What would Jesus eat?
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, breads, beans, legumes, milk, fish and some meat would have been available 2,000 years ago in the Holy Land — the Fertile Crescent between Egypt and ancient Mesopotamia.
But Jesus Christ, whose birth is celebrated around the world Thursday, probably ate a poor man’s diet based on grains.
“I assume it would have been a peasant diet in the Mediterranean world, heavy on olives and breads, grains, grapes, dates, wheat, barley and maybe fruits,” said Rabbi Barry Marks of Temple Israel, 1120 W. Governor St.
“A lot of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen, close to the Sea of Galilee, so fish would have been part of the diet,” he added.
As a Jew, Jesus would have followed Old Testament dietary laws governing clean and unclean animals, Marks said. Allowed under the guidelines are land mammals that chew cud and have split hooves (cattle, sheep, goats), fish with fins and scales, non-scavenging birds (chickens) and hopping insects (locusts, grasshoppers).
Forbidden are hogs, crustaceans (crabs, lobsters, shrimp), cephalopods (squid, octopus), mollusks (clams, mussels), rodents, reptiles and birds such as hawks and vultures.
“Eating meat would not have been an everyday occurrence. On a holiday, perhaps,” Marks said. “Israel is such a small country and large parts are so arid. Probably lamb or sheep would have been most available.”
Leslie Bilderback, a Pasadena, Calif., chef, baker and author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Good Food From the Good Book” (Alpha Books, 2008), said the terrain in the Biblical region supported a multitude of edible plants, such as fruit trees and herbs. Provisions from outside the area also were brought in.
“You wouldn’t think there would be citrus fruit, but there was a lot more food available there than we typically think of. There was trade, food coming on caravans from other parts of the world,” she said.
As a peasant, however, Jesus may not have had access to those edibles.
Bilderback said Jewish dietary laws, known as “keeping kosher” to those who follow them, align with a healthful diet.
“The closer you get to the natural form, the better the food is for you,” she said. “God put stuff on the planet for us and the more we mess around with it, the worse off we are. The closer we can get to eating food the way God intended it, the better off we are.”
“A lot of people feel kosher means clean,” Marks said. “It can be mindful eating. It makes you aware of what you’re eating.” Recipes are from “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Good Food From the Good Book” by Bilderback.
Halibut Baked in Sour Cream
4 (3-ounce) halibut filets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 shallots, minced
2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking dish with pan spray. Add filets, brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Top with shallots, chives, dill, butter and cover with sour cream. Cover and bake 30 to 40 minutes until fish is firm and flakes easily with fork. Bake a final 5 minutes uncovered to brown. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Middle Eastern Chickpea Dip
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas (reserve liquid)
4 cloves garlic
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Chopped parsley
Ground paprika
Puree chickpeas, garlic, onion, tahini, lemon juice, 1/4 cup oil, salt and pepper together. Add enough reserved chickpea liquid to reach a smooth, yogurt consistency.
Transfer mixture to a serving bowl and swirl top with a spoon. Drizzle on remaining olive oil and sprinkle liberally with chopped parsley and/or ground paprika. Serve with soft pita bread ripped into pieces.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Kathryn Rem can be reached at 788-1520 or kathryn.rem@sj-r.com.
