Label
All
0
Clear all filters

Cakes in the Ancient World

Appears in
Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets

By Darra Goldstein

Published 2015

  • About

Ancient cakes—made from bread dough or similarly dense mixtures; sweetened with honey; enriched with eggs, fresh cheese, or oil; and flavored with nuts, dried fruits, herbs, and seeds—likely evolved from early breads. They are thought to have been made with rye, barley, and oat flours as well as wheat flour. Sumerian texts from some 4,000 years ago mention these sorts of baked goods, and Cato describes a similar kind of cake in De Agri Cultura (second century b.c.e) that was wrapped in leaves before baking and served at weddings and fertility rites. See ancient world.

Become a Premium Member to access this page

  • Unlimited, ad-free access to hundreds of the world’s best cookbooks

  • Over 160,000 recipes with thousands more added every month

  • Recommended by leading chefs and food writers

  • Powerful search filters to match your tastes

  • Create collections and add reviews or private notes to any recipe

  • Swipe to browse each cookbook from cover-to-cover

  • Manage your subscription via the My Membership page

Download on the App Store
Pre-register on Google Play
Best value

Part of

The licensor does not allow printing of this title