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Gastris (Nut Cake)
Gastris (Nut Cake) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a ground nut cake with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dates and figs. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Gastris.
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
25 minutes
Total Time:
45 minutes
Serves:
4
Rating: 
Tags : Baking RecipesCake RecipesAncient Roman Recipes
Original Recipe
Gastris (from Athenæus' Deipnosophistae)
Athenæus was born in Naucratis, Egypt
circa 180CE. He is remembered chiefly for his his compilation Deipnosophistae (The Deipnosophists [which is most often loosely translated as
The Partying Professors). Writing in Greek, the book itself is a dialogue in which a variety of characters debate a wide spectrum of topics. Luxury, diet, health, sexual relationships, music, humour and Greek lexicography all come under discussion, but the focus is on food, wine and entertainment. There are numerous descriptions of meals and the curses involved in those meals. So detailed are many of these that a modern redaction of the food can easily be created. Though Egyptian Athenæus was a learned member of the Roman empire (Greek being the second language of the Roman Empire) and it is fair to assume that the food described by Athenæus would have been known across the Empire. It is also good to have someone apart from
Apicius as a source of recipes!
Translation
In Crete, says Chrissipus, they make a small cake called
gastris. It is made as follows: walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and also some poppy seeds. Roast, keeping a close eye on them and pound carefully in a clean mortar. Mix-in fruit softened with boiled honey, add plenty of pepper and heat. This becomes dark with the poppy seeds. Flatten it out and form int a square. Next purée some white sesame seeds, soften them with boiled honey and draw out into two thin slabs. Place one slab underneath and the other on top so that the dark slab is in the middle, then shape it properly. This is what the wise pâtissier, Chryssipus says.
Method:
Chop the dates and figs then place in a pan with 30ml of the honey, 4 tbsp water and a little olive oil. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the fruit are soft.
Take off the heat and allow to cool then turn into a mortar and pound in the ground poppy seeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and black pepper until your have a smooth, thick, dough-like paste. Turn into a pan and cook until the dough is thick and of a consistency that can be rolled out.
Roll out the fruit and nut paste and cut into squares. Heat the remaining honey in a pan, dip the fruit and nut paste in this then coat in the sesame seeds.
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