The Egyptians loved sweets: sweetened beer and wine, and marshmallows and licorice. Among the world's oldest sweets, marshmallow confections date back to 2000 b. c.e. Egyptians made a honey-based candy flavored and thickened with the sweet, sticky sap from the roots of the marshmallow (Althaea otficinalis), a plant with hollyhock-like flowers that grew wild in salt marshes and in wetlands around the Nile. This special delicacy was said to be reserved for royalty, and for offerings to the gods. Until the mid-1800s, marshmallow candies still included many of the same ingredients the Egyptians used. In modern marshmallow recipes, gelatin or gum arabic replaces plant sap.
Egyptian physicians also used honey and the sap of the marshmallow plant in medicines and potions, especially in remedies such as medicinal wines used to treat sore throats—a practice common right through the 19th century.
Another plant the Egyptians both enjoyed as a sweet and in medical potions was licorice (Gly-cyrrhiza glabra). A supply of dried licorice root was found in Tutankhamun's tomb. The sweet root was chewed as a delicacy. Egyptian physicians also prescribed it to treat coughs and lung disease. Licorice root is still widely used as a flavoring and ingredient in foods and medicines. It is still grown in Egypt, and exported for use in organic foods, teas, and herbal medicines.
The Height of Fashion
Long braided wigs were very fashionable among the wealthy women of ancient Egypt. The wigs were often reddened with henna and adorned with fresh flowers.
Dishes made of fine alabaster, schist, or other decorative stone.
Until the New Kingdom, there were no dining room tables. Diners squatted on rush mats at low, multi-purpose tables, or stood up and plucked food from bowls or platters on stands, buffet style. The elite of the New Kingdom perched on high stools at large tables, or reclined on couches, while servants brought them food and drink.
World History
