Bread Soaked in Wine (Akratisma)
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Thick slices coarse wheat or barley bread — 4
- Dry red wine — 250 ml (1 cup)
- Black olives — 12
- Olive oil — 1 tbsp
- Fresh thyme sprigs — a few
Method
- Tear the bread into large pieces and arrange on a plate.
- Pour the wine into a shallow bowl for dipping.
- Drizzle the bread lightly with olive oil and scatter thyme leaves over it.
- Serve with the olives alongside, dipping torn bread into the wine as you eat.
Introduction: The classic Greek breakfast: torn bread dipped in undiluted wine, sometimes with olives on the side.
Cultural Background: Akratisma, literally ‘unmixed drink meal’, took its name from the practice of dipping bread into wine that had not yet been cut with water, as was the custom at other times of day. It was an unceremonious, quick meal to break the night’s fast before work in the fields or the agora.
Tips: Day-old, slightly stale bread soaks up the wine better than very fresh bread.
Variations: Children and those avoiding wine took the same meal with water or diluted wine sweetened with a little honey.
Nutrition: Approx. 260 kcal per serving, varying with bread quantity.
FAQs:
Q: Was wine really drunk in the morning?
A: Yes, though typically in smaller, often diluted quantities than at an evening symposium.
Q: What kind of bread is authentic?
A: A dense, coarse-textured barley or wheat loaf is closest to what would have been available.
- Thick slices coarse wheat or barley bread — 4
- Dry red wine — 250 ml (1 cup)
- Black olives — 12
- Olive oil — 1 tbsp
- Fresh thyme sprigs — a few
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