A FEAST FOR KINGS
Duck, beef, geese, sycamore figs, dates, antelope, and honey. Ancient Egyptian tombs were uncovered that contained dozens of boxes of luxury treats and delicious bites that the deceased may want in the afterlife. Some pharaohs spent years ensuring their food was preserved for all eternity. To keep these perishable foods ready to eat, they were mummified, just like their owners. Choice cuts of meat would be dried with salt for several days, bandaged, and covered with various resins before being packed into wooden boxes. The National Academy of Sciences revealed that beef ribs buried in King Tutankhamun’s grandparent’s tomb were covered with sap originating from a tree related to the pistachio in 1400 B.C. It is believed to have been imported from areas now inhabited by people from Syria and Lebanon, a luxury of the rich and powerful. Mediterranean and Egyptian cuisine uses a similar resin today known as ‘mastic’ or ‘mastik’ to infuse pine and smoke flavors in puddings, cheeses, sauces, and even coffee. In ancient Egypt, once you died and were mummified, one assumed aspects that resembled gods, gaining access to the Nile, and the ability to consume the same delicacies of the gods and goddesses they worshipped in life. For these reasons, preparing a tomb with all of the foods and things you might need became an important ritual. Apparently you could take it with you!
Photo Credit: National Geographic
For more info see: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/people-and-culture/food/the-plate/2015/04/05/packing-food-for-the-hereafter-in-ancient-egypt/