Khaberni - The Grand Egyptian Museum was inaugurated last Saturday, highlighting once again the ancient Pharaonic civilization and revealing that the imprint of the ancient Egyptians was not limited to arts, architecture, and medicine but also extended to include the secrets of daily life, including meals and foods they mastered preparing and taught to the world thousands of years ago.
In this context, Dr. Manal Az El Din, a researcher in the Food Technology Institute at the Agricultural Research Center, stated to "Alarabiya.net" and "Alhadath.net" that the ancient Egyptians taught the world many meals that are still cooked and consumed today in Egypt and globally. She noted that some of these foods are currently displayed as part of the museum's collections to narrate aspects of the daily life of ancient Egyptians.
She added that the ancient Egyptians excelled in handling the bounties of the earth, benefiting from various agricultural crops, particularly onions and garlic, which were used in most meals and for medicinal purposes according to ancient medical papyri, due to their antibacterial properties.
She also explained that the ancient Egyptians consumed leafy vegetables such as taro and lettuce, the latter also being used to increase fertility, adding that they "managed to cultivate Egyptian apples and grapes which they used to make raisins after drying them."
Food Preservation
Furthermore, the doctor confirmed that the ancient Egyptian was the first to master the art of food preservation through salting and drying, including dried fruits consumed today during the month of Ramadan, and molokhia and preserved salted fish made available throughout the year.
She pointed out that many current Egyptian dishes trace their roots back to the Pharaonic ages, such as okra and bassara.
She noted that the ancient Egyptians extracted natural oils, like castor oil and olive oil, and used them in cooking and as remedies.
