Everything in its time and the mackerel in August ….it is a phrase we say for years and years about various things and situations in our lives. Surely its roots come from diet ones ….and so we will talk about them.
Maybe our ancestors knew more things, didn’t they? Maybe there is a Knowledge which we miss it, isn’t there? Perhaps that sometimes we look for the easy way … maybe the fact that the industry makes everything … and the fact that we find solutions into ready preparations, supplements and pills ….I would not say that our diet needs have overcome the craziest imagination. At least this is what our ancestors who lived in the time of Byzantium would say … I will not criticize what the doctors, the pharmacists and the chef would say at that period. And imagine, what follows is what they recommended for the “Imperial Cuisine”….
What will they think about us who ask for watermelons and melons in the heart of winter, in January? … And what would be their opinion about the fact that we get them? … Oh yes, dear friends, we have managed it just fine … watermelon in winter and chestnuts in summer … Finally this is a miracle!!! What do you think? I believe that they would goggle their eyes, they would kneel down and they would cry “oh, our world is lost”!!! … But yes, don’t be surprised ….They had much knowledge about every food, fruit, meat, herbs, for everything…
Now you will ask me why I started with the Byzantine advices and not with the ones of Ancient Greek … this is not to be discussed for the time being …no comments … anyway the Byzantine tastes and knowledge were based on the Ancient Greek ones, but how can I say this? It was a bit scrambled … they had put the whole Mediterranean in a blender …. in order to be a variety in the cuisine … we could say that it was a Multinational cuisine … but it had tastes and knowledge exchanges of the foods and of their benefits!!! All in every detail… the diet and the benefits of each food for the man was a whole science!!!
Their daily diet did not include only the food and the drinks, but also explained the quantity, the frequency and some recipes …
It is obvious that everything was recommended accordingly to the season … to be exact always according to the month. Certainly sports … did not think you will escape? …activities were recommended. They recommended massage, soaps, emulsions and drugs which should be used according to the season and the climate…. Of course, what will follow is a general guide which was adapted to each man…
This was a short introduction…. we will talk about the diet of the first month, of January… prepare yourselves for a surprise…coming soon…stay tuned!!!!!
Article by Kyriaki Solomonidou
SOURCE: TASTES OF BYZANTIUM: The cuisine of a legendary empire του Andrew Dalby