BABYLONIAN CULINARY RECIPES: GEORGIAN TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY ON ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIAN DISHES

Abstract

The present work offers the first Georgian translation of the unique cuneiform tablets preserved in the Yale Babylonian Collection (YBC). Dating back more than 3,500 years, these texts are recognized as the oldest extant culinary records in human history. During the translation process, particular emphasis was placed on terminological precision, which is essential for reconstructing the authenticity of ancient recipes. The corpus comprises approximately 40 recipes, detailing a specific range of foodstuffs and ingredients. Mesopotamian gastronomy was characterized by a diverse assortment of dishes, including breads, confectionery, soups, porridges, as well as various methods of preparing meat and vegetables through roasting or stewing, often enriched with a complex array of spices. The recipes feature both domestic livestock (cattle, sheep) and poultry, as well as various species of wild game. Notably, the authors of these cuneiform texts did not specify exact proportions of ingredients; it is likely that these recipes were intended for high-ranking professional chefs whose expertise implied an intuitive mastery of dosages and culinary techniques.

Keywords: Assyriology, Mesopotamia, Babylon, Yale Babylonian Collection (YBC), Cuisine, Ancient culinary recipes.