ABSTRACT
From Eat, Drink, and Be Merry (Luke 12:19) – Food and Wine in Byzantium. Copyright © 2007 by the Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies. Published by Ashgate Publishing Ltd,
The title of my paper needs some explanation. Stew, μονόκυθρον (Τὸ ἐκ τῆς χύτρας συντεθὲν μονόκυθρον, as it is briefly defined by Eustathios), seems to have been the favourite luxury food of Ptochoprodromos, who dreams of the aromatic smell of the stew: ‘The little stew gives off fumes and smells wonderful.’ In his poems he conveys the impression that the term monokythron stands for a type of popular festive hot meal, which is not prepared every day, but is not reserved exclusively for the imperial court or the rich.
