Description
Sumerian dish of twice-baked barley bread
Technical
Bappir was a Sumerian twice-baked barley bread that was primarily used in ancient Mesopotamian beer brewing. Historical research done at Anchor Brewing Co. in 1989 reconstructed a bread made from malted barley and barley flour with honey, spices and water and baked until hard enough to store for long periods of time; the finished product was probably crumbled and mixed with water, malt and either dates or honey and allowed to ferment for a few days, producing a somewhat sweet brew. It seems to have been drunk flat without bottling or conditioning with a straw in the manner that yerba mate is drunk now.
Science
Primary Reaction
Maillard Reaction
Sensory Profile
Aroma ()
Wine Analogy
Similar to the nutty oxidation notes of Oloroso sherry
Coffee Analogy
Comparable to the roasted grain character of Ethiopian barley coffee
Perfume Analogy
Resembles the warm, bready base notes of malt absolute in gourmand perfumery
Culinary Applications
Dietary
Molecular Pairing
Key Compounds Produced