A 4000 Year Old Recipe for the Babylonian New Year

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Subtitles: Jose Mendoza

DISH NAME
ORIGINAL c.1740BC RECIPE (From The Yale Babylonian Tablets)
Tuh’u sirum saqum izzaz me tukan lipia tanaddi tusammat tabatum sikara susikillum egegerum kisibirrum smidu kamunum alutum tukammas-ma karsum hazannum teterri kisibirrum ina muhhi sipki tusappah suhutinnu kisibirrum isarutu tanaddi.

Tuh’u. Lamb leg meat is used. Prepare water. Add fat. Sear. Add in salt, beer, onion, arugula, cilantro, samidu, cumin, and beets. Put the ingredients in the cooking vessel and add crushed leek and garlic. Sprinkle the cooked mixture with coriander on top. Add suhutinnu and fresh cilantro.

MODERN RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
- 1lb (450g) Leg of Lamb Chopped into bite size pieces.
- 3-4 Tablespoon Oil or Rendered Fat
- 1 ½ teaspoons Salt
- 2 Cups (475ml) Water
- 12 oz (350ml) Beer - (A sour beer and German Weissbier are recommended, but any non-hoppy beer will suffice)
- 1 Large Onion Chopped
- 2 Cups Arugula Chopped
- 3/4 Cup Cilantro Chopped
- 2 Teaspoons Cumin Seeds crushed
- 2 Large Beets (approx. 4 cups) Chopped
- 1 Large Leek Minced
- 3 cloves Garlic,
- 1 Tablespoon Dry Coriander Seeds
- Additional Chopped Cilantro for garnish
- Samidu* (Something akin to 1 Persian Shallot)
- Suhutinnu* (Something akin to Egyptian Leek for garnish)
*These ingredients have no definite translation; the shallot and leek are the best guesses of scholars at Yale and Harvard Universities)

METHOD
1. Add the oil/fat to a large pot and set over high heat. Sear the lamb for several minutes in the oil until lightly browned.
2. Add the onions and let cook for 5 minutes, then add the beets and let cook for 5 minutes. Then add the salt, beer, arugula, cilantro, samidu (shallot) and cumin and bring to a boil. Mash the garlic into a paste and mix with the leek, then add to the pot.
3. Lower heat to medium and let simmer for approximately 1 hour, or until the beets and meat are cooked to your liking.
4. Once cooked, dish it into a bowl and sprinkle with coriander seeds. Garnish with fresh cilantro and suhutinnu (leek)

PHOTO CREDITS

#tastinghistory #babylon #akitu

[yannahpeeps]

I love that you’re reaching the point of literally speaking to Harvard professors for your videos! You’re in the big leagues now

[solistheonegod]

Secret to a successful YouTube channel, a host who is truly passionate about their subject.

[lemondrizzlecake]

I love how these ancient recipes always sound a bit like grandma's recipes: a list of ingredients with no quantities, some mystery ingredients, and hope and pray for the best xD

[MrKobeFuentes]

As an iraqi from Hilah (babylon province) we still cook a variant of this, we do not add beats, we add chickpeas, and we used bread crumbs when we were under sanctions but now we use regular flour to add thickness

[JuanCLeal]

Somewhere in time there is a babylonian screaming: "Tuh'u with no samidu!!?? IN DECEMBER?!!?!? Oh gods!"

[panqueque]

I made it and it's amazing. Word of advice though, remember you ate this. The next day I went to the bathroom and saw the water turn red. I thought it was blood and got pretty scared until I remembered I ate like 5 beets the day prior.

[charlesettore]

In today's edition of "I can't believe i get to watch this for free"

[georgechemuel]

As an Assyrian I found this video touching. We Assyrians still celebrate Akitu to this day, in Sydney we have a big community and celebrate it.

[shaggyrumplenutz]

It would be funny if 4000 years from now someone is doing a similar cooking show for nachos or something.

[TheoWerewolf]

One of my favourite Sumerian texts was from a diary of a wealthy teen who detailed his morning breakfast as "honey cakes". He was going to ask his father to petition (read: bribe) his teacher to give him higher marks. Nothing every changes. :)

[AnnYonan]

I'm an Assyrian Babylonian. I came out with all this information in my cook book, Authentic Assyrian Recipes Cookbook, in November 2019. Since then, I'm glad to see many chefs interested in this information, making youtube clips about it, and actually cooking from these tablets. I'm not mad at you for making it for Western New Years Eve. I'm proud you made it. Thank you. We're a dying breed but you'll enable us to live on. I had a TV show talking about these things for the last 25 years on AssyriaSat. I'm glad someone like you has come to replace us as we get old and die out. BRAVO

[ericthompson]

Academians are nearly universally excited to talk about their fields. It's kind of awesome to just drop a quarter in that jukebox and let it play.

[austenhead]

The balls on that first priest who convinced his king that he, the king, had to submit to a good slap for the good of his kingdom...

I love it.

[ryeen]

Me and my mates are throwing a Tasting History themed NYE party with all your recipes!

[Johnny_Tambourine]

McMarduk's - “Two all lamb patties, special garum sauce, lettuce, goat cheese, pickles, onions, on a še-giš-ì-seed flatbread bun.”

[kmdn]

One of the most low-key impressive parts of this show is how Max can flawlessly pronounce words and names from any language from any culture from any era in human history.

[Orzorn]

I feel that garum has become this channel's answer to Townsend's nutmeg.

[lotharbeck]

“Oh excuse me, I just dropped a name.”

I will be using this, tyvm.

[benniboop]

Had to share-My husband coined this “Babylambian” stew.

[angeliaparker-savage]

You know what I like about this channel? If it's good, he lets you know and tells you why. If it's gross, he lets you know and tells you why. That's huge for me, since I love trying ancient recipes and want to know if they're worth my time.