about the dark age that followed the Bronze Age Collapse, and the story of Ramses III post-Sea Peoples is a heck of a story. Any time the phrase "harem conspiracy" comes up in a history book, you know you're in for a good story.

[@TastingHistory]

I’ll check that out!

[@jorgelotr3752]

Pretty sure that phrase comes quite often in history about Ancient China. Those events tend to be quite wild (quite often, they are either hilarious or bloody, sometimes both).

[@leonardodavinci3589]

Just read that one myself. So well written, such an insane era. A true apocalypse

[@SimuLord]

@@jorgelotr3752 Being a history buff ruined Game of Thrones for me. Nothing the writers could dream up has anything on some of history's best cloak-and-dagger intrigue over royalty.

[@ulrike9978]

@@TastingHistory Oh, highly recommended, along with the first volume logically titled "1177 BC". The second one is recently out and both of them are a fantastic read - Cline really is an expert for that time and area and the writing is very accessible.

[@ellenspear50]

Beautiful bread -- I look forward to your next cookbook. Also, the three kneadings are something I hadn't seen before.

[@trevorlinkton9047]

Hey, longtime fan first comment. I love your passion for historical recipes, it's inspired me to research more of my Grandfather's culture of food(Cuban),old and new. Great channel man, I try to catch all of your experiments

[@salvasaren329]

If the spiral bread was deep fried instead of boiled, it might have been an egyptian precursor of churros, or calentitos de rueda. Calentitos de rueda are still made with two sticks.

[@christopherbusch1933]

The pictured pot looks like a wok, so clearly for oil

[@willowm1839]

4 years in and still putting out bangers each week. Thank you Max and Jose!! Easily one of the best channels around

[@thekaxmax]

He /has/ done bangers and mash, IIRC

[@YamiKisara]

Does his husband even have anything to do with the show?

[@Waywren]

ooooh, that looks lovely! I'm delighted and intrigued by how you managed a decent prep style and recipe from what little info you had.

[@tomlidot4871]

Creative! & Educational. Date syrup sounds divine. Thanks, as always.

[@TheOfficialTarynTots]

Cofagrigus for the win! I just saw what you were making and guessed that had to be your Pokémon today. I love how you never forget the little details.

[@maeve4686]

Thanks for who it is. I've asked & I know not all remarks are read, that he states who his cooking buddy is. I don't know Pokémon, other than I've seen some of the magical creatures the artists have developed. They are amazing ! Cheers !

[@fernbedek6302]

Of course a guy named Miller wants us to appreciate the people who grind flour. XD

[@TastingHistory]

I mean...

[@neonshadow5005]

A lot of this is left open to interpretation, today, on Guessing History!

[@rurikace1726]

Thnks man! Finally a recipe of ancient bread with honey instead of sugar and no milk to try it out

[@fabiankaisen5977]

Bread is still the main staple food in Egypt (and heavily subsidised). Bakers and bread sellers everywhere. You really cannot overstate its importance.

[@MM22966]

Given that the last time they tried to drop the subsidy the government fell, I can believe it.

[@salaama9]

Uprisings have occurred when the price of bread has gone up.

[@FloatingLeaf1111]

Really? Never thought of Egypt as big bread place. I love bread. I bet theres some amazing cinnamon rolls to be found there.

[@MM22966]

@@FloatingLeaf1111 Egypt was the breadbasket of the ancient Mediterranean world for thousands of years. Rome unironically fought numerous wars with various people (including themselves) to hold onto it, because the city of Rome's subsidized grain for the poor came from Egypt on a chain of huge grain ships, much like super-tankers supplying Middle East oil to Europe now. If they lost Egypt, or had the supply interrupted, Rome would starve and/or riot.

[@endormorre6567]

The whole bit about bread offered to the gods is hilarious because it reminds me of a scene in Terry Pratchett's 'Going Postal' where Moist is offering a sausage to a priest of Offler, the crocodile god that is a stand in for the Egyptian pantheon, and the priest makes it vary clear that roasting the sausage sends the real sausageness up to Offler and that even though the priest eat the physical sausage to take their word for it that it turns to ash in their mouths. XD It's so fascinating to see how little you need to embellish reality in order to find the comedy in it.

[@christineh14]

The Moist von Lipwig books are hilarious, second only to the ones starring Death.

[@thomasdjonesn]

Ah yes, the "sausagidity" rises to Offler on high. Here's some mustard.

[@viviancandelario4766]

Max!! This was absolutely fascinating!!

[@andreitapavlovic8525]

This is really cool, it looks really yummy and Thank you for sharing

[@chadreese9501]

We’re heading back to ancient times? Love it!! Thanks for making my weeks bearable!

[@TastingHistory]

It’s the least I can do.

[@panchit0z]

There has never been a better use of the Papyrus font before this video. 😊

[@nicholasgignac7065]

I can’t see that font without thinking of the SNL Papyrus skit 😂

[@donnar4261]

This would give nightmares to Ryan Gosling

[@thichinhphan4010]

These look absolutely delicious. Nice history lesson with funny bits too!

[@patg14]

Thanks Max. We love you!

[@johnderoy916]

Deep fried curly bread - those two sticks look a lot like the big wooden sticks I have seen people use to turn their donuts in the fry oil and remove the donuts from the fry oil.

[@jimmyyarbrough9883]

I 100% believe the same thing.

[@royalladybug30]

That transition to your sponsor was smooth as butter.

[@miriam-jeannette-castaneda]

They always are. It’s one of Max’s gifts - the gift of eloquence

[@charlynegezze8536]

@@miriam-jeannette-castaneda Just like 50s TV shows.

[@thelonecabbage7834]

2:00 You don't need a utensil to put something into a liquid, but you would when removing it.

[@miablossom73]

I just love love love hearing your storytelling. I particularly am fond of Egyptian history so this is my favourite episodes. Thank you for your hard work in bringing food history to us.

[@willow7282]

As an archeologist ( in training) I’m so excited for this video!!! I love cooking ancient meals and bringing them into class!!

[@haldon12]

Good timing - just finishing a course on Ancient Egypt

[@mariaantoniajosephajohanna]

Haha nice! I'm actually gonna be starting one soon

[@LordMizumaru]

That's cool! Anything interesting to share with the class that Max missed?

[@nova3752]

Lol and you'll 100% use that class in the future ahahahahaha

[@angelagreen3642]

Probably the coolest history/food dude ever on KZbin.

[@danilodesouza6461]

Max brought us some ancient Egyptian bread and spicy tea this episode. Five stars

[@alexmaier5228]

Herodotus (around 450 BC) also tells some things about what the Egyptians ate! He actually devoted the entire second book of his Histories to Egypt and it's fascinating to read. According to him, priests were not allowed to eat fish but were given beef and goose meat daily; none of the Egyptians ate beans (Herodotus, histories, 2nd book, 37,4). He also writes about some wild religious festivals (2nd book, 59-63), if you're interested in that

[@natasagajic1061]

"Granite comes to you unhindered, so do not destroy the monuments of another." is such a great quote! ✨

[@mishadeschreider8267]

thank you for this most interesting info!

[@nonai7897]

After you described it and tasted it I swear I was tasting it too. Sounds delicious

[@alliewhitlock621]

"In Ancient Egypt, bread was everything." Wrong. At any point in time, bread is everything. Edit: I didn't mean to cause issues. I was just bring silly because I love bread.

[@TastingHistory]

Agreed. As long as the culture eats bread 😂

[@odinfromcentr2]

Food and clean water. It's why the bottlecap is a viable currency in the _Fallout_ universe. It's actually not a fiat currency, but instead based on a standard of clean drinking water.

[@TheHeroOfTomorrow]

Okay Senshi, calm down.

[@lecharlie4847]

Objection! Rice.

[@Alurkerdood]

Matpat is that you?

[@afternoobtea914]

To boil before baking is common here in Sweden. We have "pretzels" like that. They become like sweet white ones and you eat them with butter on them. To boil before bake is actually a preservative.

[@catherinesanchez1185]

Do they keep longer ??

[@afternoobtea914]

@@catherinesanchez1185 Yes. I can have them in a tin jar on the dining table for two week without them being spoiled. Normally they go bad after a couple of days. Happy to share recipe if you want.

[@MrDeanross]

Another superbly researched entertaining and informative video!

[@lanneren]

This bread looks so good! Made me hungry to watch this lol

[@AmaraJordanMusic]

I found the channel in the last year and have been hoarding videos for my bad pain days. Today is a pain day and I’m eating biscuits for lunch because it’s the only thing that’s safe for me right now. I was bummed out; it gets old to only have bread and potatoes for long stretches. But this came out at just the right time! I can eat my southern drop biscuits and enjoy hearing about the status symbol of fancy bread. ☺️ Never change, Max! 🥳

[@TastingHistory]

Feel better!

[@AmaraJordanMusic]

@@TastingHistoryAw, thanks so much! Here’s hoping!

[@maeve4686]

Hope your disease gets stable. Glad you know what to do...have better days. Max always brightens my Tuesdays as well...

[@leksluthor3]

Medieval and ancient recipes are definitely the best!

[@mattia_carciola]

Agree! They're more unusual compared to today's recipes and sometimes they're some nearly-lost wonders

[@r.l.grulke290]

Our ancestors had no fear of butter or lard - or spices. Pre - 1970s cookbooks rock. The "Healthy" adaptations of the original recipes which you find in modern cookbooks cannot compare.

[@SeattleJeffin]

I always get a chuckle from your great Segway to your sponsors, thanks. Awesome videos as well.