What did the ancient Egyptians eat?

The ancient Egyptians included images of people making and eating food in their art, described food in their texts, and even buried items of food in tombs with the deceased. Thus we have a fairly good idea of what they ate. The staples of the average person’s diet were bread—made in many different shapes—beer, and vegetables. Bread and beer are the first two items mentioned in standard offering formulas for the deceased. (Learn more about offerings.) Garlic, leek, lettuce, and cucumber have been found in Egyptian tombs. Legumes (especially lentils), fruit, oil, fish—either dried or cooked—milk, eggs, and cheese also supplemented the Egyptian diet. Wealthy people ate meat from cattle, sheep, and goats, and fowl such as ducks and geese. Archaeological finds of pig bones and mentions of pigs as offerings in texts suggest that the Egyptians also ate pork. They made wine from grapes and dates and sometimes even labeled the jars with remarks as to the quality of the contents, such as “very ...  more

Chapter and section used Egyptian Life Story and Explore Individual project Ask pupils to imagine they are caterers who have been asked to prepare a feast to celebrate the opening of a new Egyptian gallery at a museum. They will need to collect information about what the ancient Egyptians did and did not eat so they know what to serve. Ask them to collect information from the Egyptian Life Story and Explore sections of the site, using the enquiry grid to record what they have learnt. This will be important in case anyone asks them how they decided what to serve. Ask them to create a menu, including some of the foods that the ancient Egyptians would have enjoyed, and draw or describe what the food tables will look like for the banquet. Class project Brainstorm a list of types of food or drink that the ancient Egyptians might have had. Then create a list of categories such as fruit, drinks, or meat. Break the class into groups and ask each group to choose a category, or assign them ...  more

The more wealthy Egyptians ate meat often, including: • Pork • Beef • Deer (Gazelles) • Lamb • Goat  more

Egypt was recognized during ancient times as a land that was extremely fertile. The Nile flooded yearly, and the receding floodwaters left rich soil in which the farmers could grow a variety of crops. The land, therefore, enabled the inhabitants to have a fairly varied diet. They were able to grow different grains, such as barley and emmer, and from these grains they made bread, cakes, and beer. Beans, lentils, and root plants supplemented these staples of their diet. They liked to eat vegetables such as peas, beans, lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, and onions; most of these they raised, but some grew wild. Ancient Egyptians also grew a variety of spices, and among their favorite fruits were melons, figs, dates, and grapes. Dates were also used as a sweetener, and grapes were fermented to produce wine. Egyptians extracted oil from the flax plant and castor bean, and beekeepers prepared honey. Egyptian farmers kept a wide variety of geese and ducks for eggs and poultry, and people often ...