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Craving something sweet? Try this 4000-year-old Mesopotamian dessert [1]

['Grant St. Clair']

Date: 2025-04-21

There's old-fashioned cooking and then there's this. Mersu is the oldest known dessert in human history, being discovered on – of all things – a shopping receipt from ancient Mesopotamia. Tasting History with Max Miller, a show dedicated to resurrecting recipes from ages long past, took a stab at recreating the sweet, nutty date-filled pastry with ingredients that you don't have to travel back in time for. It's perfect for munching on over a match of The Royal Game of Ur.

It looks surprisingly simple, and I personally will be trying it at my earliest convenience – surely if an ancient Mesopotamian can do it, a writer of no particular baking talent armed with modern technology can too. The channel, which is worth checking out, is full of non-intimidating recipes from all across history for your next themed dinner, no wine-drowned geese required.

Previously:

• Warabi Mochi: a gooey Japanese summer dessert, now in chocolate mint

• This ethereal cloud gelatin dessert looks almost too good to eat

• Hairy cactus or spun-sugar dessert?

• These People Pot Pies will make you want to skip dessert

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[1] Url: https://boingboing.net/2025/04/21/craving-something-sweet-try-this-4000-year-old-mesopotamian-dessert.html

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