Sumerian Date Cheesecake

Cheese and butter dough with lots of dates and raisins baked in grape leaves

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City/Region: Sumer | Mesopotamia

Time Period: c. 2000 B.C.E.

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The inspiration for this recipe comes from a list of ingredients on a cuneiform tablet from the Third Dynasty of Ur around 4,000 years ago. While many historical recipes are vague, this isn’t even pretending to be a recipe. There are a host of unknowns with this cake, including if the cuneiform tablet represents the proportions that were used for the cake, or if this was simply adding on to an existing inventory. We can be pretty sure that flour was also used, but that’s about it. As such, I encourage you to try your own variation and let me know how it turns out in the comments. Your version will be just as correct (or incorrect) as mine, and none of us will get it exactly right.

This cake is very date-heavy and reminds me of steamed British puddings, though it’s much denser and a little dry. If you’re looking to change things up, you might try a salty cheese like feta.

“gug egala kura
1 sila of butter; 1/3 sila of white cheese; 3 sila first-quality dates; 1/3 sila of Smyrna raisins.”

— Cuneiform tablet from the Third Dynasty of Ur, c. 2000 B.C.E.

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Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups (300 g) pitted dates
• 3/4 cup (90 g) whole wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons (45 g) white cheese, I used ricotta, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (115 g) salted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons (30 g) raisins
• Grape leaves, jarred or fresh, optional

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Mince the dates, then grind the them in a mortar to make a paste.
3. In a bowl, combine the flour, cheese, and butter. Work them together with your hands until it’s thoroughly combined.
4. Add the dates and work them into the dough until evenly distributed. You can add the raisins in now and work them in, or save them to layer below and above the cake. Form the cake into a disc that will fit into your cake pan.
5. Line the bottom and sides of a round cake pan with either parchment or grape leaves. If you’re using grape leaves, be sure to rinse them well. If you saved the raisins to use now, scatter half of them over the grape leaves, then place the disc of dough on top of them. Scatter the other half over the dough, then cover the top of the dough with parchment or grape leaves. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Let the cake cool completely, then unwrap it and serve it forth.

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