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Establishing the elements of the feast
Fuchsia' menu for Midas' feast
The ingredients list

To the naked eye the organic residue found inside the food bowls in Mita's tomb look like mouldy dust. The dry and airless conditions in the chamber had helped to preserve more than 6 lbs of food and beverage remains. In 1957 they were not yet ready to give up their secrets, but over 40 years later advances in technology allowed scientists to uncover the mystery of the remains.

This scientific evidence, together with Fuchsia's extensive knowledge of world foods, and her experience as a cook, enabled her and Ralph to recreate what the 100 guests might have feasted on as they mourned the passing of their king.

Science and intuition

Expert molecular archaeologist Pat McGovern, from the University of Pennsylvania, used mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy to identify the 'chemical fingerprints' of the food residue in the tomb and so discern the ancient ingredients. He suggested that the funeral feast might have consisted of barbecued lamb or goat, in a stew with honey and grapes or wine. He also found traces of a pepper, like cayenne, and fennel or annis.

The enormous copper cauldrons contained traces of a potent brew, with grain, fermented grapes and honey. Apparently the ancient Phrygians were not connoisseurs of pure wine like their Greek contemporaries, rather they seemed to prefer a kind of wine and mead punch. A mysterious yellowish residue could have been the spice saffron.

Keeping true to the time

As well as ensuring that all of the ingredients were authentic, Fuchsia and Ralph had to try to keep the cooking and serving methods true to Mita's time. The meal was served on wooden plates and, as no utensils were found in the tomb, traditional clay-baked bread was used to scoop up the stew. The setting for the feast was the base of Mita's burial mound, the most likely spot for the original banquet to have been held.

Main dish

Side Dishes

Beverage

Broad beans

Also known as the fava bean or horse bean, this cool season crop has been an important Mediterranean ingredient for thousands of years. They grow in large pods and are removed just before the plant ripens, and are usually stored as dry beans that require soaking before use. Broad beans seemed the perfect accompaniment for a funeral feast as both the Ancient Greeks and Egyptians associated them with death. In fact recent studies have shown that they contain lectin, a substance that can fight cancer.

Fennel seeds

These seeds are popular in both sweet and savoury dishes and have a similar flavour to aniseed. Fennel has a calming effect on coughs and bronchitis and has also been found to relieve flatulence and colic whilst stimulating digestion.

Honey

Honey has been a much sought after and revered ingredient since records began and is mentioned in the texts of the ancient Sumerians, Babylonians and Egyptians. In Ancient Greece it was a prized commodity and offered as a gift to the gods.

Lamb

To feed 100 people Fuchsia and Ralf were told they would need three whole lambs, but they cooked four to be safe. At first they were confused by why the lamb had been roasted separately before adding it to the stew. However, when their feast was in full flow, they realised that a spare lamb turning on a spit provided an immediate supply of meat to add to the lentil stew base, should the meal need to go further.

Mahleb

Ground wild cherry kernels, obtained by cracking open the stone of the cherry and removing the kernel inside. This is said to have a more intense and fruity flavour than the fruit itself and is often used in cooked dishes. Modern day chefs might also include fruits such as apricots in the sweetmeat mix for Halva, but these were not available in Mita's time.

Pekmez

This ingredient is in essence a boiled down grape juice and is also known as molasses. In antiquity pekmez and honey were used as sweeteners, whereas in modern day Turkey and Greece sugar is the usual choice.

Pepper

Pat McGovern suggested a cayenne pepper-like spice was used in the stew, however cayenne is from India and was not around in Turkey in the 8th century BC. The actual spice was likely to have been native to Turkey but it could not be identified specifically.

Pomegranate

These fruits are native to Iran and the Himalayas of northern India, but have been cultivated and used in the Mediterranean since ancient times. Their outer skin is tough and leathery but inside they are packed with sweet flesh, pips and juice.

Saffron

The most expensive spice of all - said to be worth more than its weight in gold - saffron comes from the dried yellow stigmas of the crocus flower. The stigmas - three in each flower - have to be picked by hand and it takes 150,000 stigmas to make 1kg of saffron. Hence the expense. At first glance it seems a strange addition to a drink but in large doses it has an analgesic, sedative and even mind-altering effect. Perhaps the brew made Mita's funeral goers feel more in touch with the spirit world where they believed their king to be.

Sheep tail fat

The fat from the tail of a sheep is a much sought after commodity in Persia, and it is said to have a more delicate flavour than the fat from other areas of the animal.

Sumac

In Mita's time, lemon or lime juice, the usual souring agent in the humus of today, would not have been available, so Fuchsia chose to use sumac. Part of the Cashew family, this fruit is normally ground down to a reddish-purple powder, mixed with salt and sprinkled over rice. But for this recipe it was added, along with pomegranate juice, to the chickpeas to create a strangely pink humus paste.

Tahini

Fried, crushed sesame seeds, tahini is the key ingredient of humus, used to give the paste a nutty flavour. Sesame seeds were available in Mita's day, and were probably used in a similar way.