TastingHistory- you ever look at some of these recipes and think, “this had to be a dare...or a joke that was taken too far?” Your face said it all. Thank you for taking one for the team. You are now among the Gods and Goddesses. 🤪
This looks like what you'd feed an invalid, or someone recovering from nasty wounds. Protein, carbohydrates, sugar, in a reasonably sterile suspension - in an easily digested form. Proof that hospital food has *always* sucked.
In my country, Chile, we have a similar "drink". Is called "chupilca" and is made with wine, toasted flour and sugar (optional), no cheese, no cooking. It was really common until the 90s and it was mainly drank by poor people and rural farmers. Its main purpose was to get drunk and a full stomach, because it was really cheap. So if you don't have the money to buy lunch, you might aswell drink a thick, sweet chupilca
Eso suena como tanto para emborracharse. Tienes la historia de por qué la gente chileno hacía chupilca? Cuando se puede beber vino y comer pan, por qué hacer sopa de pan feo? Por cierto los agricultores tenía un horno.
@@Blueshirt38 I guess because making liquid, mushy form of bread soup will make you fill your belly easier than just eat bread, at least they use less flour. It's what ancient Chinese farmer will do when they don't have enough grain. Instead of eating rice they add a lot of water into it to create a kind of rice soup...
@@Blueshirt38 No tiene idea de lo que esta hablando. En ningun momento de la historia de chile el almuerzo ha sido mas caro que el vino, en especial en areas rurales.
Yeah, pretty much. It was the kind of thing you gave to those who were severely injured or were ill to give them calories. It is also the kind of thing that would work in a pinch when cooking a proper meal was not something you had the time for so it was also likely something that Xenophon's army probably consumed more often than they liked during their march across Persia during the Anabasis.
bruh the Kykeon used to be a psychedelic and very visionary drink ancient greeks only had one chance in their life to drink it and if they didn’t got enlightened they had to wait for their next life
@@jgkitarel With the added advantage that's there's no chance of anyone malingering. "Still feeling rough ? Have another Kykeon. " "I'm good. Take me off the sick list."
Maybe it could be called "It's... Not For Me" after the clear understatement of the decade that he made during the "dragon" heart episode. Which is an episode I would highly recommend watching for the story of Fafnir the dragon.
"Oh Gods I'm in so much pain!" "Here, have this chunky wine, cheese and barley smoothie, that'll fix you!" "You know what, I'm actually, I'm actually okay..." I mean that's my theory.
There was a joke in ancient Syracuse similar to this: a king of Syracuse demanded to be given melas zomos (black broth) which was a Spartan soup made out of blood, salt and boiled pig's feet that was supposedly a staple. He drank it, said it was ass, and said "Now I know why the Spartans fight. They would rather die than live a life eating this".
"Hey Homer, think of some repulsing drink" "Why?" "So someone in the future prepares it and thinks it will give him super powers when instead it will just taste like arse" "Haha, good idea, will do!"
I was literally thinking while watching it that some barley cakes with goat cheese and honey, served with a glass of wine was like an ancient brunch alternative to this. This is like the ancient world making Instagram milkshakes or bloody Marys with all the weird nonsense garnishes that make them impossible to consume.
My grandmother used to make a version of this. The mistakes you made.... Dry wine (yuck) instead use a fortified dessert wine like Port. Second cook your barley meal separately... Should cook up like malt-o-meal.... Mix port and meal to desired thickness. Top with with feta and honey. A few toasted pine nuts goes well as a garnish.
I think it’s fitting that the dry wine is sorta gross. The point was to get a close approximation to the pramnian wine, which was described as very strong and sour. The way your grandmother prepared the barely is probably a good thing to try out if he ever re made this
Was he was describing the wine used I was thinking to myself that port wine might make a suitable substitution. I actually like your recipe, I think I might give it a try!
@@obnoxiouspedantthe cooking process probably cooked off the alcohol. That and/or the professor is just super chill. 😎 Still sounds like a protein shake from hell though. 🤢
We used to do something similar for kids at the girls’ summer camp I worked at. Most of the time, when a kid felt sick, it was dehydration or they were homesick and faking it... so we had them drink a whole (kid-size) bottle of water. Dehydration? Felt better. Homesickness? “Don’t make me drink any more water!” Still feels awful? Get her to the nurse.
"Oh, wow, um... uh... mmm... that is a... thing... I have drunk just now... thanks, Hecamede, for this... potion.... I don't need any more. Look! I already feel much much better!" (Mysterious healing properties of Kykeon solved.)
My mythology teacher mentioned you and this video in particular when talking about Ancient Greek mythology and talked about how this is like those ancient smoothies and is the ancient equivalent of those drinks you drink instead of getting up from your gaming chairs to grab yourself a complete meals. Basically a meal replacement drink similar to Soylent which my mythology teacher happened to mention Soylent as modern day equivalent of this drinks.
your teacher teaching you the same things as every school in this earth,based on research by historians and archeologists the only exception is the schools from turkey albania and skopians-monkeydonians . Uneducated people from these countries commenting in every youtube videos about Greek history trying to steal the Greek history.
@WalkingFarFarAway fascinating, isn't it how we still do the same exact thing as what our ancestors did back in days? we just reuse the same exact thing, but in a new way, like same old tricks or items, but in a new way, we simply repeat what our ancestors did, like, for example con artists that offer a brand new car for winners online in order to steal people personal information is the same exact tricks con artists use when offering car to winners in shoppers malls to steal their personal information just reusing the same exact tricks but applying it in new ways likewise we make the sane excuses as our ancestors did when you read up on mythology and their jokes especially jokes teenagers back in dsys make is same exact jokes teenagers make today and that your ancestors most likely did the same exact thing you did back in days for the same exact reason you have for doings those things just with different technologies they have to contend with but doings pretty much everything we're currently doing showing we're no different from our ancestors.
@@alexanderhood8993yeah I took an ancient literature class a while back and the biggest thing I learned was along the lines of "humans never actually change we do the same shit for the same reasons just in different ways"
@@mechwarrior5727A conversation between Cassidy/McCree and D.va from Overwatch “Cassidy: You know, I used to be alot like you when I was younger. D.va: Uhh, I’m way cooler than you. Cassidy: that’s exactly what I would’ve said! Now you just need the hat and cigar.”
Max, you burst into laughter after drinking it, and I have it on good authority that laughter is the best medicine. That potion was a resounding success
I was going to say, "one sip and the man's red face wasted! XD" I think THAT may be the real reason the greeks felt "energized" if it makes a man tipsy THAT easily.
"It smells like wine..." *makes skeptical face* And that was the extent of the emotional preparation. *dissolves into giggle fit* ("I made chewy cheese wine,") "...It's not good, it's not good."
Everyone has those memories of being a small child and just mixing random ingredients because you were bored. This recipe automatically makes me think of all the concoctions I created back then.
The absolute, hands down, best reaction to anything you've made. Even Garum didn't make you squirm like this. I was laughing for several minutes. Thank you, Max 🤣
"Holy shit I'm blasting out of both ends! My heart's a'seizing! My lungs a'wheezing! The fucking walls are melting! I hear the voice of Satan, he's telling me to invest in Apple! What does that mean?! Why does Satan want me to buy apples?!"
@BaxiTube I’ve always wondered how much religious history can be attributed to mental illnesses that cause hallucinations, like Schizophrenia or even trip-induced psychosis (or the other ones i do not know the name of)
Ancient Greek farmer tripping on bad grain: *you know, this shit would make a great basis for a really fun cult* (disclaimer: Greeks referred to specific godly worship as cults, like a cult of Athena being centered around her temple Athens as well as any other of her temples around Greece. Harmless stuff in context of their culture. But look up the Eleusinian Mysteries - it was a strangely all-inclusive cult that had "secret" parties that lots of people were aware of or attended, but nobody was allowed to talk about afterwards. Some people think they were binging on ergot wine. Sorry for the tangent hahaha.)
@Theo Paidi yes there is. The burning thorn bush? Probably an acacia, it's native to this region and contains a fuckload of DMT. If you inhale the smoke from that of course god starts talking to you. Also multiple mentions of 'Manna' the 'bread from the heavens' that 'comes with the rain', like... Mushrooms.
Expectation: raspberries with honey and yogurt. Fun and full of nutrients. Reality: There is honey, but it's mostly bitter wine mixed with goat cheese and barley. Basically a medicinal protein shake.
other people did comment with similar old recipes that actually do work well(still more a "was feeling under the weather" recipes), but the main thing it boils down to is "cook oats with water and a splash of wine"
What I'm seeing is that the ancient greeks attempted to invent alcoholic cheescake shake and with nothing before it to compare to this was the greatest alcoholic cheesecake shake created, thus seeing no reason to try and improve it. ...That or Homer just wanted to prank unsuspecting RUclipsrs several millenia later. You're a hero to us Tasting History. Thanks for braving Homer's terrible recipes so that we don't have to.
Annistar haven’t you ever been like “hmm I know I hated that when I was little but maybe it tastes good now actually? Oh no no oh gods it does NOT taste good”
Your reaction is absolutely priceless. This is the first time I've seen you make something you didn't like. When you said Greek Pepto Bismol I almost spit my drink across the room. Too funny. Loved it. Thank you for such amazing videos
My Grandma (which was a Greek -Albanian lady) used to cook a dessert very similar to this, using a mix of a bunch of cereal meals with wine and milk or yogurt, till the point of a starch, but she would rarely sweetened it with honey, it was usually regular sugar, and even with all the cinnamon and cloves added later, I always hated it. Especially because it doesn't feel like a dessert, and more like the type of porridge or mash, you're obliged to eat when you're feeling sick/ill.
I mean, looking at it from a health perspective, if someone was in poor health for whatever reason, blending these ingredients would give you a good blend of potential remedies for a variety of ailments all in one, kind of like a cover-all-your-bases and cure-all. Honey is naturally antibiotic, I would assume ancient honey was not pasteurized (or heated) as most is today, retaining the health benefits. Ancient goat cheese would have had probiotic and bacterial cultures that would help with gastrointestinal problems. The wine would have a variety of benefits as well with antioxidants, polyphenols, etc. Barley could have been used as a binder and to help provide sustenance and energy. This may have been more of a medicinal drink with a variety of ingredients included depending on medicinal ingredients used by region and time period.
"There are no recipes." "There _is_ a list of ingredients." When dealing with historical recipes, isn't that what you have to deal with 99% of the time anyway?
That's a big issue with historical cooking. I've always interpreted kykeon as a barley porridge flavored with a little wine and sweetened with honey with a little cheese sprinkled on top but when it comes down to it no one could ever know what it was unless we found some ancient recipe.
@@minamur People from different regions and time periods oftentimes enjoyed food and drink that people from other areas/cultures/time periods might see as revolting.
Even if cookbooks survived, the worst part about pre-modern recipes inside (Roman recipe books and Medieval cookbooks are just as guilty of this) is that most don't even give an indication about the proportions between the ingredients either, not just what order they must be put in, when even a little change is enough to change the taste and texture of the food significantly.
I made a smoothie based of this drink. With modern substitutes. Greek yogurt for the cheese. Oatmeal for the barley. Cranberry juice for the wine. And honey. Put in a blender and mixed, it taste good and is good in the morning. 👍
Kinda sounds like how kids with alcoholic parents sometimes mix random innocent stuff like Coke and tomato sauce with their parent's alcohol to be like them.
@@anesiaandrews214 I use to go into the woods with my best friend from childhood with a pot and spoons and we would take leaves and berries and shit and mix it all together. Those were good times I swear, not a care in the world
This looks (and presumably tastes) just as appalling as some of the"smoothies" that some people try to tell me are SO healthy and nutritious even though they get most of their calories from sugar. Perhaps "kykeon" was more like a barley soup made with pearl barley, flavored with onion and wine and perhaps a few mushrooms (psychedelic or otherwise) and sprinkled with cheese?
Me: severely wounded in battle "help I'm dying!!!" Potion maker: "here, drink this until you feel better" Me: after one sip "you know what I feel much better now, I think I will be on my way" Potion maker: "works every time, damn I'm good!"
Max, Internally: "OH SWEET JESUS, THIS IS AWFUL! WHY DID I DO THIS? DISGUSTING! THERE IS NOTHING GOOD ABOUT THIS!" Max, Externally: "... I can't recommend anyone else make this..."
@@cahallo5964 I get the impression from the "hard" description it would also be a very high-proof wine. So dilute something really really strong, and then make a cheese soup with it.
@@TastingHistory Maybe if you had added a bunch of herbs it would have been slightly better. Supposedly Pramneian wine was very floral and oreganoey- according to the wine experts today.
i wonder what would happen if you made this drink with retsina. Retsina is wine with roots in ancient greece, it's not referring to the variety of grapes, but the way it was stored. Ancient greeks didnt really have wooden barrels to age wine in, so they used ceramic amphora, and to prevent the wine from being ruined or spoiled, they mixed pine resin into the wine before storing it. This basically coated the inside of the amphora with a layer of resin, and that preserved the wine, but it imparted a very heavy spruce flavour into the wine, which is why most outsiders hate it, because it kinda tastes like turpentine. They still make retsina today (albeit in glass bottles) with the historical methods- I imagine that this pramnian wine would have been stored as a retsina, so it would have tasted very heavily like spruce. I imagine that kykeon probably would have tasted like you'd eaten an entire charcuterie board including the plank it was served on, which i imagine might have been more of a vibe. Still not *good* to modern palates, but a vibe.
As the "Max REALLY hates this" laugh reaches its crescendo, and his eyes fill with "no, really, max RRREEEAAALLLLLLLLLYYYYY hates this" tears, I somehow knew he was going in for a second taste.
The old "silverware" for banquets found in tombs include: 1 cheese grater, one or more strainers and some ladles/dippers. I do not think it was intended to be drank whole. Great video, both funny and informative.
"Contracts the eyebrows and stomach" sounds like a wine that is about as sour as lemons, i read somewhere that a cup of hot water with lemon juice and honey mixed into it makes for a good natural remedy for various things, maybe this Kykeon is something along the lines of that except with some extra ingredients and made into a semi thick substance.
The hot lemon water with honey is awesome for sore throats. It of course has other uses but this is the most noticeable and is recommended by several choir teachers/private vocal tutors.
@@iivarimokelainen that actually sounds rather nice. Flour soup with heated cheese is a traditional winter/pre lent soup where I live. Cheese is sprinkled on top and it can be made with broth, white or red wine. It's actually really nice.
I’d love to see an episode where he cooks some of the “survival foods” from the siege of Leningrad- such as leather soup and sawdust bread. It’s not pretty history, but it’s certainly interesting!
I absolutely loved the taste test. Back when I was in my teens many decades ago and already a very enthusiastic cook, there was this program on PBS called "Cooking Cheap" where two guys would cook extremely inexpensive recipes sent in by viewers. At the end, they'd each taste the results. And every now and then the reaction would be "Oh my God that's awful. Don't cook this folks!" That really inspired me throughout my life to be unafraid of trying crazy things in my cooking. Sure there will be spectacular failures, but also wonderful discoveries.
Historically as their is no actual recipe for Kykeon, we need to look at other aspects of Ancient Greek culture to determine how to create this. Through my own research on this, I don't actually believe Kykeon was the name of a specific drink recipe but instead the generic name for a "healing elixir." Now we do know that Barley, Honey and Wine were mentioned for Kykeon along with other ingredients such as cheese, herbs, etc.. What I am thinking is that Kykeon would have been the blending of two different liquid mixtures. Ptisane is in essence barley water. It would be made by mixing together barley, honey , water and other herbs and either boiled together then strained or more likely would have been stored and fermented over a period of time. The ancient Greeks also made herbal medicines by infusing medicinal, psychotropic or baneful plant matter in wine over a period of time so the wine could extract the chemical constituents found within the plant. Personally I believe Kykeon would have been a drink made up by incorporating 2/3 barley water to 1/3 of the medicinal wine with the addition of more honey to attempt to mask the flavour of the medicinal wine which would have been quite bitter. The addition of goats cheese to the formula may have been an easy way to include bacteria in the barley water making process to help with fermentation to potentially turn the barley water into a alcoholic barley drink.
@@amesavis Well he can always try again. But as someone that likes barley water I could see something like that being considered medicinal, it's sort of early gatorade.
I believe you are right with the psychotropic element. Several literary sources suggest transcendent visions of heaven and hell and that priestesses were very careful in the preparation. I thought you might find the following paper interesting. ELEUSIS: Journal of Psychoactive Plants and Compounds New Series 4, 2000. Stable non- mortifying ergot poisoning whould have been a powerful recruiting tool.
Or maybe its as simple as a breakfast cereal, only with toasted barley meal with wine instead of milk and cheese as toppings. I mean, the descriptions of it does sound like food for the infirm ( Macaon, Odysseus and crew are in a weaken state) and the quick recovery effect may have been a combination of sugar rush and alcohol, which dull their pain and give them a boost of energy. At least the description in Iliad seem to imply that its a simple preparation and may need nothing more than a simple mixing of prepared ingredients.
Poor max you can just hear the distress in his voice when he says i dont know at 12:37 or 12:38 over just how bad this drink really is. Despite the drink being horrible he is still just so nice and respectful because he knows and understands the importance that this piece of history makes to someone out there. He knows that somewhere someone is watching this video and is proud of their heritage and history so he does his best to not offend and to respectfully bring life to each recipe as if it were his own history he is talking about. I have a deep and great respect for this man and all he stands for. Just such a wonderful person. We need more people like you Max Miller!!! Also my fiance and i wish you and jose a long and happy life together every time we watch ketchup together we feel the love you two have for each other and it just gives us such joy to be able to share a small piece of your life. We absolutely love you both and wish nothing but happiness and joy and good fortune for you both
As someone who grew up eating barley porridges as a kid, and something very much resembling this without the cheese I think you really undercooked it. It should be like cream of wheat with any granules springy at the most. Feta or sirena I never thought about how it would be added for the wine version, but I don't think it should be crumbled except as garnish. It should be cubed if cooked in the barley porridge like paneer in saag paneer but smaller. If granules of barley stick to your teeth it's wrong. Think fregola di sarda in cream of wheat. I honestly had no idea these went back that far. Barley meal porridge is pretty common in the balkans, just with stock instead of wine usually. It's not uncommon in East Asia either. It was a staple poverty food in china and japan for a very long time. For the wine version I'd bet with the way tastes have shifted you'd want a lighter wine than you'd think. I've had modern Chidiriotiko, you probably need to stick to like a medium sicilian etna red or a plavec if you want to stay in the region. If you really really had to reach a primitivo. It's very different from cab sav or "just any dry red".
Its a ancient recipe that means it is vastly different from your mothers barley porridges (which use more modern cooking techniques and common knowledge that was not common back in those times) its like how in the 1600s they had fried chicken but it would taste like ass in comparison to the modern spiced and battered equivalents
@@leonabarfield1560 I don’t think it would taste like “ass” a lot of the chicken back then was also FRESH too. Fresh fried chicken over your KFC taste buds any day
@@leonabarfield1560 I don't think you give enough credit to the ancient Greeks. Cooking something for longer is not really a novel, complex, or modern idea, and the ancient Greeks were literally famous for their novel, complex, and relevant ideas.
@I see it like this I feel like ehhhhhh. Electricity, modern medicine, food surplus, and infinite information are all extremely useful things. We may have destroyed the earth in the process, but don't sell us short. We do things in the modern era that the ancients couldn't even dream of. Innovation by definition is the process of improving on other peoples ideas. Over the course of history humanities cumulative understanding of the universe is what enables all of our modern achievements to be possible. As for the enlightened bit, say what you will about public education, on average a larger portion of the population is educated than in times past. Everyone is unique in the sense that they are the only observer in their universe. We cannot understand the consciousness of another.
na bro go check out star trek data and his emotion chip takes a big drink of something face contorts i dont know what i feel... geinan chimes in you hate it? data: yes I HATE this it is revolting,... geinan chimes back in another? data:yes please!
I don’t know nearly as much about wine as Max, but I’m pretty sure it’s not supposed to have things floating around in it!😂😂😂😂😂 the look on his face after he tasted it… Priceless!
This reminds me of an item we do in Portugal. It's an old recipe, that used to be consumed by field workers, to give a bunch of energy. But it's actually enjoyable, because there's no cheese in it hehe. Its simply fresh hot corn bread crumbled and mixed with red wine and sugar. The acohol, the sugars, the carbs and the heat really gives you a kick. Its name is literally translated as "soup of/for tired horse".
You are amazing! Such incredible reserearch and so well referenced! I never thought I would actually learn smth new about Greek history from a YT channel! My thoughts in contributing to the recreation of this recipe would be 1. Use a wine with very high alcohol percentage as the island of Ikaria is still known for a local variety of white wine with the insane 15% alcohol content that can get you drunk after two cups. Probably all wine in ancient Greece was too strong by todays standards and thats why they diluted it with as much as 3 parts of water to one of wine.I guess red could reach as much as 20% alcohol back then! So a fortified red wine could do today 2. Use a type of goat cheese called anthotyron (flower of cheese) which is very creamy and soft with yoghurty like texture, unsalted and not matured. 3. Powedered toasted barley or oats like the ones used for breakfast Thanks again and keep up the great work!
I was thinking maybe it's like a macho thing, thats why its the hero's drink, only brave men will drink it. Sort of like if gym rats today put raw eggs in beer and drank those to show how tough they are
@@Appalachianasshole41 that may be so but they are still turned into something tasty, whereas in this case it's more like a health potion that tests your manliness. So it would still work
@@christopherhill9619 Putting raw eggs into beer is stupid, as if you are building muscle, you shouldn't be drinking alcohol............ However, eggs have heaps of protein, low calories, lots of vitamins............ Eggs are amazing!
Aww... I kinda thought it would be good. I mean, the barley is a bit weird but, cheese and wine? Yup! Honey and wine? HELL YEAH! Put them aaaaall together... Idk. Maybe it's the ancient greek in me talking. But very interesting, and that reaction was priceless.
Thats what I thought, it sounds like a standard cheese and crackers fair but in *smoothie form!* It might be better if you used a different flour or cheese, maybe?
The descriptions of Pramnian wine which you read make it sound like it was fortified, perhaps even distilled. It would likely have been sweeter. Barley meal, when added to drinks, like in Tibet, would have been cooked, popped in a dry pan before being ground. If you cook it longer it would be almost a pudding. The addition of goat cheese would then be quite good.
You laugh, but when I studied classical archaeology in Germany they showed us a walk around the Acropolis inside of AC in a seminar once. Their stuff is sufficiently accurate enough that it can be used as a form of visualisation of the actual usage, decoration, colour, life etc.. But ye it's really not much more than that.
DreamsScream that game had tons of research put into it to nail its accuracy as best as possible. And it is quite accurate. Just because the sources “came from a game” doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any credibility
From the descriptions of that wine, I agree it was dry red wine like you said, but I beleive it had begun to turn and was becoming nearer to vinegar. This would give it more probiotics and so more health benefit, and likely result in those descriptions. Since there were no amounts to work with in the ingredient list, If I were to try and make this potion, I'd make it like the following: Add 2 cups of barley tea, strained, to 2oz dry red wine and set aside. Mash 1oz goat cheese and 3tbsp honey into a smooth paste before blending in 1oz red wine vinegar. Whisk the two together until blended smooth. I anticipate it would be like a bisque in texture, and taste not unlike a toasted Greek yogurt shake made with tart cherry or pomegranate juice. Thank you for all the amazing, educational, and entertaining videos!
Don't forget our favourite cryptic philosopher, Heraclitus: "The Kykeon only stays as long as it is moving", meaning that it unmixes and becomes not-Kykeon when left alone. Several of his "It changes constantly, but is still the same" one-liners have been preserved to be enjoyed by us, most famously "You cannot twice enter the same river".
The funny thing is that wine and goat cheese should go together, with a (barley) cracker on the side. And the honey should balance out the dry wine. Theoretically, it should work.
For sure you should not cook the cheese, maybe add later, and I guess some water in the stewing too (maybe they didn't mention because it was obvious for them)
I would think onion would help. Modern goat cheese is rather salty, maybe a ricotta cheese. I have made ricotta from goat milk and depending on what the goats eat it isn't always a strong goaty flavor It seems like this has a profile of something hearty, but I think the flavor profile of this experiment is off.
If you are hero enough to make your own Kykeon, please share a pic on Instagram and Twitter with the #tastinghistory
inb4 the "how did you comment one day ago" comments
TastingHistory- you ever look at some of these recipes and think, “this had to be a dare...or a joke that was taken too far?” Your face said it all. Thank you for taking one for the team. You are now among the Gods and Goddesses. 🤪
im wondering if it could be better if the cheese & barley were finely ground i mean really fine ground
@@unexpected2475 I have seen that before, I assume they can upload the video but have not made the video public yet.
This looks like what you'd feed an invalid, or someone recovering from nasty wounds. Protein, carbohydrates, sugar, in a reasonably sterile suspension - in an easily digested form.
Proof that hospital food has *always* sucked.
Trojans HATE this. Try this ONE DRINK that ACHILLES drinks EVERY DAY.
Achilles died to the Trojans :)
@@ariss3304 that's what the trojans want you to believe
@@ariss3304 but he still killed their bestia soldier and they still lost the war, lol
actually on that note was the drink just for injuries for also everyday consumption?
lmao this is so good
You should do a potions miniseries focusing on historical beverages that were considered magical potions.
Good idea!
Oooh! There’s a book written about that by the Borgias!
They were basically all just alcohol with a buncha opiates and herbs.
I recommend rosa solis, a potion of everlasting life!
I would absolutely love to watch this.
In 2000 years people will be like “meth: the aether of heroes”
Most famously used by the hero known as Floridaman.
Walter White and the Argonauts
If it does make heroes, not for very long. I know some meth heads (both in recovery and not; I'm in AA/NA), and they don't hold up well.
@Usa mabaho Actually, I'd have suggested crack. It has better humor potential.
@Usa mabaho --- no shit --- where'd ya find antique dexamyl? and was it still potent --- asking for a friend ----
In my country, Chile, we have a similar "drink". Is called "chupilca" and is made with wine, toasted flour and sugar (optional), no cheese, no cooking. It was really common until the 90s and it was mainly drank by poor people and rural farmers. Its main purpose was to get drunk and a full stomach, because it was really cheap. So if you don't have the money to buy lunch, you might aswell drink a thick, sweet chupilca
Eso suena como tanto para emborracharse. Tienes la historia de por qué la gente chileno hacía chupilca? Cuando se puede beber vino y comer pan, por qué hacer sopa de pan feo? Por cierto los agricultores tenía un horno.
@@Blueshirt38 I guess because making liquid, mushy form of bread soup will make you fill your belly easier than just eat bread, at least they use less flour. It's what ancient Chinese farmer will do when they don't have enough grain. Instead of eating rice they add a lot of water into it to create a kind of rice soup...
You are an idiot if you think is anywhere near the same. What you are describing has existed since roman times
@@Blueshirt38 No tiene idea de lo que esta hablando. En ningun momento de la historia de chile el almuerzo ha sido mas caro que el vino, en especial en areas rurales.
really similar, has wine on it :)
homer's ghost in the distance: "it's just a prank bro"
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Maaan I laugh my ass out with these comments HHAHAHA
Homers Big Brain Business Move: How to increase sales for your failing Pramnian winery.
imagine onions...
that or "I didn't say to not cook the oats with water..."
I have the feeling this was meant as a medicinal calorie bomb, and not like some recipe to enjoy drinking.
Yeah, pretty much. It was the kind of thing you gave to those who were severely injured or were ill to give them calories. It is also the kind of thing that would work in a pinch when cooking a proper meal was not something you had the time for so it was also likely something that Xenophon's army probably consumed more often than they liked during their march across Persia during the Anabasis.
bruh
the Kykeon used to be a psychedelic and very visionary drink
ancient greeks only had one chance in their life to drink it and if they didn’t got enlightened they had to wait for their next life
@@JensVanDeAarde Wouldn't surprise me if some, like the oracles and temples, added something to it to engender that effect.
@@jgkitarel
ergot-fungi from barley used to be that „magic“
@@jgkitarel With the added advantage that's there's no chance of anyone malingering.
"Still feeling rough ? Have another Kykeon. "
"I'm good. Take me off the sick list."
The perfect thing to share with your "best buddy"/"cousin" when he is sulking in his tent and refusing to fight
help me step-spartan
i have become stuck under the chariot
please step-spartan help me
although, you might be dead by then.
Eric K oh my gosh they were roommates
they were "bestfriends" 😃
Mikie Swart lol
I am rewatching this much later, after the iconic fish pudding episode, and thinking Max should make a playlist of “Oh God No”.
Please yes. I would watch it lol
hahaha. he likes nearly all of them, I was beginning to wonder if there were any he didn't. Fish pudding? I guess that makes two.
Maybe it could be called "It's... Not For Me" after the clear understatement of the decade that he made during the "dragon" heart episode. Which is an episode I would highly recommend watching for the story of Fafnir the dragon.
@@lightawakesame! Max please
"Oh Gods I'm in so much pain!"
"Here, have this chunky wine, cheese and barley smoothie, that'll fix you!"
"You know what, I'm actually, I'm actually okay..."
I mean that's my theory.
I legit burst out laughing at this. 'I'd rather suffer" indeed.
Seems legit.
ROFL!
Maybe they tasted it and it was so gross that the thought of having to drink more just made them heal out of sheer willpower
There was a joke in ancient Syracuse similar to this: a king of Syracuse demanded to be given melas zomos (black broth) which was a Spartan soup made out of blood, salt and boiled pig's feet that was supposedly a staple.
He drank it, said it was ass, and said "Now I know why the Spartans fight. They would rather die than live a life eating this".
"Hey Homer, think of some repulsing drink"
"Why?"
"So someone in the future prepares it and thinks it will give him super powers when instead it will just taste like arse"
"Haha, good idea, will do!"
U got a time machine?
Doh 😣😂
Haha!
I read that in Moe's voice.
😂😂
KYKEON is basically "hey you want a brunch smoothie to heal your wounds?" Like it is literally just a smoothie of brunch type of stuff
Smoothie with wine & healthy party herbs to help you see visions
@@wilhelmseleorningcniht9410 More like, Kykeon: "NO!" XD
An ancient Greek bloody mary.
I was literally thinking while watching it that some barley cakes with goat cheese and honey, served with a glass of wine was like an ancient brunch alternative to this. This is like the ancient world making Instagram milkshakes or bloody Marys with all the weird nonsense garnishes that make them impossible to consume.
"I cannot in good conscience have anybody else make this. " Your expression pretty much sums that up. Wow. That bad!
My grandmother used to make a version of this. The mistakes you made.... Dry wine (yuck) instead use a fortified dessert wine like Port. Second cook your barley meal separately... Should cook up like malt-o-meal.... Mix port and meal to desired thickness. Top with with feta and honey. A few toasted pine nuts goes well as a garnish.
Steven Ryan
That sounds a LOT better ! Thank you very much.
I think it’s fitting that the dry wine is sorta gross. The point was to get a close approximation to the pramnian wine, which was described as very strong and sour. The way your grandmother prepared the barely is probably a good thing to try out if he ever re made this
@@saintwarsaw Though he could have compensated for the sourness by adding more honey.
Was he was describing the wine used I was thinking to myself that port wine might make a suitable substitution. I actually like your recipe, I think I might give it a try!
Thank you!
The man just literally drank a cheeseboard, for culinary science.
Culinary history my friend *
I laughed so hard at this
@@justjunkmale me too
It actually sounds like the end of the night results of too much wine and cheese board.🤢
It's not culinary science it's a hazing Ritual from an old club that died long ago and just so happened to have its records survive
Wine in cheese: tasty, good, delectable
Cheese in wine: gross, bad, why
Wine and cheese, separately, is also tasty.
I’d prolly like it lol
Ratios
When you do fondue you melt cheese in wine and according to many it's quite tasty
@@icreatedanaccountforthis1852 Exactly, it's all about the ratios.
I made kykeon the other day for my class on Ancient Greece, and it truly is... an experience drinking it. It made my professor cry a little.
They let you serve booze shakes to your class and professor? Nice dude haha
@@obnoxiouspedantthe cooking process probably cooked off the alcohol. That and/or the professor is just super chill. 😎
Still sounds like a protein shake from hell though. 🤢
@thehalverwifey ah yeah probably right, on all points, I would NOT drink this hahaha
Healer - "if you don't heal up quickly, you have to keep drinking this stuff!"
Hero - "OK, all better now, thanks!"
We used to do something similar for kids at the girls’ summer camp I worked at. Most of the time, when a kid felt sick, it was dehydration or they were homesick and faking it... so we had them drink a whole (kid-size) bottle of water.
Dehydration? Felt better. Homesickness? “Don’t make me drink any more water!” Still feels awful? Get her to the nurse.
@@Ajehy This is why I hate summer camps lol
Jokes aside I think it's a great idea. Barley porridge mixture aids digestion and the wine makes you forget you're wounded.
"Oh, wow, um... uh... mmm... that is a... thing... I have drunk just now... thanks, Hecamede, for this... potion.... I don't need any more. Look! I already feel much much better!"
(Mysterious healing properties of Kykeon solved.)
Clever! 😁
Seems like as a likely a story as any.
Alternative Title:
You won't believe this ancient protein shake!
How to get Heroic GAINS??
HAH that's great
or .. "Max takes one for the team"
Top magic goddess shares magical secrets gone wrong gone sexual gone pig
My mythology teacher mentioned you and this video in particular when talking about Ancient Greek mythology and talked about how this is like those ancient smoothies and is the ancient equivalent of those drinks you drink instead of getting up from your gaming chairs to grab yourself a complete meals. Basically a meal replacement drink similar to Soylent which my mythology teacher happened to mention Soylent as modern day equivalent of this drinks.
your teacher teaching you the same things as every school in this earth,based on research by historians and archeologists the only exception is the schools from turkey albania and skopians-monkeydonians . Uneducated people from these countries commenting in every youtube videos about Greek history trying to steal the Greek history.
Omg that is the ancient greece whey protein
@WalkingFarFarAway fascinating, isn't it how we still do the same exact thing as what our ancestors did back in days? we just reuse the same exact thing, but in a new way, like same old tricks or items, but in a new way, we simply repeat what our ancestors did, like, for example con artists that offer a brand new car for winners online in order to steal people personal information is the same exact tricks con artists use when offering car to winners in shoppers malls to steal their personal information just reusing the same exact tricks but applying it in new ways likewise we make the sane excuses as our ancestors did when you read up on mythology and their jokes especially jokes teenagers back in dsys make is same exact jokes teenagers make today and that your ancestors most likely did the same exact thing you did back in days for the same exact reason you have for doings those things just with different technologies they have to contend with but doings pretty much everything we're currently doing showing we're no different from our ancestors.
@@alexanderhood8993yeah I took an ancient literature class a while back and the biggest thing I learned was along the lines of "humans never actually change we do the same shit for the same reasons just in different ways"
@@mechwarrior5727A conversation between Cassidy/McCree and D.va from Overwatch
“Cassidy: You know, I used to be alot like you when I was younger.
D.va: Uhh, I’m way cooler than you.
Cassidy: that’s exactly what I would’ve said! Now you just need the hat and cigar.”
What I thought I would get: Delicious Greek Berry Smoothie 😁🤗
What I got: Ancient Alcoholic’s Oatmeal 🥴🤢
with cheese, goat cheese
I also thought it’s gonna be some delicious berry smoothie or grape!!! xD
@@xasharchangel4445 It would have been nice without the wine and cheese, replace them with just fresh goat milk
Best comment ever
I think it might be doable with yogurt instead of cheese, and chia instead of grains
Max, you burst into laughter after drinking it, and I have it on good authority that laughter is the best medicine. That potion was a resounding success
I was going to say, "one sip and the man's red face wasted! XD" I think THAT may be the real reason the greeks felt "energized" if it makes a man tipsy THAT easily.
@@MarioMastar He was wasted from drinking the rest of the bottle while cooking.
"It smells like wine..." *makes skeptical face*
And that was the extent of the emotional preparation. *dissolves into giggle fit*
("I made chewy cheese wine,") "...It's not good, it's not good."
Everyone has those memories of being a small child and just mixing random ingredients because you were bored. This recipe automatically makes me think of all the concoctions I created back then.
Did you drink any?
@Triumph2024. Nah, I was always stopped before I could ingest any of my creations
Literally wine fortified protein shake, is what this is. Or rather in modern terms a wine fortified workout recovery shake.
The absolute, hands down, best reaction to anything you've made. Even Garum didn't make you squirm like this.
I was laughing for several minutes. Thank you, Max 🤣
🤣
@@TastingHistory
I could tell that you were _REALLY_ struggling to get that down and keep it there.
Your pain is our entertainment.
This was exactly my thought. Even garum wasn't this degree of unpalatable. 😂😂😂
@@TastingHistory It looked like someone regurgitated in your cup and not lying; I thought you were going to refill it! 🤣
Farmer: *eats bread he made using barley with ergot*
Farmer: *why am i seeing the gods?*
"Holy shit I'm blasting out of both ends! My heart's a'seizing! My lungs a'wheezing! The fucking walls are melting! I hear the voice of Satan, he's telling me to invest in Apple! What does that mean?! Why does Satan want me to buy apples?!"
Gods telling me to invest in apple, why does he want me to buy apples
Congrats if you get the reference
@BaxiTube I’ve always wondered how much religious history can be attributed to mental illnesses that cause hallucinations, like Schizophrenia or even trip-induced psychosis (or the other ones i do not know the name of)
Ancient Greek farmer tripping on bad grain: *you know, this shit would make a great basis for a really fun cult* (disclaimer: Greeks referred to specific godly worship as cults, like a cult of Athena being centered around her temple Athens as well as any other of her temples around Greece. Harmless stuff in context of their culture. But look up the Eleusinian Mysteries - it was a strangely all-inclusive cult that had "secret" parties that lots of people were aware of or attended, but nobody was allowed to talk about afterwards. Some people think they were binging on ergot wine. Sorry for the tangent hahaha.)
@Theo Paidi
yes there is. The burning thorn bush? Probably an acacia, it's native to this region and contains a fuckload of DMT. If you inhale the smoke from that of course god starts talking to you.
Also multiple mentions of 'Manna' the 'bread from the heavens' that 'comes with the rain', like... Mushrooms.
The look on Max's face after he took a drink! LOLOLOLOL Love this show, love the history, and love the laughs.
"Not quite food, not quite drink..."
Sounds like an ancient Greek yogurt smoothie.
I bet it would've had a decent protein content!
Yes indeed
Honestly, if you replace the cheese with greek yogurt and blend it really well, I'm sure it's fine.
except it's alcoholic, and salty
This seems like a "hangover remedy" kind of crazy drink lol
It really does, lol!!!
Simple carbs and hair of the dog, that might actually work.
That's probably the only real "healing" it does... worth a try?
This is exactly what I thought. Or something you give someone sick/injured enough to be on bed rest
Or an ancient Greek milk shake.
11:14 - The sad, sad, sound of a man who knows, in this moment, he should have done the grilled flamingo episode
🤣
Or the screaming Viking 😂😁😉
Brave man. Very brave man. Thanks for taking one for the tasting team.
Me while seeing the thumbnail: "oh look a fun summery fruity drink to try"
After the video: "oh nononono"
Expectation: raspberries with honey and yogurt. Fun and full of nutrients.
Reality: There is honey, but it's mostly bitter wine mixed with goat cheese and barley. Basically a medicinal protein shake.
@@starspeculation thank god he didn't add the fucking onion
Same! I thought it was a strawberry smoothie
🤣🤣🤣
other people did comment with similar old recipes that actually do work well(still more a "was feeling under the weather" recipes), but the main thing it boils down to is "cook oats with water and a splash of wine"
“It tastes like what you’d think it would...which isn’t good.” 🤣🤣🤣
What I'm seeing is that the ancient greeks attempted to invent alcoholic cheescake shake and with nothing before it to compare to this was the greatest alcoholic cheesecake shake created, thus seeing no reason to try and improve it.
...That or Homer just wanted to prank unsuspecting RUclipsrs several millenia later.
You're a hero to us Tasting History. Thanks for braving Homer's terrible recipes so that we don't have to.
Annistar haven’t you ever been like “hmm I know I hated that when I was little but maybe it tastes good now actually? Oh no no oh gods it does NOT taste good”
Your reaction is absolutely priceless. This is the first time I've seen you make something you didn't like. When you said Greek Pepto Bismol I almost spit my drink across the room. Too funny. Loved it. Thank you for such amazing videos
LMAO
Max in most other videos:
"Oh... Oh! Well this is delightful!"
Max in this video:
"Ummmmm..."
-nervous laughter-
My Grandma (which was a Greek -Albanian lady) used to cook a dessert very similar to this, using a mix of a bunch of cereal meals with wine and milk or yogurt, till the point of a starch, but she would rarely sweetened it with honey, it was usually regular sugar, and even with all the cinnamon and cloves added later, I always hated it. Especially because it doesn't feel like a dessert, and more like the type of porridge or mash, you're obliged to eat when you're feeling sick/ill.
Wait i dont understand is she Albanian but lives in greece or is she greek but lives in Albania
@@constantinethecataphract5949 She lived in Greece but her dad was Albanian and her mom kinda half-Albanian (in terms of Ethnicity, not nationality)
any idea about the name(s) of that wine porridge in Greek or Albanian or another language?
"Today, I'm going to create ambrosia"
*ascends to godhead, abandons youtube channel*
So he died
[SwItChEs To TiKtOk]
It doesn’t sound overtly bad, you know? It’s kind of like putting a charcuterie board in a blender.
It honestly just sounds like wine with the snacks you'd eat it with.
@@DanteTorn Yeah, but like it's been chewed by somebody else and spit in your glass? Sorry...
Charcoochie*
@@Zeltron_1804 We love a good shartcoochie board
It reminds me of Cream of Wheat, but savory and with barley.
I mean, looking at it from a health perspective, if someone was in poor health for whatever reason, blending these ingredients would give you a good blend of potential remedies for a variety of ailments all in one, kind of like a cover-all-your-bases and cure-all. Honey is naturally antibiotic, I would assume ancient honey was not pasteurized (or heated) as most is today, retaining the health benefits. Ancient goat cheese would have had probiotic and bacterial cultures that would help with gastrointestinal problems. The wine would have a variety of benefits as well with antioxidants, polyphenols, etc. Barley could have been used as a binder and to help provide sustenance and energy. This may have been more of a medicinal drink with a variety of ingredients included depending on medicinal ingredients used by region and time period.
They pasteurize honey? good lord glad I don't live in the w*st
I dont think lots of those compounds and probiotics would have survived the alcohol and vinegar levels of ancient (or modern) Greek wine
@@leviosssa5843 100% correct
All those ingredients were heated together though.
dilute the wine into the oats typical cooking water and this probably palatable
"There are no recipes."
"There _is_ a list of ingredients."
When dealing with historical recipes, isn't that what you have to deal with 99% of the time anyway?
It’s so true! And we are lucky to have that.
That's a big issue with historical cooking. I've always interpreted kykeon as a barley porridge flavored with a little wine and sweetened with honey with a little cheese sprinkled on top but when it comes down to it no one could ever know what it was unless we found some ancient recipe.
@@saudade7842 if it's aweful it probably wasn't the recipe they used.
@@minamur People from different regions and time periods oftentimes enjoyed food and drink that people from other areas/cultures/time periods might see as revolting.
Even if cookbooks survived, the worst part about pre-modern recipes inside (Roman recipe books and Medieval cookbooks are just as guilty of this) is that most don't even give an indication about the proportions between the ingredients either, not just what order they must be put in, when even a little change is enough to change the taste and texture of the food significantly.
I made a smoothie based of this drink. With modern substitutes. Greek yogurt for the cheese. Oatmeal for the barley. Cranberry juice for the wine. And honey. Put in a blender and mixed, it taste good and is good in the morning. 👍
Sounds reasonable
Cheater, Cheater, cranberry eater.
What a magnificent onion hat.
coming back to this one
sounds nice actually
Ha! That immediate look on his face when he dipped the drink spoke volumes instantly.
I love watching "Tasting History", but I've never laughed so hard as I did with this one! Ohhh the yuck face was priceless!
yes, I also enjoyed the little eyebrow raise right before the sip.
Yes, he earned a new subscriber for it.
this recipe feels like when young girls make "potions" by just mixing stuff in a bucket
Kinda sounds like how kids with alcoholic parents sometimes mix random innocent stuff like Coke and tomato sauce with their parent's alcohol to be like them.
Omg I forgot how my daughters made “potions!” Blast from the past! Ketchup, water, apple juice and chocolate sprinkles lol
Growing up I made so many potions😂😭
Mine always had mud in them.
@@anesiaandrews214 I use to go into the woods with my best friend from childhood with a pot and spoons and we would take leaves and berries and shit and mix it all together. Those were good times I swear, not a care in the world
This looks (and presumably tastes) just as appalling as some of the"smoothies" that some people try to tell me are SO healthy and nutritious even though they get most of their calories from sugar. Perhaps "kykeon" was more like a barley soup made with pearl barley, flavored with onion and wine and perhaps a few mushrooms (psychedelic or otherwise) and sprinkled with cheese?
I like this explanation.
A barley, mushroom, onion and wine soup sounds delicious, especially with a little beef. But this... not so much lol.
Yes! May I have some mushrooms, etc. with my wine soup? Cheese on top!
My smoothies are delicious, contain no additional sugar and hardly any fruit. (but heaps of vegetables....)
apple gets most of its calories from sugar. are you trying to imply that apple is unhealthy?
I made it using pomegranate juice. I also added dates. Best thing I ever had
thats just desert
Hmmm, this sounds like a great way to skip or circumvent the alcohol.
Innovative.
And the Nomads were at their Oasis, eating their dates... What? No wine?
Me: severely wounded in battle "help I'm dying!!!"
Potion maker: "here, drink this until you feel better"
Me: after one sip "you know what I feel much better now, I think I will be on my way"
Potion maker: "works every time, damn I'm good!"
Tee Hee
Max, Internally: "OH SWEET JESUS, THIS IS AWFUL! WHY DID I DO THIS? DISGUSTING! THERE IS NOTHING GOOD ABOUT THIS!"
Max, Externally: "... I can't recommend anyone else make this..."
Basically that’s exactly right
Remake it with actual feta cheese and diluted wine (which is what they drank in campaign, it worked as a water purifier)
@@cahallo5964 I get the impression from the "hard" description it would also be a very high-proof wine. So dilute something really really strong, and then make a cheese soup with it.
@@TastingHistory Maybe if you had added a bunch of herbs it would have been slightly better. Supposedly Pramneian wine was very floral and oreganoey- according to the wine experts today.
@@TastingHistory no one upvote the 69 is strong with this one.
YOU CAN'T HANDLE MY STRONGEST POTION!
in a perfect world, kykeon like this would not exist.....but this is not a perfect world
You're a rascal with no respect for knights!
MY STRONGEST POTIONS WILL KILL A DRAGON LET ALONE A MAN
Good meme, top KEKeon
BUT POTION SELLER!
i wonder what would happen if you made this drink with retsina. Retsina is wine with roots in ancient greece, it's not referring to the variety of grapes, but the way it was stored. Ancient greeks didnt really have wooden barrels to age wine in, so they used ceramic amphora, and to prevent the wine from being ruined or spoiled, they mixed pine resin into the wine before storing it. This basically coated the inside of the amphora with a layer of resin, and that preserved the wine, but it imparted a very heavy spruce flavour into the wine, which is why most outsiders hate it, because it kinda tastes like turpentine. They still make retsina today (albeit in glass bottles) with the historical methods- I imagine that this pramnian wine would have been stored as a retsina, so it would have tasted very heavily like spruce. I imagine that kykeon probably would have tasted like you'd eaten an entire charcuterie board including the plank it was served on, which i imagine might have been more of a vibe. Still not *good* to modern palates, but a vibe.
the ancient greek jagermeister
Retsina wine is gross!
fascinating thank you!
“It tastes how you think it would taste... which isn’t exactly good”
Hahahahahhaa
Ya, Grain alcohol would be better. LoL.
As the "Max REALLY hates this" laugh reaches its crescendo, and his eyes fill with "no, really, max RRREEEAAALLLLLLLLLYYYYY hates this" tears, I somehow knew he was going in for a second taste.
the desperation in his voice when he says “i don’t know” after theorizing about the cheese and barley texture 😂
I noticed that too 😂😂😂
I laughed more in this episode than I had laughed at anything in the last week. Great stuff and I agree that etymology is fun as heck
"All but Odysseus, who had really great plot armor..." had me cracking up 😄
Haha, I was watching with subtitles on and I nearly lost it when you drank it and it came up with "X_X"
It’s true! LMAOOO
It's the drink of heroes, because chugging this down *is* a heroic task.
The old "silverware" for banquets found in tombs include: 1 cheese grater, one or more strainers and some ladles/dippers. I do not think it was intended to be drank whole.
Great video, both funny and informative.
"Contracts the eyebrows and stomach" sounds like a wine that is about as sour as lemons, i read somewhere that a cup of hot water with lemon juice and honey mixed into it makes for a good natural remedy for various things, maybe this Kykeon is something along the lines of that except with some extra ingredients and made into a semi thick substance.
The hot lemon water with honey is awesome for sore throats. It of course has other uses but this is the most noticeable and is recommended by several choir teachers/private vocal tutors.
i want to try that wine, sounds amazing. i love sour drinks
Maybe it was wine+water+honey used as a dip for barley bread and cheese.
@@iivarimokelainen that actually sounds rather nice. Flour soup with heated cheese is a traditional winter/pre lent soup where I live.
Cheese is sprinkled on top and it can be made with broth, white or red wine. It's actually really nice.
yea tbh this whole thing sounds more medicinal than anything
last time I was this early the Minoans were still relevant
MarsOz I will eat your bull. Be careful my friend
Winning comment
Still would want that, especially those female dresses of theirs
Drink it or hide in that labyrinth.
I’d love to see an episode where he cooks some of the “survival foods” from the siege of Leningrad- such as leather soup and sawdust bread. It’s not pretty history, but it’s certainly interesting!
I’ll put that on the list... a little ways down the list 🤣
Did they actually eat that ?
@@augustintacquet488 Yes Augustin, it was a pretty desperate situation there
S H 😂
@@SH-rs6ow It sounds like something dangerous to eat, perhaps even more dangerous than not eating. Desperate situation indeed...
First time i watch your videos. I am completely fascinated with the ammount of sources and the way you present them. Excellent work.
I absolutely loved the taste test.
Back when I was in my teens many decades ago and already a very enthusiastic cook, there was this program on PBS called "Cooking Cheap" where two guys would cook extremely inexpensive recipes sent in by viewers. At the end, they'd each taste the results. And every now and then the reaction would be "Oh my God that's awful. Don't cook this folks!" That really inspired me throughout my life to be unafraid of trying crazy things in my cooking. Sure there will be spectacular failures, but also wonderful discoveries.
Historically as their is no actual recipe for Kykeon, we need to look at other aspects of Ancient Greek culture to determine how to create this.
Through my own research on this, I don't actually believe Kykeon was the name of a specific drink recipe but instead the generic name for a "healing elixir."
Now we do know that Barley, Honey and Wine were mentioned for Kykeon along with other ingredients such as cheese, herbs, etc..
What I am thinking is that Kykeon would have been the blending of two different liquid mixtures.
Ptisane is in essence barley water. It would be made by mixing together barley, honey , water and other herbs and either boiled together then strained or more likely would have been stored and fermented over a period of time.
The ancient Greeks also made herbal medicines by infusing medicinal, psychotropic or baneful plant matter in wine over a period of time so the wine could extract the chemical constituents found within the plant.
Personally I believe Kykeon would have been a drink made up by incorporating 2/3 barley water to 1/3 of the medicinal wine with the addition of more honey to attempt to mask the flavour of the medicinal wine which would have been quite bitter.
The addition of goats cheese to the formula may have been an easy way to include bacteria in the barley water making process to help with fermentation to potentially turn the barley water into a alcoholic barley drink.
i was thinking about that! At the very least there would be some fermentation in this process and goat cheese indicates that!
you should have consulted this person before making your gross porridge
@@amesavis Well he can always try again. But as someone that likes barley water I could see something like that being considered medicinal, it's sort of early gatorade.
I believe you are right with the psychotropic element. Several literary sources suggest transcendent visions of heaven and hell and that priestesses were very careful in the preparation. I thought you might find the following paper interesting. ELEUSIS: Journal of Psychoactive Plants and Compounds
New Series 4, 2000. Stable non- mortifying ergot poisoning whould have been a powerful recruiting tool.
Or maybe its as simple as a breakfast cereal, only with toasted barley meal with wine instead of milk and cheese as toppings. I mean, the descriptions of it does sound like food for the infirm ( Macaon, Odysseus and crew are in a weaken state) and the quick recovery effect may have been a combination of sugar rush and alcohol, which dull their pain and give them a boost of energy. At least the description in Iliad seem to imply that its a simple preparation and may need nothing more than a simple mixing of prepared ingredients.
“It tastes like what you think it would...”
What a polite way to say it’s disgusting
Poor max you can just hear the distress in his voice when he says i dont know at 12:37 or 12:38 over just how bad this drink really is. Despite the drink being horrible he is still just so nice and respectful because he knows and understands the importance that this piece of history makes to someone out there. He knows that somewhere someone is watching this video and is proud of their heritage and history so he does his best to not offend and to respectfully bring life to each recipe as if it were his own history he is talking about. I have a deep and great respect for this man and all he stands for. Just such a wonderful person. We need more people like you Max Miller!!! Also my fiance and i wish you and jose a long and happy life together every time we watch ketchup together we feel the love you two have for each other and it just gives us such joy to be able to share a small piece of your life. We absolutely love you both and wish nothing but happiness and joy and good fortune for you both
it might be better with some drugs, and an onion on the side
GOTTA have that onion
My gods, yes
Lil side of wormwood and valerian, but those dudes ended as bacon🙄
I think he should really try it with an onion, im sure that would make it better
Opium
"Etymology is fun!"
You said it, my dude.
I barely finished writing this before you tasted the wine and I about died laughing. My goodness, your face spoke volumes.
agreed, I love etymology
As someone who grew up eating barley porridges as a kid, and something very much resembling this without the cheese I think you really undercooked it.
It should be like cream of wheat with any granules springy at the most. Feta or sirena I never thought about how it would be added for the wine version, but I don't think it should be crumbled except as garnish. It should be cubed if cooked in the barley porridge like paneer in saag paneer but smaller.
If granules of barley stick to your teeth it's wrong. Think fregola di sarda in cream of wheat.
I honestly had no idea these went back that far. Barley meal porridge is pretty common in the balkans, just with stock instead of wine usually. It's not uncommon in East Asia either. It was a staple poverty food in china and japan for a very long time.
For the wine version I'd bet with the way tastes have shifted you'd want a lighter wine than you'd think. I've had modern Chidiriotiko, you probably need to stick to like a medium sicilian etna red or a plavec if you want to stay in the region. If you really really had to reach a primitivo.
It's very different from cab sav or "just any dry red".
Its a ancient recipe that means it is vastly different from your mothers barley porridges (which use more modern cooking techniques and common knowledge that was not common back in those times) its like how in the 1600s they had fried chicken but it would taste like ass in comparison to the modern spiced and battered equivalents
@@leonabarfield1560 I don’t think it would taste like “ass” a lot of the chicken back then was also FRESH too. Fresh fried chicken over your KFC taste buds any day
@@leonabarfield1560 I don't think you give enough credit to the ancient Greeks. Cooking something for longer is not really a novel, complex, or modern idea, and the ancient Greeks were literally famous for their novel, complex, and relevant ideas.
@@caleb1031 Nono modern people have to insist they're so unique and enlightened while they destroy the world.
@I see it like this I feel like ehhhhhh.
Electricity, modern medicine, food surplus, and infinite information are all extremely useful things.
We may have destroyed the earth in the process, but don't sell us short. We do things in the modern era that the ancients couldn't even dream of.
Innovation by definition is the process of improving on other peoples ideas.
Over the course of history humanities cumulative understanding of the universe is what enables all of our modern achievements to be possible.
As for the enlightened bit, say what you will about public education, on average a larger portion of the population is educated than in times past.
Everyone is unique in the sense that they are the only observer in their universe. We cannot understand the consciousness of another.
You are, hands down, the cutest person on the entire internet. The way you delivered "Etymology is fun" made me SCREAM 😂
Why do you type like a teenaged girl?
"Etymology is fun", I need that on a T-shirt
So are lesbians!
Plot Twist: Machamp drank this drink that's why he is buff.
Exactly!
The ancient greek in the Pokemon world used Liechi berry wine.
It's the same color as Machamp, so this checks out
Or is this what Machoke drinks to actually gain his/her/their superpowers?
This is probably the nicest “I hate it” next to emmyeatsjapan.
na bro go check out star trek data and his emotion chip takes a big drink of something face contorts i dont know what i feel... geinan chimes in you hate it? data: yes I HATE this it is revolting,... geinan chimes back in another? data:yes please!
@@hardwirecars I was just about to comment that. What a great scene.
*emmymadeinjapan
She has the most soothing voice and demeanor.
I don’t know nearly as much about wine as Max, but I’m pretty sure it’s not supposed to have things floating around in it!😂😂😂😂😂 the look on his face after he tasted it… Priceless!
This reminds me of an item we do in Portugal. It's an old recipe, that used to be consumed by field workers, to give a bunch of energy. But it's actually enjoyable, because there's no cheese in it hehe. Its simply fresh hot corn bread crumbled and mixed with red wine and sugar. The acohol, the sugars, the carbs and the heat really gives you a kick. Its name is literally translated as "soup of/for tired horse".
Interesting. What is this dish called in Portuguese?
@@vinceblasco Sopa de Cavalo Cansado. Take corn bread (broa in PT) fresh out of the oven and crumble it into a plate with and wine at discretion.
Speaking of Portugal I want to go to Portugal one day and try a francesinha sandwich
@@カスカディア国人 you won't regret it
That sounds delicious.
"it's wiiiiinneee... with Barleyyy.... and CHEEEEESEEE????"i laughed so much at that reaction omg
"I think I would have been an athenian."
Drinking uncut wine out of a bottle?
Dream on barbarian.
It is SO great that he really waited to taste it on film and showed his honest reaction.
Takes a sip. "I've made a horrible mistake."
The captions were hilarious when he took that first sip: X_X
11:06 The face of regret.
Well, they say the best medicine tastes the most bitter.
That drink is a classic example of “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger “
Or makes you trhow up XD
I'm very happy with the decision of playing along at home with a tall glass of blueberry yoghurts.
Hahaha thats a cute idea
Roflmao
You are amazing! Such incredible reserearch and so well referenced! I never thought I would actually learn smth new about Greek history from a YT channel! My thoughts in contributing to the recreation of this recipe would be
1. Use a wine with very high alcohol percentage as the island of Ikaria is still known for a local variety of white wine with the insane 15% alcohol content that can get you drunk after two cups. Probably all wine in ancient Greece was too strong by todays standards and thats why they diluted it with as much as 3 parts of water to one of wine.I guess red could reach as much as 20% alcohol back then! So a fortified red wine could do today
2. Use a type of goat cheese called anthotyron (flower of cheese) which is very creamy and soft with yoghurty like texture, unsalted and not matured.
3. Powedered toasted barley or oats like the ones used for breakfast
Thanks again and keep up the great work!
He’s a chef, historian, and a gamer. A perfect being
Potion? What're the stat buffs tho
🤣
All I got was a +2 to strength and a -5 to dexterity, plus I've become a pig-person.
Well, clearly it's a Health Potion.
@@saturn6784 must've added a wrong ingredient.
All of my charisma is gone but my constitution has gone up. A worthy sacrifice I guess
I get the feeling people only drank Kykeon because they thought it was good for them, not because they liked it.
Like people who drink wheatgrass smoothies.
I was thinking maybe it's like a macho thing, thats why its the hero's drink, only brave men will drink it. Sort of like if gym rats today put raw eggs in beer and drank those to show how tough they are
@@christopherhill9619 raw eggs are used in a variety of cocktail recipes
@@Appalachianasshole41 that may be so but they are still turned into something tasty, whereas in this case it's more like a health potion that tests your manliness. So it would still work
@@christopherhill9619 Putting raw eggs into beer is stupid, as if you are building muscle, you shouldn't be drinking alcohol............
However, eggs have heaps of protein, low calories, lots of vitamins............ Eggs are amazing!
Max, you are absolutely amazing (and heroic) for making this ... yeah.
Aww...
I kinda thought it would be good.
I mean, the barley is a bit weird but, cheese and wine? Yup!
Honey and wine? HELL YEAH!
Put them aaaaall together... Idk.
Maybe it's the ancient greek in me talking.
But very interesting, and that reaction was priceless.
Thats what I thought, it sounds like a standard cheese and crackers fair but in *smoothie form!* It might be better if you used a different flour or cheese, maybe?
@@XamiNaxamis EXACTLY!!!
@@Hecatonicosachoron
Well that sounds much nicer.
It would be nice to have Max see this and retry this recipe.
"You're not going to need all this wine so go ahead and pour yourself a glass while you cook." I'm glad I'm not the only one to do this...
Why waste it?!
@@TastingHistory waste wine? Sacrilegious!
@@TastingHistory Be rude to not have a glass! :)
And you’ll need a glass (or two) if you plan to taste your final product!
The descriptions of Pramnian wine which you read make it sound like it was fortified, perhaps even distilled. It would likely have been sweeter. Barley meal, when added to drinks, like in Tibet, would have been cooked, popped in a dry pan before being ground. If you cook it longer it would be almost a pudding. The addition of goat cheese would then be quite good.
This channel is so wholesome and educational! I am an archaeologist, and I learn a lot from each episode. I came here from reddit btw.
Can we just giggle and marvel that Assassin's Creed Odyssey is one of the "tools" listed in the description? EPIC
😂😂
This vid suddenly just lost all credibility lol
DreamsScream did you watch the video?
You laugh, but when I studied classical archaeology in Germany they showed us a walk around the Acropolis inside of AC in a seminar once. Their stuff is sufficiently accurate enough that it can be used as a form of visualisation of the actual usage, decoration, colour, life etc.. But ye it's really not much more than that.
DreamsScream that game had tons of research put into it to nail its accuracy as best as possible. And it is quite accurate. Just because the sources “came from a game” doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any credibility
this is essentially like the ancient greek equivalent of putting a whole mcdonald's meal in the blender. not good, but you got clout for drinking it
That, and that revivifying effect was probably a powerful "gotta get up and go" feeling
From the descriptions of that wine, I agree it was dry red wine like you said, but I beleive it had begun to turn and was becoming nearer to vinegar. This would give it more probiotics and so more health benefit, and likely result in those descriptions.
Since there were no amounts to work with in the ingredient list, If I were to try and make this potion, I'd make it like the following:
Add 2 cups of barley tea, strained, to 2oz dry red wine and set aside. Mash 1oz goat cheese and 3tbsp honey into a smooth paste before blending in 1oz red wine vinegar. Whisk the two together until blended smooth.
I anticipate it would be like a bisque in texture, and taste not unlike a toasted Greek yogurt shake made with tart cherry or pomegranate juice.
Thank you for all the amazing, educational, and entertaining videos!
Don't forget our favourite cryptic philosopher, Heraclitus: "The Kykeon only stays as long as it is moving", meaning that it unmixes and becomes not-Kykeon when left alone. Several of his "It changes constantly, but is still the same" one-liners have been preserved to be enjoyed by us, most famously "You cannot twice enter the same river".
The funny thing is that wine and goat cheese should go together, with a (barley) cracker on the side. And the honey should balance out the dry wine. Theoretically, it should work.
The ratios need to be adjusted for maximum palatability.
Yeah it didn’t really look like a “drinkable soup” to me
And aren’t all soups drinkable?
For sure you should not cook the cheese, maybe add later, and I guess some water in the stewing too (maybe they didn't mention because it was obvious for them)
I would think onion would help. Modern goat cheese is rather salty, maybe a ricotta cheese. I have made ricotta from goat milk and depending on what the goats eat it isn't always a strong goaty flavor It seems like this has a profile of something hearty, but I think the flavor profile of this experiment is off.
@@RGOR-ne6vq The onion idea is worth investigating.
"Those poems in Lord of the Rings that everyone just skips over"😆😆😆💀💀💀
poor tom bombadil
I remember reading the songs in Hobbit and they're just the most cliche rhymes they get trite and on my nerves after a while
But what about Bilbo’s “I sit beside the fire and think”, it’s lowkey a sentimental bop
Skip? I memorized all of them.
That was by far the best tasting segment on the channel.