180 The World’s Only: Dr. Menna’s Singular Mission to Unearth …

The Storied Recipe

180 The World’s Only: Dr. Menna’s Singular Mission to Unearth Egypt’s Food Legacy

September 18, 2024

I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Mennat-Allah El Dorry to The Storied Recipe Podcast today. Menna, as she insisted I call her, is an archaeobotanist with a specialty in food and an Egyptologist with a specialty in Coptology and the only person in the world to have this combination of qualifications.

If you’re like me, who had never heard of an archaeobotanist before coming across Menna’s @eatlikeanegyptian account on Instagram, I’ve got good news. Menna is also a professor, so she answers all of my basic questions with clarity and good humor.

Dr. El Dorry begins by sharing a cherished family recipe – a layered dish of potatoes, tomatoes, and meat, slow-cooked to perfection in a clay pot, just as her father used to prepare it with Menna’s help on weekend mornings at their farm in the north of Egypt.

From there, we delve into her fascinating work with “ecofacts”, exploring how - and which - ancient foods have been preserved for thousands of years. Dr. El Dorry discusses the role of food in daily life for ancient Egyptians and the complex identity of Egyptian cuisine today, why their food traditions are disappearing, and Dr. El Dorry’s deep commitment to both unearthing Egypt’s ancient food heritage and preserving today’s.

Highlights

“Dee-Nee-Vo” - Her father's one pot meat, potato, and tomato dish renowned among their social circle.
What is an archaeobotanist?
How are ecofacts preserved?
Decorative bread preserved for over 3500 years
Why do people say there is no such thing as Egyptian cuisine?
Halloumi cheese dating back to the 4th century AD
Plants that were grown in Ancient Egypt that are still grown today
The intersection of Egyptology and Coptology.

Quotes

The idea of putting meat and vegetables into a clay pot is the basis of our cuisine.
I don’t work with artifacts; I work with ecofacts.
In Ancient Egypt, we have a lot of food stuffs preserved in tombs.
[In the tombs] we have full heads of garlic perfectly preserved smelling exactly as garlic should.
Food was preserved in the dung which was burned for fuel and then became stable, like charcoal.
Unfortunately, a lot of Egyptians have lost sight of their food heritage.
The variety we got once from the countryside, people have forgotten it. In the big city, you will find always the same 10-15 dishes, many of which have a very recent history.
Most things from my father’s generation will be lost… and this is why it's important to document. I can’t freeze time but I have to document as much as I can.
The word Coptic itself can mean different things and has meant different things at different times in Egyptian history.
I don’t want to talk about kings or Egyptian politics, I just want to talk about everyday people.

Listen to Dr. El-Dorry Now

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Menna's Storied Recipe: One Pot Potato Tomato Dish with Meat

https://thestoriedrecipe.com/one-pot-egyptian-potato-tomato-dish

Follow Dr. Mennat-Allah El Dorry

Instagram: @eatlikeanegyptian

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