Answer: Beer
Believe it or not, the oldest known written recipe in the world is for beer. Yes, that’s right—beer, the same beverage you’ll find at backyard barbecues and sports bars today, has its roots deep in ancient civilization, dating back at least 4,000 years to Sumeria, in what’s now Iraq.
Let’s set the scene: In ancient Mesopotamia, beer was far more than just a drink—it was a daily staple, a social glue, and even a religious offering. Clean water was hard to come by, but beer was considered safe and nourishing; even children drank it. It was packed with calories and nutrients, and because the brewing process involved boiling and fermentation, it killed off harmful bacteria.
The recipe itself was discovered on a clay tablet written in cuneiform script, now housed in the Vorderasiatisches Museum in Berlin. The tablet, dating to around 1800 BCE, isn’t a checklist of ingredients and steps as we know recipes today. Instead, it takes the form of a hymn to Ninkasi, the Sumerian goddess of brewing and beer. Imagine learning to cook not from a cookbook, but by singing a song in praise of the divine—because for the Sumerians, brewing beer was practically a sacred act.
The process: The Sumerians brewed their beer from “bappir,” a twice-baked barley bread. They’d crumble the bread into water, add dates or honey for sweetness, and let it ferment. The result? A cloudy, thick beverage that bore little resemblance to the crisp lagers or hoppy IPAs of today. It was so chunky, in fact, that people drank it communally from large ceramic pots using long reed straws to filter out the solids. Drinking together wasn’t just about refreshment—it was about community and ceremony.
Beer’s importance was such that workers—like those who built the ziggurats and canals—were often paid in beer rations. It was currency, sustenance, and celebration rolled into one. Temples brewed their own supply, and religious festivals always featured the drink. The “cheers” tradition? That goes back thousands of years too. Sumerians toasted to the gods, and to each other, with their hearty brew.
Why does this matter today? If you’ve ever wondered how modern craft beer culture, homebrewing, or even the camaraderie of a neighborhood pub evolved, it all has roots in ancient traditions like these. Even now, some brewers have attempted to recreate Sumerian beer using the ancient recipe—proving our connection to the past is never as distant as it seems.
So, the next time you pour a pint, remember: you’re not just indulging in a beverage, but taking part in a story as old as civilization itself. From the clay tablets of Sumer to the glass in your hand, beer’s journey is, quite literally, the recipe that’s stood the test of time.
