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Ful Mudammas – Learn a historical Middle Eastern recipe from ancient times made with fava beans, olive oil, onion, garlic, and cumin. Ancient Israelite cooking.

The fava bean porridge of the donation

and the garlic and oil of daily life…

– Mishna Tvul Yom 2, 3

For Throwback Thursday, I’m revisiting one of the first recipes I covered on my blog – Ful Mudammas. This refreshed version features beautiful new photographs by my talented friend Kelly Jaggers.

I’ve always been curious about the recipes and ingredients of ancient Israel: the grains, meats, vegetables, fruits and spices that were consumed in Biblical times. This period in history has always fascinated me, especially the food—what was eaten, how it was prepared and the ways it was served. Finding out how people lived thousands of years ago is like putting together a complicated puzzle with lots of missing pieces. We rely on the research of archaeologists, historians, and the surviving texts from this period—the Talmud, Roman writings, and of course the Bible. Here, we read the Bible as a history book, gleaning clues from both the Torah and the New Testament to determine the important role food played in Biblical times.

A few years ago I visited two places in Israel that offer a rare glimpse at ancient Biblical life: Nazareth Village and Neot Kedumim Biblical Landcape Reserve. Both of these locations offer a unique opportunity to experience what life was like for the ancient Israelites. At Neot Kedumim I met with Dr. Tova Dickstein, who is known worldwide as an expert on ancient and Biblical foods. She’s been interviewed by National Geographic and the History Channel, as well as the Naked Archaeologist. Tova generously shared her extensive knowledge of Biblical foods with me, which made for a fascinating afternoon.

Tova gave me an educational tour of Neot Kedumim. The reserve stands above a valley where archaeologists have unearthed one of the oldest known agricultural communities. Neot Kedumim was established in the 1960’s by Noga Hareuven, a well-known biblical botanist. He wanted to create an educational park where the landscape would reflect the physical setting of the Bible. The plants, trees and crops that grow there reflect the flora of ancient Israel. After the park was established, archaeologists discovered some incredible things at Neot Kedumim, including ancient wine and olive oil presses. The park also contains reconstructed wheat threshing floors, water cisterns, and ritual baths.

If you’re planning a trip to Israel and you have an interest in Biblical history, I recommend a visit to Neot Kedumim. Here is a link to their website if you want to learn more:

Neot Kedumim Biblical Landscape Reserve

At one point during our interview, I asked Tova what the main protein source was for the ancient Israelites. She explained to me that meat was rarely consumed because it was too expensive for the majority of ancient Israelites; it was considered a “luxury” and was eaten sparingly. They ate a largely vegetarian diet that relied heavily on grains, Mediterranean vegetables, fruits, and legumes. One of most popular legumes in the Biblical diet was the “broad bean,” or what we refer to today as the fava bean.

Fava beans are one of the oldest domesticated food legumes. References to fava beans occur in both the Talmud and the Mishna, indicating they have been part of the Middle Eastern diet since at least since the 4th century. During our interview, Tova told me that fava beans were likely one of the main protein sources for the ancient Israelites. In fact, the ancient method for cooking fava beans is discussed in the Talmud. The beans were immersed in a pot of water, sealed, then buried beneath hot coals so they could slowly cook.

Ful mudammas (pronounced fool mu-dah-mahs), a popular Middle Eastern dish made from fava beans, bears similarity to this ancient method of cooking. Sometimes spelled foul mudammas and often referred to as simply “ful,” this dish is served throughout the Middle East. Ful is known for making you feel full and satisfied due to its high fiber content. In Muslim countries ful is often eaten during Ramadan before sunrise so people can fast more easily during the daylight hours. It is sometimes served on top of chickpea hummus in a dish called “hummus ful.”

Ful mudammas is served in different ways throughout the Middle East; it is particularly popular in Egypt and Lebanon. Some countries top it with hard-boiled egg, others like it with chopped fresh tomatoes. Some serve it mashed, others leave the beans whole. The base of the dish tends to be the same everywhere, including fava beans, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Lemon wasn’t cultivated in Israel at the time of the Torah, though there was a similar citrus fruit called a “citron” that was sometimes used in cooking. That said, lemon juice adds a terrific flavor to ful mudammas. If you would like to keep it strictly Biblical-style, cut the lemon. The rest of the ingredients were available and common to the ancient Israelites.

Ful muddamas is traditionally served for breakfast or lunch, sometimes together with hummus, alongside fresh warm pita bread. The bread is used to scoop up the fava beans. Personally I find this dish quite filling without the bread, so those of you who are gluten-free can readily enjoy this recipe too. I usually use roasted garlic in my ful, which is easier to digest than raw. Either can be used; raw garlic will have a stronger flavor in the finished dish.

Food Photography and Styling by Kelly Jaggers

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