Ancient Egyptian Food

Do you help your parents with cooking or shopping for groceries? It’s amazing to think that some of the foods that you eat today were also eaten by the ancient Egyptians more than 5,000 years ago. 

Today, when we buy food, we usually go to a grocery store where everything is available in one place. That was not the case in ancient Egypt. If you were shopping for food in Egypt, you would have to go to a place that sold bread and beer (they were usually sold together since they used some of the same ingredients to make them). Then, you would go to another shop that sold cheese, or wine, meat, or vegetables. Here is a miniature scene of a workshop where people are busy making bread and beer to sell. 

Boston Museum of Fine Arts

In the world of ancient Egypt, bread was one of the most important items on the menu. Bread was eaten every day at every meal. It wasn’t soft like the bread we know today because it was made from different kinds of grain. The most common grain was emmer wheat. It had a very hard outer covering and to be ground on a stone to make flour. It must have been a lot of work!

Oriental Institute Museum

Here is a drawing made by an archaeologist that copies a painting that was found on the wall of tomb showing a bakery. It looks like a very busy place, doesn’t it! Ancient Egyptians loved to create loaves of bread in many imaginative shapes. At the top of the painting, you can see loaves of bread in all sorts of shapes and sizes that have been baked. The most common shape is round. However, there are some shaped like animals! 

Wikimedia Commons

Another important item on the Egyptian menu was beer. It was so important that it was used as money!  In fact, when you worked, you were often paid in groceries, and beer was an important part of the grocery payment. Beer was important because fresh water could be dangerous to drink.  Fresh water carried disease and could make you sick. Here is a little miniature model, about the size of pieces you would see in someone’s dollhouse today. It shows activities at a shop where people are making beer. The person in the middle is getting ready to stir the large pot in which beer is being made. Can you see the beer being poured into jugs on the right? 

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Egyptians also ate lots of vegetables. Onions were a favorite, as well as garlic, salad greens, radishes, and cucumbers. Fruit was important too. Dates were the most common fruit. Egyptians loved them because they were sweet and could be used to sweeten bread or used as a dessert. Grapes were common on the menu. There are paintings of people picking grapes and then stomping them to make juice or wine.  

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Meat eaten by the ancient Egyptians included pork, fish, ducks, and beef. They didn’t begin eating chicken until much later in their history.

The ordinary person usually ate vegetables most of the time. However, the skilled workmen who built the pyramids ate much better food. This was because they worked so hard! Records that the government kept about payment for the people who built the pyramids tell us that they were given beef to eat every day. (Remember, they were paid in groceries!)  The government wanted to make sure the highly skilled tomb builders were well fed for their hard work.  The picture shows Egyptians hunting ducks for someone’s dinner. 

Wikimedia Commons

The ancient Egyptians loved parties.  Imagine the best birthday party ever and you might come close to an ancient Egyptian feast!  There were feasts throughout the year for religious holidays (similar to Christmas, Eid, or Hanukkah), celebrating new year, a good harvest, or family occasions.  There are many beautiful paintings showing families eating lots food, listening to musicians, and watching dancers.  Here is a picture of a feast showing some of the things that were eaten.  Can you see the ducks and fish at the bottom of the picture, as well as many baskets of grapes and the people bringing more food for the feast?

Metropolitan Museum of Art

This painting shows musicians and dancers at a feast.  Doesn’t it look like they’re having fun?  That must have been quite a party!

We invite you to join the ancient Egyptian party! Ancient Egypt is a wonderful place. Through the world of archaeology and the things that have been discovered, you have many opportunities to visit. We’ve included a “Word Search” puzzle about ancient Egyptian food. You can download it here.