Basakit

Fine flour is appropriate for women and the palace. (Sumerian proverb; Gordon)

The ancient Mesopotamians knew about 300 kinds of bread and pastries, some of which were basic types similar to the flatbreads still cooked in the region, and others were ‘improved’ by adding different kinds of flours, spices, dried fruits, oil, milk, beer, and sweeteners. Their pastries ranged from the ‘very large’ to the ‘tiny,’ and had different shapes, such as rings, pillars, turbans, crescents, hearts, heads, hands, ears, and even women’s breasts. More than 50 different molds were discovered in the palace at Mari, dating from around 1780 bc and believed to have been used for forming breads into unusual and decorative shapes.