ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Byzantine cuisine

Byzantine cuisine is the food that people in the ancient Byzantine Empire (which lasted from around 324 AD to 1453 AD) used to eat. They lived in a place called Byzantium, which is now modern-day Istanbul in Turkey. They had a lot of tasty foods they liked to eat!

There were many different kinds of food that the Byzantines liked to eat, but some things were very common. They loved eating things like bread, meat, cheese, and wine. They also used a lot of spices and herbs to flavor their food, like black pepper, cinnamon, and saffron.

One of the most popular foods in Byzantine cuisine was a dish called "pork or beef stew" (Magiritsa). This stew was made with lots of different vegetables and spices, like onion and garlic, and was slow cooked for a long time to make it really tender and delicious. Another popular dish was something called "fish pie" (Hortopita). This was a kind of pie that was filled with fish and lots of different herbs and spices.

The Byzantines also loved to eat sweets! They made a lot of different kinds of pastries and cakes, often filled with things like nuts, honey, and dried fruit. They also liked to eat something called "loukoumades," which were like small, fluffy donuts that were soaked in honey and sprinkled with cinnamon.

Overall, Byzantine cuisine was very flavorful and delicious. It was influenced by many different cultures, including the Roman Empire and the Greek Empire, as well as those of the Middle East and Asia. Even though the Byzantine Empire is long gone, many of the dishes they ate still exist today and are enjoyed by people all around the world.