Athenian Cabbage is a traditional Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman recipe for a starter of shredded cabbage with coriander and rue dressed in honeyed vinegar. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Athenian Cabbage.
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The Greeks and Romans believed cabbage to be a 'cure all' and they had similar ideas about oxymeli (honeyed vinegar). Thus this dish would originally have been made for its purported health benefits. It remains tasty, even to modern palates and is an excellent raw vegetable starters. Note that the original recipe did not have a specific title, the form 'Athenian Cabbage' is mine.
Original Recipe
Αθηναϊκό Κρἁμβηνο (Mnesitheus, quoted in Oribasius, Medical Collections 4, 4, 1)
4. From the writings of Mnesitheus of Cyzicusj, concerning cabbages.
You should cut up cabbages with a very sharp knife, 1
then wash them and allow the water to drain off; cut up
together with the cabbage a sufficient quantity of coriander and rue;
then sprinkle with honeyed vinegar, and
grate over a small quantity of silphium.
Silphium, (ϲιλφίου in the text) was a beloved condiment during Roman times (note that the text is 4th century CE, so late Roman). So beloved, in fact that the plant from which it was extracted went extinct. The closest modern relative is modern asafoetida (which I have substituted in the recipe).
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 small white cabbage
2 tsp (heaped) chopped fresh green coriander
1 tsp chopped fresh or dried rue (you can use a bitter spice such as ground fenugreek seeds as a substitute)
2 pinches asafoetida powder (use garlic or onion powder as a substitute)
Salt, to taste (optional)
For the Honey vinegar:
120g runny honey
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
Method:
Begin with the honey vinegar: Boil the honey and skim it, add the vinegar and reduce a little. Bottle and store until needed.
For the cabbage: Finely shred or chop the cabbage (depending on how you like it), wash and drain it. Finely chop the herbs then toss these with the cabbage. Add 4 tbsp of the honey vinegar and toss to dress.
Transfer to a serving bowl then sprinkle over the asafoetida powder and a little salt.
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