Byzantine Honey Fritters

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  • čas přidán 25. 07. 2022
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    LINKS TO INGREDIENTS & EQUIPMENT**
    Durum flour (Fine semolina): amzn.to/3RDKmto
    FURTHER READING
    Tastes of Byzantium by Andrew Dalby: amzn.to/3RzvA6U
    **Some of the links and other products that appear on this video are from companies which Tasting History will earn an affiliate commission or referral bonus. Each purchase made from these links will help to support this channel with no additional cost to you. The content in this video is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available.
    RECIPE
    2 cups (475ml) cow or goat milk
    1 1/4 cups (225g) fine durum flour
    About a liter of extra virgin Olive oil for frying
    ⅓ cup (100g) Honey
    About a teaspoon of Black pepper
    1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over low heat. Let it steam but do not bring it to a simmer. Add in half of the flour and mix until incorporated. Continue to add flour a little at a time until you have a very thick mixture that pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. You may not need all of the flour and you can add more milk if required. Cook for 10-15 minutes total, stirring the entire time. Then remove it from the heat and let it cool for 2 minutes.
    2. While still quite warm, dump the mixture onto a plate and spread it out to cover the plate with a uniform thickness. Smooth the top. Let cool completely (you can put it in the refrigerator to chill faster and make it easier to cut).
    3. Once cooled, slice the mixture into small, bite sized pieces of any shape.
    4. Heat the olive oil in a deep pan until it reaches 350°F/175°C. Then add 6-8 pieces of dough in at a time. Let them fry for 1 minute, then use a spoon to break them up and continue to fry for another minute and a half or until they're golden brown. Remove them and let them drain while you continue to fry the rest of the dough.
    5. Once they are all fried, toss them in a bowl with some warm honey and coat them well. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.
    Subtitles: Jose Mendoza | IG @worldagainstjose
    PHOTO CREDITS
    Apicius: By Bonho1962 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
    Life Giving Spring: By Χρήστης Templar52 - Transferred from el.wikipedia to Commons by Alaniaris using CommonsHelper.(Original text: Φωτογράφηση εξ ιδίων), Attribution, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
    Justinian: By Petar Milošević - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
    Pastrami: By Stilfehler - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
    Garum Factory: By Anual - Own work, CC BY 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
    #tastinghistory #byzantine #constantinople

Komentáře • 3,3K

  • @TastingHistory
    @TastingHistory  Před rokem +1714

    I’ve started posting short videos on TikTok and Instagram, so make sure to follow me over there for appetizers to hold you over between episodes.

    • @Moosemoose1
      @Moosemoose1 Před rokem +55

      Yo max, in 10 minutes this video went from 6 to 2,681 views, awesome.

    • @TastingHistory
      @TastingHistory  Před rokem +212

      @@Moosemoose1 it’s just my mom hitting the refresh key a bunch of times

    • @Firegen1
      @Firegen1 Před rokem +17

      @@TastingHistory You Mum is always so dedicated.
      Edit from Chance the dog - We appreciate her!!

    • @jayhom5385
      @jayhom5385 Před rokem +18

      @@TastingHistory As the Spiffing Brit says, "It's perfectly balanced."

    • @kellikelli4413
      @kellikelli4413 Před rokem +1

      I like that they built even their business end of things looking lovely, with great architecture...😉

  • @ltw6888
    @ltw6888 Před rokem +3656

    Just imagine how much work the tasting history guy 500 years from now is going to have to do to find out how big a frosted mini-wheat is.

  • @teddypawncrumps23
    @teddypawncrumps23 Před rokem +4899

    What I learned watching this video:
    - Honey and pepper is an underrated combination
    - Never be a monk
    - The messi is the aesthetic Whole Foods is trying to recreate
    - Price gouging is a tale as old as time
    - Wine is Byzantine water

    • @kiprasdainovskis5495
      @kiprasdainovskis5495 Před rokem +259

      You forgot one
      -Istanbul, not Constantinople

    • @morsletum5348
      @morsletum5348 Před rokem +134

      "Never be a monk"
      Depends on where you live.Some monks in western europe had very good food.

    • @e21big
      @e21big Před rokem +95

      pepper's actually a legit dessert ingredient, it was actually used in many places in Asia for sweet treats

    • @karaqakkzl
      @karaqakkzl Před rokem +20

      @@kiprasdainovskis5495
      Gatapolis, Kedibul or Pishikent, the city of cats.

    • @paavobergmann4920
      @paavobergmann4920 Před rokem +79

      @@e21big Always sprinkle just a tiny bit of black pepper over strawberries! whether you eat them just with a little sugar, or with cream, a little black pepper leads to absolute tastesplosions.

  • @Buizie
    @Buizie Před 5 měsíci +69

    >adds a little more flour now it's too sticky
    >adds a little more milk now it's too runny
    >after 5 minutes of fine tuning
    >congrats you now have 2745 fritters to serve to people

  • @user-oy5io5vq9u
    @user-oy5io5vq9u Před rokem +799

    Honey fritters , or as we called it today "loukoumades" (λουκουμάδες) , is still one of the most common desserts in Greece to this day

    • @alexanderpapadopoulos5240
      @alexanderpapadopoulos5240 Před 10 měsíci +66

      Although today they're just flour based (not semolina) with honey syrup and or cinammon (or nutella coating) and no pepper, but yes i can see these honey fritters being the ancestors of todays loukoumades 😅

    • @vladsimon9873
      @vladsimon9873 Před 9 měsíci +32

      We have them in Romania as well and we call them "Greek donuts", as I watched the video I figured that might be the origin.

    • @burcuyagmur2463
      @burcuyagmur2463 Před 8 měsíci +21

      We Turks call this dessert "lokma" :) "lokma" means a piece of food.

    • @ahmedbenmbarek9938
      @ahmedbenmbarek9938 Před 8 měsíci +2

      ​@@burcuyagmur2463loqma is the mouthful piece of any food. It usually refer to a size (kind of one or two table spoon if any food and loqma is لقمة in Arabic so not sure if Arabs got it from the Greek or the Greek got it from the Arabs ? But we do day loqma in general and some areas and tribes might even say "logma" or lo'ma without pronouncing either the Q or G.

    • @burcuyagmur2463
      @burcuyagmur2463 Před 8 měsíci +8

      @@ahmedbenmbarek9938 The origin of the word lokma is Arabic. It is a word used daily in Turkish. Also, we Turks have "lokma" dessert made during mawlids, special occasions, or when we pray for someone's soul. and we even call this process "pouring lokma".

  • @lhfirex
    @lhfirex Před rokem +619

    You know, I think this "flogged, shaved, and expelled from the guild" punishment for overcharging on prices is an anti-inflationary solution we should look into trying.

    • @Regulator2000
      @Regulator2000 Před rokem +45

      I wouldn't want a guild like that in modern times, mainly because that's basically a government-sanctioned monopoly (though 'government-sanctioned monopoly' is a redundant term, since monopolies are created when corporations grease the palms of politicians, which results in the government favoring these corporations).

    • @MrChristianDT
      @MrChristianDT Před rokem +23

      It's already historically known that corporations in America & Europe have done similar group deals, but usually for their financial benefit, not tha of their customers. The US also kind of already does this for raw food items, but for meat, I believe butchers bribed the governments of Canada &, maybe, also the US to draft laws that they claimed were to keep the prices of meat cheap in the 90s, but:
      1) I also made them the only company ranchers could take their animals to to be butchered, so there was no competition & then scammed the hell out of those ranchers &
      2) They didn't follow their own rule in the long run, anyway. Prices of pretty much all meat has skyrocketed.

    • @nevisysbryd7450
      @nevisysbryd7450 Před rokem +17

      @@Regulator2000 That is what they were then, too; guilds generally were granted an explicit legal monopoly with horribly exploitative hierarchical structures, and backed up by mafia-esque enforcement. While they arguably had their benefits as well, in many regards, guilds were terrible.

    • @nevisysbryd7450
      @nevisysbryd7450 Před rokem

      Like how they did in the economic disasters of NatSoc Germany, the Soviet Union, and full communist China? No, thanks.

    • @erininnes7448
      @erininnes7448 Před rokem +37

      @@MrChristianDT So I run a farm in Canada, and I'm not sure how it went down in the US but I can tell you that in Canada, we have a system called Supply Management. The system was started in the 60s and it makes sure there is always the right supply of food staples at a consistent price (not so much that there's waste, and not so little that there's price gouging) and guarantees that farmers get a living wage for their products - this applies to milk, eggs, chicken and turkey. However, pork and beef are NOT supply-managed and we ended up with the same market concentration of industrial slaughterhouses that you all have in the US - three companies basically get to dictate the price of meat that they buy from farmers and then sell it for whatever they want, getting all the profits instead of farmers making a fair living. Then when farmers can't make money any more and sell their farm, the corporations buy their land and combine the parcels into giant megafarms that pollute groundwater and do all sorts of awful stuff. It was the policy framework of free trade and neoliberalism that was rammed down our throats by conservative federal governments in the 80s and 90s that created all of that market concentration. They also gutted a lot of our antitrust laws so there was no framework to stop these big companies from gobbling up the whole market and colluding on prices, etc. Thankfully, we still have supply management for the other commodities I mentioned, so our food supply is a lot more stable and doesn't have crazy price shocks. We are experiencing inflation right now because of covid, just like the rest of the world, but it's not as destabilizing as it would be without supply management - and things like pork and beef that aren't supply managed are inflating way faster than milk and eggs. So we basically have a socialist system of supply management and a free market neoliberal free-for-all running side by side in the same country in the same industry, and I can tell you that the managed one is working WAAAAYYYY better. So maybe those Byzantine butchers were onto something!

  • @jonjohns8145
    @jonjohns8145 Před rokem +1193

    Fun fact: if you lightly toast the Semolina flour before you add it to the Milk it imparts a nice nutty flavor. The Levant region has a similar Sweet called "Halawat Al-Sameed" (translated: Semolina sweet) which involves toasting the Semolina first in 2 table spoons of butter until it is light brown then adding it to a sweet simple syrup and stirring until a porridge like consistency is achieved.

    • @komal146
      @komal146 Před rokem +70

      India's got a similar dish, with a similar name. Suji (semolina) Halwa. Slightly thicker than porridge and loaded with nuts.

    • @mikepette4422
      @mikepette4422 Před rokem +53

      since the entire middle east was under Roman then Byzantine then Ottoman rule for so long it seems nature that recipes and foods would spread easily with the region.

    • @oatmealtruck7811
      @oatmealtruck7811 Před rokem +10

      Sounds delicious! Thanks for the tip 😊

    • @BaoHadir
      @BaoHadir Před rokem +7

      Sounds gooooood

    • @clogs4956
      @clogs4956 Před rokem +16

      @@komal146 Halwa is awfully yummy and addictive!

  • @Chameleonradio
    @Chameleonradio Před rokem +494

    I'm building a D&D campaign around a Byzatine-esque region and I love torturing my players with food descriptions, so this was a great starting point for building each city's food culture, especially since I was able to find an earlier printing of that book in my library! :)

    • @bobbyb707
      @bobbyb707 Před rokem +27

      Sounds like my dream campaign. If you’re doing it online, I’d certainly like to apply to make new friends and play!

    • @supsupmisstasty
      @supsupmisstasty Před 11 měsíci +9

      Oh benevolent DM, have mercy on your players haha

    • @supsupmisstasty
      @supsupmisstasty Před 11 měsíci +5

      #livingmyBardlife

    • @alecdickens1042
      @alecdickens1042 Před 5 měsíci +6

      I saw this recipe around the time I started making a monk for D&D. I love roleplay and especially love when food is involved to make the world feel more alive. This recipe was perfect for my monk who would naturally need something easy to prepare using what travellers would be able to spare in small quantities: Some milk, a bit of flour, and some change to procure honey and pepper.

    • @AxionSmurf
      @AxionSmurf Před 4 měsíci +1

      I hope there's an iconoclasm quest line where players can get their nose excised

  • @boofriggityhoo
    @boofriggityhoo Před rokem +788

    This is absolutely crazy; my nonna used to make these when I was little, and unlike some of the modern things she made like cannoli or doughboys, we had no idea where these came from. When we'd ask she just called them Globi...except there were a few things that she called globi...that basically became the word she'd use for "fried sweet thing," I guess. I was able to find the more conventional "globi" online, but I never found a recipe for these fritters anywhere.
    Sometimes she'd throw poppy seeds or sesame seeds on them too. She also did them in squares from what I remember, but they'd often puff up to look not quite round, not quite square. I remember as a kid really loving the slight bite of the pepper with the honey, it's not a flavor combination people appreciate anymore, but I really loved it.
    She said it depended on the season, how much they'd puff up; no idea whether that refers to the grain or when you make them, or if that's even true lol.
    I should have known these were ancient because the mild sweetness is so balanced and not in your face, you can really hurt yourself eating too many of these without thinking too hard about it! Thank you so much for posting this so I finally could solve the mystery of what those delicious childhood desserts were, and now I can pass them on to my children (she never wrote down ANY of her recipes, and this one wasn't common enough to learn from memory). I'm so glad I found your channel, I love the combo of history and cooking. You're a treasure!!

    • @5peciesunkn0wn
      @5peciesunkn0wn Před rokem +31

      Max does have a video on globi!

    • @obiwancannoli1920
      @obiwancannoli1920 Před rokem +4

      Cannoli?

    • @leobuana7430
      @leobuana7430 Před rokem +18

      The season part is not joking she just don't know how to say air humidity and temperature,bread dough also get affected the same way

    • @giuseppelogiurato5718
      @giuseppelogiurato5718 Před 9 měsíci +5

      We call our things "zeppoli", and they're kinda like this thing shown here, but not with pepper; my nonna put anise seeds and ricotta in her dough, and she fried them in pure olive oil, and then fixed them with sugar and cinnamon. I think every place has a fried treat/doughnut thingy.

    • @kaiookalanikanuha2613
      @kaiookalanikanuha2613 Před 2 měsíci +1

      Your Nonna is a treasure too!!

  • @Lauren.E.O
    @Lauren.E.O Před rokem +845

    Well, the guild of pork butchers fighting back against members trying to scam people was not the story I thought I’d hear in a honey fritters episode, but it’s pretty interesting that prices were so strictly maintained.

    • @TastingHistory
      @TastingHistory  Před rokem +160

      You never know where these things will take you. 😊

    • @SeymoreSparda
      @SeymoreSparda Před rokem +64

      The guild of pork butchers...what a novel idea for rpg games in the future! Also, I know that you've done at least 1 video of medieval fast foods, but methinks there are lots more things that could cause the state of hangryness in the medieval era, lol!🤣 Maybe some sequel videos to that, in the near future?😅

    • @JenIsHungry
      @JenIsHungry Před rokem +57

      The had unions, I love it lmao Regulations for price gouging is a good idea... Maybe we should try that.

    • @SeymoreSparda
      @SeymoreSparda Před rokem

      @@JenIsHungry Sure, until you realized that organized crime gangs are at their peak power, when THEY THEMSELVES are unionized! Effin' 'ell! You don't wanna know how much they control the prices of goods in my country even today, yes, in the year of your Lord, 2022! lel

    • @ivannegrozny5388
      @ivannegrozny5388 Před rokem +19

      @@JenIsHungry Yeah... You should try it. It's always good to have an active reminder for the rest of the world what happens when you fuck with prices, so that they don't try that in my country.

  • @aBANDIT.
    @aBANDIT. Před rokem +3249

    This channel has become a sort of comfort, when I need an interesting yet useful videos this is the first pick I think I’ve watched the whole backlog, I’m not very good at cooking but learning about it all is awesome, thank you.

    • @xassylax
      @xassylax Před rokem +42

      I’m currently on my second rewatch of the entire series. And when I finally finish it, I’ll probably start it over again at some point. 😂

    • @p.s.shnabel3409
      @p.s.shnabel3409 Před rokem +41

      Max is to CZcams what Astrid Lindgren was to writing.
      Wholesome without ever being insipid. Insightful without being preachy. And uplifting without giving false hope.
      Looks so easy, must be incredibly hard to pull off. Thank you, Max.

    • @scallopohare9431
      @scallopohare9431 Před rokem +28

      Max is not dictatorial, like some cookbook authors. He tells you when to adjust to your taste, and when to be precise.

    • @brandonhenley3597
      @brandonhenley3597 Před rokem +12

      I watch Tasting History to chill lol

    • @EphemeralFlan
      @EphemeralFlan Před rokem

      Try technology connections next

  • @johnomalley5712
    @johnomalley5712 Před rokem +284

    There is a southern Italian dish made that is similar called "Strufoli" when they say made in the shape of sweets they usually mean in small marble size balls. In case you were trying to find that, Southern Italians preserve many of these treats. Perhaps that helps in your research.

    • @yeetmcskeet6872
      @yeetmcskeet6872 Před rokem +32

      It makes sense when you consider that the Byzanitnes held on to southern Italy for centuries after Justinian first conquered it.

    • @jamescrab4110
      @jamescrab4110 Před rokem +9

      I found it could have been diamond shape with fired snacks from north Africa and malta.

    • @lemonandgaming6013
      @lemonandgaming6013 Před rokem +11

      we have exactly this in greece, but called loukoumades. its so delicious

    • @ushays
      @ushays Před rokem +9

      @@lemonandgaming6013 lol. came here to say this is literally just loukoumades. Makes sense with the proximity

    • @julietsmith5925
      @julietsmith5925 Před rokem +1

      It's probably a descendant of the Ancient Roman dish called globi.

  • @darkstarnh
    @darkstarnh Před rokem +9

    Mushrooms (9:26) To quote Terry Pratchett 'All mushrooms are edible; some only once.'

  • @deezn8tes
    @deezn8tes Před rokem +231

    Once a year a Greek Orthodox Church near me has a celebration day with homemade foods for sale. There are small honeyed sweets that instantly remind me of these!! There’s lines AROUND THE BLOCK for food orders, first come first serve…and every time my family argues over who gets the last honey-treat….I believe they’re called Loukoumades!

    • @dpapad202
      @dpapad202 Před rokem +27

      loukoumades are amazing and pretty easy to make. just drizzle some honey on top and then cinnamon and walnuts. Delicious!

    • @deezn8tes
      @deezn8tes Před rokem +6

      @@dpapad202 100% one of my favorite treats! They’re so good….I need to find a good recipe to try and fill that void…once a year is not enough!

    • @dpapad202
      @dpapad202 Před rokem +6

      @@deezn8tes czcams.com/video/wGtW_O8rypI/video.html
      Here is one with English subs. From my experience they look traditional. Only thing I would recommend is to dilute the honey a bit. Enjoy

    • @deezn8tes
      @deezn8tes Před rokem +5

      @@dpapad202 I’ve got some local beekeepers who have an exceptional smoked honey that will go great with this! Thanks so much!!

    • @tildessmoo
      @tildessmoo Před rokem +8

      I think a lot of Greek Orthodox churches do this (I've seen at least three just in central New Jersey). I believe it's generally a combination Greek cultural appreciation day /festival of St. George.

  • @darthjuno
    @darthjuno Před rokem +1729

    As a Greek, I'm so impressed and thankful for your excellent pronunciation of all the Greek words and names in this video ❤️

    • @TastingHistory
      @TastingHistory  Před rokem +313

      Thank you! It is definitely one of the harder languages to get my mouth around, so I'm glad you approve.

    • @SuperPrettyPink101
      @SuperPrettyPink101 Před rokem +104

      I think it's so nice when a creator makes that extra effort to speak a foreign language as best they can. That little bit of respect and care a lot of people can't be bothered to put in really sets channels like this apart. ❤

    • @realhorrorshow8547
      @realhorrorshow8547 Před rokem +103

      Max didn't brag, so I'll do it for him: Correct pronunciation is something of a trademark of this channel. Max often talks with academics or native speakers to get it right.

    • @belisarius6949
      @belisarius6949 Před rokem +43

      @@realhorrorshow8547 Or he does it like in the china related videos where he messed it up in the initial recording and has to edit in another take of him saying it correctly. Which was hillarious.

    • @Ninosninosninos
      @Ninosninosninos Před rokem +8

      Yes, I noticed too, well done Max!

  • @mustafaercumen3187
    @mustafaercumen3187 Před rokem +63

    My mother is from Edirne. She said during times they were kids they used to drink water with calcium which made the water more salty. Maybe it was because the water came from Edirne it get calcite

  • @leilaclarridge5807
    @leilaclarridge5807 Před rokem +29

    The visual I have in my head of Ioannes maintaining defiant eye contact with his servant the entire time he's buying and eating the soup and cabbages never fails to make me laugh. I can also imagine the three fellows in the picture to the left of the attestation being the servants rolling their eyes at him.

  • @fcon2123
    @fcon2123 Před rokem +582

    Great episode! The Byzantine/Eastern Roman Empire never gets as much attention as the Western despite having technically lasted until the 1400s. Also, those fritters I think after time evolved into the Greek desert known as lukumades. Basically fried doughballs coated with honey and nuts. Definitely try them if you've never had them before.

    • @kristiangustafson4130
      @kristiangustafson4130 Před rokem +37

      I was precisely thinking about loukoumades! Always around Easter. Always send my little girls up the Church stands (in Cyprus) to buy them from the Yiayias. The Yiayias would always give my little cherubs more than they'd give me!

    • @fcon2123
      @fcon2123 Před rokem +18

      @@kristiangustafson4130 That's awesome! I live in a part of Chicago that has a sizable Greek and Muslim population, and it's really interesting that "Mediterranean" cuisine encompasses so much of both cultures. Hell, even loukoumades shares a striking similarity to baklava! No doubt the origins of both come from Hellenistic culture.

    • @AxelQC
      @AxelQC Před rokem +12

      That's because American history runs through Britain and France, both of which were Western Roman provinces. The Eastern Roman Empire made up states like Greece, the Balkans, Turkey, and the Middle East, countries which are distant from Western history.

    • @Spoonishpls
      @Spoonishpls Před rokem +8

      Right? The medieval Roman Empire gets so ignored

    • @EminencePhront
      @EminencePhront Před rokem +22

      ​@@AxelQC How is Greece distant from Western history. Ancient Greece formed the basis of Western civilization, medieval Greece was a hub of Christendom and basically kept Western civilization on life support while the rest of Europe was living in their own filth, and post-Byzantine Greece was ground zero of the western resistance against expansionist Islam which continues to this day.

  • @Anesthesia069
    @Anesthesia069 Před rokem +277

    Sweet black pepper is really underrated. I had a black pepper spiced cake at Herstmonceux Medieval Festival once and it was wonderful.

    • @l.m.2404
      @l.m.2404 Před rokem +24

      Raise your hand if you want to see Max bake this after some history research.* standing on my chair arm lifted upwards *

    • @TheGreektrojan
      @TheGreektrojan Před rokem +20

      Black Pepper is known to pair well with strawberries if you want to experiment with something else. Lots of high end sweet shops will add a sprinkle into strawberry desserts.

    • @LookshyLily
      @LookshyLily Před rokem +13

      One of my favorite family cake recipes uses lavender and black pepper and it's SO yummy. It's just a hint of pepper but it really makes the sweetness and lavender pop without getting perfume levels of over the top floral.

    • @AndyViant
      @AndyViant Před rokem +7

      Black pepper was chosen, much like the supermarket stock of today, for its storage capability for the benefit of merchants and not the consumer. Long Pepper was preferred for its flavour, and is only really available at limited Indian merchants today.
      The pepper we use in recipes is almost unrecognizable to those from the dark and middle ages. This would have most likely been made with long pepper.

    • @thealandude9146
      @thealandude9146 Před rokem +11

      I had some fried potatoes and beef with a honey black pepper sauce it's amazing

  • @user-ow1qs7jo7f
    @user-ow1qs7jo7f Před rokem +103

    We have something similar in Algeria called "Makroud", but we stuff these Fritters with dates paste and then fry them and dip them in honey.

  • @sergiolp6058
    @sergiolp6058 Před rokem +142

    I am amazed, one of my favorite Spanish dessert is "Leche frita" fried milk and must be the grandson of this recipe because is almost the same

    • @llondriga
      @llondriga Před rokem +11

      @@emmalouie1663 I can't recommend leche frita enough, it's so delicious 🤤

    • @CrujiAlexX
      @CrujiAlexX Před rokem +3

      Leche frita enjoyer si soy

    • @cefirodewinter9086
      @cefirodewinter9086 Před rokem +5

      @@CrujiAlexX and a Wakfu player as well, the coincidences

    • @CrujiAlexX
      @CrujiAlexX Před rokem +3

      @@cefirodewinter9086 HAHAHAHAH yes, wakfu enjoyer i am 😎😎

    • @clarantromillo
      @clarantromillo Před rokem +2

      It looks much more like "buñuelos" than "leche frita".

  • @flashbacks4186
    @flashbacks4186 Před rokem +124

    Can we also note how well he pronounces the stuff in Greek like I am actually surprised, he got the vast majority of them spot on

    • @beth12svist
      @beth12svist Před rokem +33

      He takes great care with his pronunciations, it's one of the reasons I love this channel. :-)

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja Před rokem +30

      Even when his pronunciation isn’t 100% spot on it’s still obvious that he cares about doing his best to get it right.

    • @darthjuno
      @darthjuno Před rokem +12

      Right?? I had to comment too and say thank you because mpre often than not Greek stuff is absolutely butchered by English speakers

    • @EK-xz8ig
      @EK-xz8ig Před rokem +6

      Yep, he did great!

    • @AndyViant
      @AndyViant Před rokem +6

      he does his research and a lot of practice. kudos.

  • @Lauren.E.O
    @Lauren.E.O Před rokem +197

    Honey is one of my favorite ingredients. It can come in so many flavors and textures depending how it is produced, and it lasts FOREVER if stored properly. 🍯

    • @tezzcan1
      @tezzcan1 Před rokem +5

      My favourite is Eucalyptus Honey, yum!

    • @MatConlon
      @MatConlon Před rokem +17

      Honey, Garlic and Lemon are the Golden Trilogy. Any combination of these ingredients is guaranteed to be godly.

    • @FirstLast-gw5mg
      @FirstLast-gw5mg Před rokem +5

      It lasts forever almost regardless of how you store it, as long as you haven't mixed it with anything.

    • @paavobergmann4920
      @paavobergmann4920 Před rokem

      @@MatConlon Jupp. same as cream, ham and cabbage.

    • @paavobergmann4920
      @paavobergmann4920 Před rokem +4

      @@FirstLast-gw5mg In a humid place, it can get a liquid layer on top, and that can develop a nasty mould.

  • @Firewalkerbg
    @Firewalkerbg Před rokem +22

    “What’s nowadays Bulgaria” was pretty much Bulgaria back then, too…
    Btw my Bulgarian grandma used to make these all the time. She’d also add cinnamon to the honey syrup though, and she wouldn’t fry it in olive oil but sunflower oil instead because olive oil is hella expensive and not great for deep frying.

    • @Mauesi
      @Mauesi Před rokem +3

      Not when the Aqueduct of Valens was built nor during the time of Justinian I as mentioned in the video

  • @krose6451
    @krose6451 Před rokem +67

    My uncle isnt overly impressed with sweets but like honey so its become tradition that I make him something honey based for his birthday rather than what most expect of a birthday cake. Given that he also is a fan of pepper it seems I've found something for next year! Thank you very much for that. PS if anyone has any other honey desert/treat suggestions I would be very greatful to hear them!

    • @juliasaraiva9146
      @juliasaraiva9146 Před rokem +19

      I would recommend medovik! It's a russian honey cake that isn't really a cake, more like a stack of soft honey cookies? You could probably decorate it to look like a traditional birthday cake too

    • @krose6451
      @krose6451 Před rokem +3

      @@juliasaraiva9146 thank you! I'll have to look into it

    • @leyalaatasto9096
      @leyalaatasto9096 Před 6 měsíci +2

      Hey OP it's been a yr! How did it go? 😊

    • @krose6451
      @krose6451 Před 6 měsíci +4

      @leyalaatasto9096 we had a surplous of apples, so I ended up trying a honey apple cake recipe instead. Sadly, though it was a good cake, it was sweet without any real honey flavor. For Christmas Im trying a pistachio baklavawhich should certainly be more honey forward.

  • @DaZebraffe
    @DaZebraffe Před rokem +44

    Pro tip: If you want to save some money on this recipe, go for regular olive oil instead of the extra virgin stuff. In testing, it's been proven that dishes that are cooked taste absolutely no different if you use regular olive oil, versus using extra virgin. The flavor difference only shines through in dishes where the oil is to remain raw, like when you're using it as part of a pesto or a salad dressing.

    • @bacicinvatteneaca
      @bacicinvatteneaca Před rokem +1

      Or use peanut oil for frying, since it doesn't give a specific taste to foods

    • @DaZebraffe
      @DaZebraffe Před rokem +15

      @@bacicinvatteneaca But this recipe calls *specifically* for olive oil, so they obviously want the flavor olive oil gives. So my advice definitely still applies.

  • @hoggypare7629
    @hoggypare7629 Před rokem +171

    I had the opportunity to eat this dish once. In my Uni the department of Byzantine history has some researchers specializing in ancient dietetics, medicine and cuisine, and they did lectures with degustation - which, gotta admit, is a pretty cool concept. Ours seemed however to be cut thinner and they were more crispy overall.
    Knowing the ancient cookery, there were probably many various ways of making those fritters, so I think both are correct.

    • @Sleipnirseight
      @Sleipnirseight Před rokem +4

      That is so freaking cool! I had a professor bring homemade hardtac to a lecture about food and medicine during the American Civil War. It was surprisingly delicious, almost like crunchier pita chips.

  • @NinjaSkittlez
    @NinjaSkittlez Před rokem +5

    Everyone who has ever complained about how weird it is for people to journal everything in games and leave random notes around has clearly never been a big fan of history.

  • @bonesmcrattley2849
    @bonesmcrattley2849 Před rokem +92

    I realise how much I love the little anecdotes you throw in from time to time that take only a couple of seconds of the video, but clearly you've found them during your research and thought about how best to put them in, like tha tlittle bit about mushrooms killing off families. You're a tremendous content creator!

    • @ccburro1
      @ccburro1 Před 18 dny

      The excellent attention to all aspects (big and small) makes this show so special-fascinating, delightful! Like the anecdotes that he includes. ❤️

  • @seaofseeof
    @seaofseeof Před rokem +168

    I'm half Greek. This reminds me of the loukoumades you can get in Greece, or lokma in Turkey. Essentially fried dough balls covered in a sweet syrup, which is honey-based with Greek loukoumades. There's a strong chance these are related to these fritters.

    • @darthjuno
      @darthjuno Před rokem +9

      Mm loukouma, the greatest beach snack

    • @gnothisauton2116
      @gnothisauton2116 Před rokem +4

      Second that! Loukoumades were the most memorable food of our Med travel.

    • @SoulEternalPeaceWarrior77
      @SoulEternalPeaceWarrior77 Před rokem +44

      Right? You guys (Greeks) are the MAIN influencers of the entire Anatolia/Levant area. Ottomans tried to erase your history for centuries but all the ruins, the dishes, culture goes back to the OG Greeks.

    • @esmeraldagreen1992
      @esmeraldagreen1992 Před rokem +4

      But the lokumades have yeast and they are made of regular flour not semolina

    • @SD-ft5xj
      @SD-ft5xj Před rokem +31

      @@SoulEternalPeaceWarrior77 there isn’t one creditor. Greeks, arabs, turks, armenians etc. are all influencers and originators of the best cuisine in the world. Stop trying to create a divide and enjoy the food :)

  • @oscareconome3033
    @oscareconome3033 Před rokem +130

    for those who are familiar, there are many greek dishes that still follow this tradition of fried dough tossed in a honey sauce. Loukamades and diples are both very delicious and watching made me think about these things that my Yiayia would make.

  • @Robert-Herman
    @Robert-Herman Před 8 měsíci +5

    My great grandmother, from Naples, used to make something similar. The dough was rolled into balls about 1/2 to 3/4 in diameter. I was allowed to help because I was the oldest (10 through 12). She would deep fry them and, when warm, cover them in honey. She just made them around the holidays. Unfortunately, when she reposed, no one else continued the tradition. As I was watching this video, i could taste Nonna's "honey balls"

  • @bruisedpeach8282
    @bruisedpeach8282 Před rokem +84

    My boyfriend is making these right now and we just tried the first two batches. THEY ARE AMAZING! He rolled them into small marble shapes and finished them with the honey and a combination of black and szechuan pepper. They are like tasty ancient doughnut holes. Or for the other Australians here kind of like damper! 15 out of 10 would recommend to a history nerd friend. We've been eating them so quick I haven't even taken a picture.

    • @shanekeenaNYC
      @shanekeenaNYC Před 3 měsíci

      I did something similar to this where I basically made a breakfast dumpling. I took sliced bread, chopped it up into bite-sized pieces, made an egg wash, dipped the chopped bread in it, make sure it's completely coated, and then fried it up in a pan. Make sure the bites stay separate, and don't be afraid to keep it about another minute or two in the pan longer than you think. When it's done, take it out, put it on a large plate, coat it in either paprika or powdered sugar and serve.

  • @lifeisdeath99
    @lifeisdeath99 Před rokem +356

    I’m a professional, trained, chef and I watch these videos ravenously when they come out. They are so informative of the history of food. I truly don’t know how you find all this amazing information. I love food and consume all forms of media about it and still you teach me many new things every video

    • @mauirandall8176
      @mauirandall8176 Před rokem +2

      None of this food stuff is particularly interesting or appetizing but I do watch these videos ravenously

    • @EpicAMV911
      @EpicAMV911 Před rokem +4

      @@mauirandall8176 You're a madmen if this food doesnt look appetizing to you.

    • @mary-janereallynotsarah684
      @mary-janereallynotsarah684 Před rokem +2

      @@EpicAMV911 yeah, it looks like tater tots and those are really good!

    • @soonerfrac4611
      @soonerfrac4611 Před rokem

      It’s essentially fried cream of wheat.

  • @silmarien1383
    @silmarien1383 Před rokem +193

    Finally, Byzantine food!
    I use foods from your channel whenever I want to make something for my students, to help them remember and connect to the past. I am so happy to see something from the Byzantines!

    • @Sleipnirseight
      @Sleipnirseight Před rokem +13

      Can I come to your classes!!!??

    • @ioncekilledamanwithmyshoe
      @ioncekilledamanwithmyshoe Před rokem +4

      I wish you were my teacher!

    • @Diie89
      @Diie89 Před rokem +4

      This sounds absolutely delightful, I hope your students enjoys your classes, because I know I would!

    • @silmarien1383
      @silmarien1383 Před rokem +9

      Everyone who’s saying that they’d enjoy my classes-thank you for your kind words! But I have to say, you’re all assuming I’m as good a cook as Max is. I’ve never asked my students if they agree. 😁

    • @mikshinee87
      @mikshinee87 Před rokem +3

      @@silmarien1383 I'm sure your students will remember your classes for the rest of their lives.

  • @blueyongs
    @blueyongs Před rokem +36

    “Cutting it as per sweets” is the popular diamond or rhombus shape of sweets as one can see in Baklava or many Turkish delights, the same culture late came to India which made many Indo-Persian/Mughal sweets being diamond shaped!

    • @dopaminedreams1122
      @dopaminedreams1122 Před 9 měsíci +5

      This recipe is Byzantine, why are you bringing up turkey and the Arab world? This was before Turkish influence on the region dude

  • @deliriouscheeto
    @deliriouscheeto Před rokem +6

    I love the price regulating rules. No scammers selling you something for 5x what it's actually worth.

  • @aqui1ifer
    @aqui1ifer Před rokem +72

    Part of me wonders just how much of the old Greco-Roman cuisine still survives in Italian, Greek & Spanish (Portugal & Romania too)dishes today.

    • @TastingHistory
      @TastingHistory  Před rokem +43

      A lot. Some ingredients have been replaced, but the bones are still there.

    • @seaofseeof
      @seaofseeof Před rokem +17

      Ah just read this. I made a seperate comment about how these are similar to a Greek dish of fried dough balls covered in honey syrup called loukoumades. It's crazy to see ancient Greek or Middle Eastern recipes and have them be recognizable to the food I grew up with when eating with my Greek side of the family.
      My other side of the family is Dutch, and there is a Dutch dish called zuurvlees that has its history traced back to Roman dish.

    • @albertozino1474
      @albertozino1474 Před rokem +5

      also in Southern Italy, there a lot of desserts which could be described as "fried dough balls drenched in honey", eaten around Christmas and Easter

    • @niip9284
      @niip9284 Před rokem +5

      oh a total gazillion!! there's a "fried dough drenched in honey" version of regional twist of sweets almost every place you go in greece today, and especially around the holidays (christmas, easter etc). since they don't have stuff that goes bad in them, they keep fresher for longer too - and honey is a natural preserving agent as well!

    • @Zaarin1
      @Zaarin1 Před rokem +6

      @@seaofseeof It made me think of loukoumades as well. I'm not Greek, but loukoumades and galaktoboureko are two of my favorite things at Greek restaurants when I can find them.

  • @dumptrck9285
    @dumptrck9285 Před rokem +88

    I always appreciate you putting the effort in to pronounce these names and words properly, even when difficult. It shows a lot of appreciation for the cultures you're talking about.

  • @l.d.k.136
    @l.d.k.136 Před rokem +11

    Here in Italy in Bologna we have a similar dish called "Crema fritta" wich you could translate in fried cream. It's basically a fried custard dusted with powdered sugar, but the look is virtually identical, except for the honey and the pepper. By the ingredients you have used, It looks more like a "polenta fritta" (Fried polenta) quite traditional and well consumed in the north of Italy, but sweet and made with milk. But i think in those time at Costantinopoli, honey and spices like pepper were signs of richness and prosperity.
    Very nice video, liked a lot :).

    • @rhythmicmusicswap4173
      @rhythmicmusicswap4173 Před 10 měsíci

      in piemonte abbiamo proprio le frittelle di semolino,fanno parte del fritto misto piemontese8di solito sono l aparte più ambita dai bambini)
      la differenza è che invece di miele e peperoncino mettiamo zucchero e scorze di limone nel latte e le impaniamo prima di friggere

  • @iggyeo6458
    @iggyeo6458 Před rokem +20

    love getting a history on food. something so engrained into historical culture that never seems to be mentioned.

  • @respther2003
    @respther2003 Před rokem +137

    I really look forward to Tuesday mornings. A good cup of coffee, my cat curled up beside me, and the newest Tasting History video. 😊

    • @TastingHistory
      @TastingHistory  Před rokem +23

      I like this set up

    • @drealynne4256
      @drealynne4256 Před rokem +1

      Sounds absolutely amazing! I honestly can’t think of a better morning than spent curled up with my cat, enjoying a cup of coffee, and watching a brand new episode of Tasting History

  • @Luca-ll1yc
    @Luca-ll1yc Před rokem +137

    Funny enough, in northern Italy we still do a similar recipe called "semolino fritto" or "polenta dolce". Basically it's the same process, only that you use semolina instead of durum flour (not sure if they are the same in English) and you add sugar and lemon zest in the milk before adding the semolina. Once it's cooled off, add one whole egg to the mixture before spreading it on a plate. Cut it in pieces and coat them first in beaten eggs and then breadcrumbs before frying, we don't use olive oil for that. Serve them hot as they are, without adding honey or spices.

    • @edcrichton9457
      @edcrichton9457 Před rokem +15

      The wheat is called Durum wheat in English. The flour made from it is semolina.

    • @Luca-ll1yc
      @Luca-ll1yc Před rokem +9

      @@edcrichton9457 Thanks for the answer. In italy we call durum flour "semola di grano duro" which is different from semolina, hence the confusion

    • @ragnkja
      @ragnkja Před rokem +5

      @@edcrichton9457
      In Norwegian “semulegryn” is a lot finer than most other “grain”, but not quite flour.

    • @dietolina
      @dietolina Před rokem +3

      I Looove semolino dolce! It should definitely be more popular!

    • @MrChristianDT
      @MrChristianDT Před rokem

      Someone made something like that while I was at their place once, but they were little balls & they called them San Marinos.

  • @lefterismagkoutas4430
    @lefterismagkoutas4430 Před rokem +38

    Great video, as a Greek I thank you for exploring this part of our culinary history and culture.

  • @flowersandcds4864
    @flowersandcds4864 Před rokem +33

    Made these for a project in my history class and here's what I learned:
    When spreading out the dough, it's really sticky, so wet your hands down
    It's very easy to make substations based on ingredient availability and diets, I used whole wheat flour becuase that's what I had at home :P
    If your afraid to fry, bake them instead. Same temp, just keep an eye on them. My bake batch took 5 minutes with a little shake and toss halfway through. Note though, you loose a lot of crunch.
    The texture is certainly not for everyone, crunchy outside with a very soft inside.
    The entire process took me about an hour, so if you need something quick to impress some people with your historic recipe know-how, this is a very good way to do it.
    Don't put the honey on until you serve it and don't store it with honey, it gets squishy
    They reheat very nicely.
    Happy cooking!

    • @slhughes1267
      @slhughes1267 Před rokem +2

      Yep. I found the same thing. I also patted it out roughly on parchment paper, ,put another piece on top, then gave it a light rolling with a pin to even out the thickness. Hands don't have to be dripping, just damp.

  • @fafalina56
    @fafalina56 Před rokem +42

    I saw the title, and my first thought was struffoli, the Italian fried dough fritters drenched in honey. Not too far different.

  • @driopas
    @driopas Před rokem +464

    in a 17 minute video i learnt more about my byzantine heritage and coulture than 12 years in hellenic education system, (elementary, gymnasium, lykaeum), thank u very very very much sir for yr precious journey and knowledge u provided me today, as well as the faster, esiest, super gourmet sweet recipe....

    • @jonedsweeps6379
      @jonedsweeps6379 Před rokem +14

      You been smoking on that refer

    • @facundomagarinoss3401
      @facundomagarinoss3401 Před rokem +17

      You have Rhōmaîoi blood in your veins, not "byzantine" that is a fake term!

    • @skatiarhs007
      @skatiarhs007 Před rokem +4

      @@facundomagarinoss3401 so what were the Greek speaking byzantines ? and how disapear ?

    • @tylermech66
      @tylermech66 Před rokem +7

      @@skatiarhs007 They were romans, dude. Greek speaking Romans.
      It was what they called themselves, their state, and is backed by historical record. the 'Byzantine' empire what, quite simply, the Roman Empire in the East.
      Ro be Roman was more like ebing an American or British person, you don't need to have been a Latin to be Roman.

    • @horror11
      @horror11 Před rokem +3

      @@tylermech66 they was greek romans, just like in italy they was italic romans.
      most romans in late antiquity was greek and italian seized to be romans in early 8th century and the smaller the empire got, the less nongreek-roman remained in the empire.
      most ppl dont realise that "roman" was a preform of citizenship and only nonbarbarian could be roman hence italic and greek.
      the earliest romanized greek was the populations of southitaly and sicily, which was assimilated into the roman republic in 3rd century bc.

  • @wesleythomas7125
    @wesleythomas7125 Před rokem +3

    Imagine being a nobleman out on the town and your manservant says "No, we have food at home."

  • @saffron5802
    @saffron5802 Před rokem +237

    This recipe reminds me a bit of the cookies they make in North Africa, specifically Chebakia. But I would presume that a lot of other cultures are familiar with frying dough and coating it with honey or other sweet substances.
    Looks quite tasty! Might give it a try myself. :)

    • @TastingHistory
      @TastingHistory  Před rokem +63

      Oh yeah. I feel like these type of sweet are fairly universal.

    • @janteo1
      @janteo1 Před rokem +20

      north africa was under roman rule for a looong time so...

    • @netzdame
      @netzdame Před rokem +12

      That was a part of the Roman Empire as well, wasn't it? So perhaps it's a remnant of that time.

    • @TheRealBrook1968
      @TheRealBrook1968 Před rokem +10

      Much of middle eastern and North African cuisine has its roots in Greek cooking thanks to the Byzantine influence.

    • @DaChicagowin
      @DaChicagowin Před rokem +9

      I did work in West Africa and they have a similar thing with sesame seeds/flour and honey

  • @zelenisok
    @zelenisok Před rokem +1062

    I was a fundie Eastern (/Greek) Orthodox and was really into the ascetic-minimalist Byzantine cuisine. The main food of Byzantine monks (who were following the monastic rules) and pious laypeople were the "holy soup" and bread.
    The 'holy soup' was a legume soup, and it was eaten for lunch and dinner. It had three basic variations: made out of lentils, beans, or chickpeas. The fasting version of the soup was just that - lentils /beans /chickpeas boiled with a bit of salt. Lay people would probably add veggies like celery, turnips, mushrooms, carrots, etc.. On non-fasting days onions, a bit of olive oil, and one or two spice herbs would be added to the soup.
    Note that when added up, fasting days are around two thirds of the days in a year, and the old strict fasting rules said that only plant foods are allowed, and salt was the only addition allowed - no spices, condiments, sugar, honey, oil, no drink except water. Of course, the soup wasnt eaten on the strictest days of fasting when nothing or just bread was eaten, nor during Lent when only raw fruits and veggies were allowed.
    For Lent you wouldnt eat the holy soup, but just bread, salads - which would simply be made out of fresh vegetables which were available, such as leeks, cucumbers, radishes, cabbage, etc; and snack plants - olives, raisins, and figs, these three were the daily rations in monasteries for most of the year, and maybe sometimes there would be some nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts, and fruit such as apricots, plums and pomegranates.
    On non-fast days you could have cheese, eggs, fish and seafood (like oysters, mussels, etc), and would drink juices and wine. Wine was usually flavored with honey and spices, such as cinnamon or black pepper. Also on non-fasting days, especially on holidays, they would make some simple cakes and sweets (which basically just sweet and soft pastries), but the most prominent sweet was rice pudding, which was by the Byzantines considered food of the angels. This was based on some stories of saints going into the desert and not eating for long periods of time, surviving only because angels brought them food, specifically rice pudding for some reason.
    Ironically, the term 'holy soup' most famously survived in a satiric song from the 11th century, which ridiculed the debauchery in some Byzantine monasteries, where the author uses it as a name for a type of sauce made with onions, oil, and spices, all of which were supposed to be forbidden for most of the year. And most references you can find for the term holy soup are to that song. BTW, the author of the song was signed by a satirical name Ptochoprodromos, or "Poor Prodromos", ie the poor man's version of Prodromos, a famous [serious] Byzantine writer and poet of the time. Thats the same one whose song is cited in this video.

    • @Angelfeather100
      @Angelfeather100 Před rokem +37

      Lots of bloating for the monks… I wonder if any of them suffering from IBS could follow this diet. Very interesting point though, since us, “the world out there”, know little about these restrictions. Thanks for sharing.

    • @zelenisok
      @zelenisok Před rokem +1

      Interestingly, there is mention that monks were given cumin and fennel drinks to help in cases bloating and flatulence.
      It is also possible that rice pudding was considered the food of the angels because it didn't cause bloating haha.
      BTW, IBS is manageable in most cases, if one removes and then gradually reintroduces the irritant foods; and some people with IBS found that they can have legumes even without doing that, if they soak them overnight and rinse them, and maybe also rinse them after boiling.

    • @a2e5
      @a2e5 Před rokem +60

      @@Angelfeather100 allegedly a lot of the bloating goes away if you… keep up at eating it, which I guess isn’t hard when you gotta do it on two thirds of the days in a year. personally I am a fan of these particular legumes, but going without spices sounds like woe.

    • @petergray7576
      @petergray7576 Před rokem +36

      The rice pudding they were served was actually called "Food of Angels" and was very extravagant in terms of ingredients. Mastic, mahlab, various spices, honey and whipped cream were among the added ingredients.

    • @HueghMungus
      @HueghMungus Před rokem +18

      @@petergray7576 Well it balances out. Boring food with fantastic dessert!

  • @tammam.hamzeh
    @tammam.hamzeh Před rokem +7

    Kinda similar to a middle eastern sweet dish called Awamah ( floaters ) in syria or lukmet al kadi in Egypt ( the judge's bite ) or lokma in turkish, although nowadays it can be made with wheat flour and using syrup instead of honey to make it cheeper and does not include the black pepper.

  • @gwyn4534
    @gwyn4534 Před rokem +11

    My brother made this recipe and they came out amazing. They rly remind me ou an other desert we have in greece called loukoumades, but this version was very distinct and had a different texture. A very nice desert overall

  • @nunsense8463
    @nunsense8463 Před rokem +89

    I find it so cool how so many cultures overlap, its very similar to an indian halwa, which is basically what the batter is pre-frying, as its also made with semolina flour, milk and sweetened with honey or sugar. Really interesting!!

    • @plebisMaximus
      @plebisMaximus Před rokem +11

      It makes sense, with Constantinople being the gate to and from Europe where traders from all over could be at any given time.

    • @varolussalsanclar1163
      @varolussalsanclar1163 Před rokem +5

      There are also dozens of desserts still made in Turkey today from semolina, and they are also called helva.

    • @chamansaini4973
      @chamansaini4973 Před rokem +2

      I was thinking the same thing!

    • @nunsense8463
      @nunsense8463 Před rokem +6

      thats insanely similar to how we pronounce, probably was due to trade and indo-european routes, but still quite cool

    • @harbl99
      @harbl99 Před rokem +5

      "So, I went to India and bought back this really cool recipe for fried semolina bites with honey. Also, they told me about these funny little bugs that make spiderweb into cocoons, but who cares about that. More helva!" -- Demetrius the Obtuse, 3rd century AD

  • @aly-zy4th
    @aly-zy4th Před rokem +48

    The Byzantine Empire, by far my favorite part of history, just cause how they're so different from the rest of medieval Europe, the city of Constantinople in its heyday unmatched, thanks for covering this Max, always wanted to see you cover a dish from their time. :)

  • @bogdanilic7346
    @bogdanilic7346 Před rokem +64

    You made an effort for correct Greek pronunciation and cited your literature. Meticulous as always. I am doing my Master's on the Book of the Eparch, which I see was used as a source and thanks to you, now I know of the "Tastes of Byzantium" by Andrew Dalby. I think I'm going to use it in my thesis.

  • @jamiemason2003
    @jamiemason2003 Před rokem +14

    Watching Max get excited by the food makes me legitimately happy.

  • @jojothejelly6623
    @jojothejelly6623 Před rokem +110

    Idk why but wheat gruel without the wheat absolutely slayed me. And fun fact Max’s subscriber count is about 1/4 of the population of LA

    • @beth12svist
      @beth12svist Před rokem +15

      Me too. There's a quote my family sometimes uses, from a Soviet "children's" book about "tea without tea" i.e. hot water (the book is absolutely terrible, this is about the only thing from it worth remembering). It reminds me of that. :D

    • @corvus_da
      @corvus_da Před rokem +7

      @@beth12svist "This tea is nothing more than hot leaf juice!"

    • @Reddotzebra
      @Reddotzebra Před rokem +13

      This has then been oft repeated as a military joke, whenever the main ingredient of something is out, whether a suitable replacement has been sourced or not, the resulting dish will generally be named "X without X".
      "Beef stew without beef" for example.

    • @beth12svist
      @beth12svist Před rokem

      @@corvus_da No, "tea without tea" means there are no leaves whatsoever. :D

  • @xandrios
    @xandrios Před rokem +62

    This is somewhat similar to Greek halva: semolina toasted in lots of olive oil, mixed with honey or syrup. Optionally some raisins. Very traditional sweet and made to this day by grandmas around Greece ;)

    • @Alaryk111
      @Alaryk111 Před rokem +1

      Isn't halva turkish?

    • @GeorgeTavernKeeper
      @GeorgeTavernKeeper Před rokem +6

      @@Alaryk111 the word "halva" means literally "sweet" (yes, it came via Turks from Arabic) and can mean a lot of different treats. The Turkish halva is quite different from what the OP described AFAIK.

    • @Elazul.Lapislazuli
      @Elazul.Lapislazuli Před rokem +1

      A turkish friend once said its neighter turkish nor greek its mediterranean.

    • @utkugulgec5508
      @utkugulgec5508 Před rokem +4

      Halva is common in turks, greeks and arabs. Can't really a single culture have it.

    • @FrankieG-M
      @FrankieG-M Před rokem +1

      Kinda reminds me of diples too. A forerunner, perhaps?

  • @b.elzebub9252
    @b.elzebub9252 Před 10 měsíci +4

    The cool thing about these ancient recipes is that they have been passed down through the generations, written down in a book at some point. Probably forgotten about until someone found the book and decided re-publish it, then someone translated into English. Then Max read it and made a video about it, passing the recipe down to us!

    • @anakinlooksatc3p0withlustf50
      @anakinlooksatc3p0withlustf50 Před 5 měsíci

      Even if my ancestors weren't Greek or Turkish, I still feel connected to this dish. Like its connecting with my human ancestry not just focused on nationality

  • @xDannyboo
    @xDannyboo Před rokem +8

    casually throwing in there 1 liter of olive oil for frying

  • @mokko759
    @mokko759 Před rokem +34

    Fried dough is delicious no matter where it comes from nor when. The cooking of the dough reminded me of choux pastry or churros, where you have to cook the paste before actually cooking the dough.
    I want to make these fritters but with some lemon zest or something to give the fritter a little sharpness. Lemon, pepper and honey, it can't go wrong.

    • @Hair8Metal8Karen
      @Hair8Metal8Karen Před rokem +5

      Yes. Fried dough is amazing regardless of what form it takes.

    • @kyrab7914
      @kyrab7914 Před rokem

      I have truffle honey and I'm very curious how that goes but too tired to make these

  • @whateveryouliketocallme7092

    I'm greek, and this dish reminds both of loukoumades (fried dough balls, served with honey and cinnamon, usually at markets) and the semolina halva we eat (semolina & sugar mixture, fried in olive oil and cut in pieces).
    I don't know about back then, but in Greece today the go to way to cut any dessert ( halva included) is definitely a diamond.

    • @antonytheocharidis9576
      @antonytheocharidis9576 Před rokem +11

      My first thought was "so like Loukoumades?" too! I'm considering making it for my family and telling them it's essentially the Byzantine ancestor of them

    • @Apostolos-UK
      @Apostolos-UK Před rokem +3

      @@antonytheocharidis9576 yes but with a small difference that loukoumades are a bit more fluffy and this looks to have more 'meat' on the inside, plus I think the ground pepper must be really good....never thought of it

    • @demi9826
      @demi9826 Před rokem

      @@antonytheocharidis9576 Halva and Lokma are actually Persian foods .. So it is normal that it looks like to Byzantine foods

    • @demi9826
      @demi9826 Před rokem

      @@Apostolos-UK Halva and Lokma are actually Persian foods .. So it is normal that it looks like to Byzantines foods

    • @SpartanLeonidas1821
      @SpartanLeonidas1821 Před rokem +3

      @@demi9826 Get into the claims Line my friend, it’s quite long already! 😅🇬🇷👍

  • @changer_of_ways_suspense_smith

    I actually discovered the amazing combination of pepper and honey on accident once. I had a busy counter and got honey on a fresh jalapeño from my garden. The taste was amazing. Then throw in some hard, nutty cheese and dried dates and you have an amazing snack.

    • @nordknotwork
      @nordknotwork Před rokem +4

      Try a capsimel.. honey mead fermented with peppers

  • @emilycone4909
    @emilycone4909 Před rokem +14

    As a food and history nerd, this channel meets a strange sweet spot for me

  • @duchesssunset29
    @duchesssunset29 Před rokem +42

    The Underground cisterns are super cool! I've been in one and the pillers in part of it are an upside down medusa!

  • @Sybil_Detard
    @Sybil_Detard Před rokem +18

    I love the comparative measure of a Frosted Mini Wheat and giggle at the extra research a future Max Miller is going to have to do when he comes across these ancient videos and decides to make a new Tasting History series.

  • @user-rd3rf3ft8e
    @user-rd3rf3ft8e Před rokem +1

    It's so crazy. Modern day Istanbul is just like this. Spontaneous day markets open on city streets with no warning and are gone in a few hours, fish peddlers, amazing street food all around, fruit and vegetables are piled everywhere. Bakers are still well respected and people still go to them to get daily bread and all manner of pastes. I was astonished, there's still so much from their old ways of life, it's crazy. Even though they are turks nowadays.

  • @carinacowart6219
    @carinacowart6219 Před rokem +10

    This channel is without a doubt my absolute favorite. You have this incredible ability to bring history to life and doing so through food is such a joy to watch. I can't wait to buy your recipe book!! Thank you for being so amazing and sharing such important and incredible content!!

  • @BarbaraSwanson
    @BarbaraSwanson Před rokem +29

    The art! The architecture! One of favorite parts of history and the world.

  • @willcox6889
    @willcox6889 Před rokem +186

    Wondrium, give Max his own show. His is one of the best channels on youtube.

  • @terserg11
    @terserg11 Před 10 hodinami

    There is a part of Greek cuisine which is called Politiki, and it consists of traditional foods from Constantinople! So, many foods and recepies have survived through tradition!

  • @illford6921
    @illford6921 Před rokem +5

    This is one of the best ideas for a channel. People do lkke history, its fun and interesting to see what went down, but the format of teaching can be annoying.
    Making it a cooking show is brilliant! Food has been on of those constantly changing things in society and we can trace influences and such through it. So using cooking as a medium to show history, and cool recipes, is amazing. Thank you for this content!

  • @ZhovtoBlakytniy
    @ZhovtoBlakytniy Před rokem +52

    The first steps of making these fritters is almost exactly like making kasha, a popular breakfast in Eastern Europe. Just use less semolina and add a little butter and even some of that honey and you have a pleasant sort of porridge 😋

    • @snazzypazzy
      @snazzypazzy Před rokem +6

      That's so cool! In the Netherlands we make semolina (griesmeel) custard or puddings in a similar way. More of a dessert food. Milk+sugar+semolina. Sometimes some raisins. Eat hot for custard like dish. If you chill it for a few hours it becomes a cute pudding that you can turn out. Serve with some red fruits or a berry sauce kind.

    • @bananamilk2605
      @bananamilk2605 Před rokem +1

      I second this ! In Croatia we ate semolina cooked in milk and sweetened with honey for breakfast 😋 ☺️ it was delish !!

  • @-skalli-
    @-skalli- Před rokem +105

    My grandma (I'm from Bavaria in Germany) made something similar for me when I was little. It's called "Griesschnitten" and is made of soft wheat semolina boiled to a thick porridge with milk and sugar. You pour it into a Container and refrigerate. Then you cut it into cubes, dunk it in beaten egg, toss it in breadcrumbs and fry it in a Pan. We always eat it with cinnamon sugar and applesauce. Now I have to try your fritters I guess😍

    • @bacicinvatteneaca
      @bacicinvatteneaca Před rokem

      Are all her ancestors from there? Or is someone in her family south Slavic?

    • @-skalli-
      @-skalli- Před rokem +2

      @@bacicinvatteneaca not that I'm aware of. My guess is that either the cuisines are similar to begin with - there are lots of eastern european things my grandma cooks. Or these recipes came with immigrants at some point. We're from a Region in Frankonia where Lots of french words are still used in our dialect and those are remnants of Napoleon's wars. EDIT: So I just did a quick deep dive because I can't think of slavic immigrants my grandma or great grandma may have known. Turns out that Frankonia was sparsely inhabited so between the 6. And 9th century Slavic People from the Danube and Bohemia regions came and settled there, mingling with the people who were already there. That could be an answer :)

    • @michimatsch5862
      @michimatsch5862 Před 6 měsíci

      My grandma qlso always made these and so do I.
      We are from Baden though.

  • @egillskallagrimson5879
    @egillskallagrimson5879 Před rokem +1

    As a mediterranean inhabitant used to cook with olive oil of all sorts I can tell u that a liter of oil it's excesive, you just need a pot deep enough as to fully cover whatever u wish to frie so you use as much olive oil as u need. Yes, still is a lot of oil but not a liter that would be if you want to do a hell of a lot of chips or this Honey Fritters etc... if the oil looks clean this means it can be use again in whatever you just want to use it only that if u keep using it to frie things once it becomes a little brown you have reach the limit of uses of the oil and need to discard it and clean the pot before cooking anything else.

  • @restezlameme
    @restezlameme Před rokem +4

    Fellow Greek/Mediterranean folks: Does anyone else look at these and see a rich man's version of loukoumades?

    • @pudnbug
      @pudnbug Před rokem

      Not Greek or Mediterranean but definitely thought of loukoumades - one of our favorite things.

  • @SimuLord
    @SimuLord Před rokem +90

    Did you hear about the man who made an immense fortune betting on the Blues at the Byzantine chariot races but lost it all feeding his lover's addictions as a gourmand?
    So much cash his honey frittered away.

    • @odinfromcentr2
      @odinfromcentr2 Před rokem +7

      [ba dum tss]

    • @harbl99
      @harbl99 Před rokem +21

      The Romans burnt Carthage for jokes like that. There's a reason they were called the Punic Wars.

    • @jenniferwintz2514
      @jenniferwintz2514 Před rokem +5

      @@harbl99 👏👏👏 well done

    • @SimuLord
      @SimuLord Před rokem +7

      ​@@harbl99 Ah, the classic pater iocus.

    • @janwoodward7360
      @janwoodward7360 Před rokem +2

      Very punny!😏

  • @MiguelDunham
    @MiguelDunham Před rokem +12

    In Greece today there is a yeasted version - Loukoumades. Very much like donut holes

  • @StaminatorBlader
    @StaminatorBlader Před rokem +4

    theres this greek lady at our local gyro spot my dad is friends with and last time she mentioned in passing that "she was in constantinople" recently or whatnot hahaha 600 years later 🤷🏻‍♂️

  • @seanluke3052
    @seanluke3052 Před rokem +1

    The northern Italians have an *identical* dish called "Fritto Bianco", minus the pepper. Google for it, or for "Semolino Dolce Fritto".

  • @peterhaag5225
    @peterhaag5225 Před rokem +37

    Oh man looks like one of my favorite foods at the Greek food festival loukaumades

    • @TastingHistory
      @TastingHistory  Před rokem +11

      I’ve no doubt they’re a relative

    • @lore_house
      @lore_house Před rokem +2

      In Turkey they’re called Lokma!

    • @Serveanthesia
      @Serveanthesia Před rokem +1

      It reminds me very much of a precursor to Ishli (the milk flour dough but ishli has a walnut and cinnamon filling then are soaked in syrup after cooking)

    • @cpiantes
      @cpiantes Před rokem +3

      Next time I go to the local Greek Festival I'm gonna put pepper on my loukoumades

  • @TooLittleInfo
    @TooLittleInfo Před rokem +226

    I’ve always said that I’ve never met a fried dough that i didn’t like, and it sounds like an interesting combo! I literally was just researching how to relocate to Turkey just a couple of hours ago…. I feel that this must be a sign 😂😂

    • @wtfwhereami
      @wtfwhereami Před rokem +18

      I come from a Native American family. We like our fried dough as well. I’ve seen fist fights break out over a piece of fry bread.

    • @yuyutubee8435
      @yuyutubee8435 Před rokem +5

      Wow. Don't let any Greeks hear you conflate Turkey with the Eastern Roman Empire/Byzantium. 😬

    • @pierrefaucon2875
      @pierrefaucon2875 Před rokem

      Turkey is a nation predicated on genocide, if you want to remain morally sound I suggest you don't contribute.

    • @TooLittleInfo
      @TooLittleInfo Před rokem +3

      @@yuyutubee8435 I understand where you're coming from. I said Turkey because that's where present-day Istanbul not Constantinople is.

    • @TooLittleInfo
      @TooLittleInfo Před rokem +2

      @Doom I know some people who live there right now and yeah, it's very very affordable especially by western standards

  • @Zonker66
    @Zonker66 Před rokem +1

    Starting with a TMBG's quote got my complete attention.

  • @elbaecc
    @elbaecc Před rokem +1

    Sweets were usually cut in diamond shape. Its a tradition that is still seen in Middle Eastern countries, and adjacent countries like India. For reference, see Kaju Katli & Sakar Para, two Indian sweets, the later of which is also made by frying.

  • @jessicaleighdargaclark4536

    LOVE THE LEAD IN! Now They Might Be Giants version is going through my head. Wonderful info as always!

    • @cerberaodollam
      @cerberaodollam Před rokem +3

      I see you're a man of culture as well

    • @wfluedtke
      @wfluedtke Před rokem +2

      That is the first thing I thought as well. I'm glad there's others like me out there.😆

    • @jessicaleighdargaclark4536
      @jessicaleighdargaclark4536 Před rokem +1

      @@cerberaodollam Lol, woMan of culture, but glad to be in the same sphere!

    • @jessicaleighdargaclark4536
      @jessicaleighdargaclark4536 Před rokem +1

      @@wfluedtke Hells yes! Cheers!

    • @thestraydog
      @thestraydog Před rokem +3

      Oh hell yeah, I was just talking about them yesterday but nobody seems to know who they are!

  • @upandenergy
    @upandenergy Před rokem +27

    I'm not much of a cook (due to lack of time, not lack of interest) so I can't take much away from the recipe itself. My biggest gain from your videos is the vast historical context and detail you give to almost every part of the video. I'm not really learning to cook, I'm learning history and culture!

  • @nuretti.fashion.journey
    @nuretti.fashion.journey Před rokem +1

    12:47 I think what you're talking about is "midye dolma" that's stuffed mussels, which is considered a street food in Turkey and can be found almost at every single corner of the city even today. If you Google & check images online for "midye tepsisi" or "midye dolma tepsisi" you'll see that instead of being served on a plate in a restaurant, this dish is simply sold on top of a large tray which is lifted by a tiny wooden trestle. So, everyone can order any amount of mussels and eat them right there without even stopping to sit down & wait. After Ottoman empire took over and Constantinople became the capital of Ottoman empire, there were large amount of Bazaars and after the ruler of the city has changed, damages were fixed and Bazaars and the life at the city continued as before. My guess is the tradition of serving mussels may have continued afterwards at the Bazaars as well. So, it's likely that stuffed mussels were served on top of a wooden trestle on a tray at Byzantine, therefore everyone apart from their socioeconomic class could be able to eat the dish.

  • @bekkaanneee
    @bekkaanneee Před 6 měsíci +1

    honey AND black pepper? two of my favorite flavors

  • @Shayna11NM
    @Shayna11NM Před rokem +36

    I love your content every time I watch. I also have PTSD and random panic attacks. Your mellow voice and historical recipes are so calming. I really appreciate this channel for so many reasons. Thanks for being you, Max. ❤️

    • @QueerChaosFrog
      @QueerChaosFrog Před rokem +6

      I recommend checking out Townsends as well. Videos on 18th century food, building techniques, woodworking, etc. Very mellow and informative. Helps me a lot when my anxiety/ depression is really bad. All the best to you

    • @bijpls4059
      @bijpls4059 Před 10 měsíci

      Haha same. Rly bad anxiety n depression n ins of mukbangs ive been watching this guy a lot too. It rly helps me a lot & ive even fallen asleep to Max's videos ins of asmr at night lol

    • @bijpls4059
      @bijpls4059 Před 10 měsíci

      This is also the 4th comment I've encountered that talks abt coping w mental struggles in his videos and im sure if i keep digging I'll find even more.

    • @bijpls4059
      @bijpls4059 Před 10 měsíci

      You're nt alone n i hope things fr u & the other commentors look up soon ❤

  • @remen_emperor
    @remen_emperor Před rokem +29

    This channel is honestly what keeps me going through my fasting periods. Something about hearing about good food while also activated my brain more than my stomach somehow helps.
    So, the nerd in me is happy because I'm learning, the skill guy in me is happy because it has something new to try out, and my stomach is happy because... I guess it know that's food does, in fact, exist even when it isn't eating

    • @sfowler1017
      @sfowler1017 Před rokem +3

      You're better than me 😂
      I can only watch food videos right after I eat. Watching during fasting makes a typically easy thing way too hard!

    • @carlycrays2831
      @carlycrays2831 Před rokem +2

      You're stronger than me lol
      These videos make me hungry and inspire me to cook

  • @Eskimodeth
    @Eskimodeth Před rokem +1

    In italy, in my home region "Le Marche", we make a similar dish called "crema fritta" (fried cream) which is shaped in a similar way. On the inside, a small portion of pastry cream / custard, which is then fried giving origin to the the bitter-sweet taste of this sweet. Not many people are fond of it outside where you can commonly find it, it's a very niche recipe. Personally, I freakin love it.

  • @blueminutes4686
    @blueminutes4686 Před rokem +15

    Ancient History and cooking are my favorite things. I love your channel!
    Thank you for all the History lessons. This episode really fills in some blanks. Happy Christmas 🎄 (today is 12/19/22).

  • @user-pw4vv6bv5t
    @user-pw4vv6bv5t Před rokem +14

    They remind me of the loukoumades we make today in Greece.

  • @esti-od1mz
    @esti-od1mz Před rokem +3

    In Italy we have similar recipies in the South. Struffoli in Campania, Spinci or crispelle and Pignolata in Sicily, Zeppole in all the South are pretty much the same recipe with little variations. I guess it's because of the roman empire.

  • @bltsevdallarfanclub641
    @bltsevdallarfanclub641 Před rokem +2

    0:06 It still has the markets and the good food tho.

  • @TheGunnarRoxen
    @TheGunnarRoxen Před rokem +4

    I love that you credit your sources. It adds to what is already a fantastic channel and you are awesome, Max. Keep doing what you do!

  • @wipis59
    @wipis59 Před rokem +14

    The boiled milk and wheat reminds me of a Pate de choux (sp?). By boiling the wheat and liquid together you get some interesting chemistry going. This allows the dough to puff up when cooked without needing a leavener like baking soda or yeast. It also cooks the dough so you get a nice browning on the second cooking. You also get a nice fluffy interior.

  • @raziyatheseeker
    @raziyatheseeker Před rokem +26

    Me, going in: "If Max makes that joke, swear to gods--"
    Max: "...that it's Istanbul, not Constantinople"
    Me: "Goddammit Max, never change XD"

    • @heimdal8
      @heimdal8 Před rokem +4

      Why they changed it, I can’t say.
      People just liked it better that way.

    • @bytoadynolastname6149
      @bytoadynolastname6149 Před rokem +3

      Ain't nobody's business but the Turks.

    • @EpiscoPiper
      @EpiscoPiper Před rokem +1

      You *knew* he was going to... LOL

  • @MsTilottama
    @MsTilottama Před rokem +2

    We made these yesterday. Turned out to be great! Thank you for sharing history and the recipe with us.
    We found adjusting the temperature depending on the size of the dough pieces made the fritters better cooked. The pepper was an interesting touch.

  • @sokar_rostau
    @sokar_rostau Před rokem

    @15:30 We used to do that in Australia. All the bars shut at 6pm, resulting in the Six O'clock Swill. As soon as everyone got off work at 5pm they'd rush to the nearest pub to drink as much as they could before closing time. There was a notable decrease in alcohol-related crime when restrictions were lifted.