Let's Make Mersu - Ancient Date and Nut Rolls

Even if you or not a date-eating person or a dessert-eating person, these date and nut rolls will win you over! They are sweet, chewy and packed with crunch - perfect for a quick energy boost!

Mersu is a sweet sticky date and nut confection from ancient Mesopotamia, first written down on Babylonian clay tablets over 3,700 years ago! These date and nut rolls are considered one of the oldest recorded snacks in history. This ancient confection, frequently called Mersu in cuneiform records from the Sumerian and Old Babylonian periods (around 1750 BC), was made from mashed dates, chopped nuts and honey. Tablets from the Mesopotamian city of Mari list quantities of dates and nuts destined for the king’s table to create Mersu. While little is known about the exact proportions, ancient recipes involved mixing ground dates and nuts with either butter, honey or ghee, often forming them into balls or rolls. Mersu was not just a common treat. It was often served as a sacred offering to the gods, showcasing the importance of date palms which were a symbol of life, fertility and abundance in the ancient world. These treats served as a perfect, shelf-stable snack and a sweet delicacy made without sugar, highlighting the ingenuity of ancient chefs. This might be the oldest recorded snack/dessert in history! Here is how you can make this easy, tasty ancient recipe!

Ingredients

1/2 cup shelled walnuts

1 cup pitted dates

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Tools

cutting board

knife

8 or 9-inch skillet

spurtle or wooden spoon

rubber scraper

small food processor

12 inches of parchment paper

Toast the walnuts in a single layer in a dry skillet for 5 to 8 minutes over medium heat.

Stir or toss frequently until they are fragrant and golden brown. Immediately remove the walnuts from the skillet and place on a cutting board to prevent overcooking from the residual heat.

Roughly chop the toasted walnuts.

Add the chopped walnuts to the food processor.

On the same cutting board, roughly dice the dates.

Place the diced dates into the food processor with the walnuts.

Add the shredded coconut and honey.

Add the cinnamon and sea salt.

Place the cover on the food processor and process until the mixture is blended.

Place the coconut oil in a small microwaveable bowl in a microwave oven. Cook on high power at 20 second intervals until melted.

Drizzle in the melted coconut oil. Use a rubber spatula to fold and mix until the coconut oil is fully blended in.

Lay the sheet of parchment paper on a clean surface. Scoop the mixture onto the center and shape it into a rough log.

Roll the parchment paper tightly around the log, folding the ends under. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour until firm.

Unwrap the log. Slice into 8 rounds using a sharp knife, wiping the blade of the knife between cuts for clean edges.

You can enjoy them as they are now, or you can make an optional dark chocolate drizzle!

1 (2-ounce) dark chocolate bar

1 microwaveable bowl

small spoon

Break up the dark chocolate bar in a microwavable bowl. Melt in a microwave oven at 30 second intervals, until the chocolate stirs smooth.

Use a small spoon to drizzle the melted dark chocolate over the date-nut rolls. Refrigerate for 5 minutes so that the chocolate firms up.

I had never made a recipe like this and I found it to be so very fun and easy to do! And it’s amazing that this was eaten in ancient times so many, many years ago! Kids will love helping to make these treats and they will also enjoy hearing about their fascinating history! I like that the dark chocolate drizzle adds an extra layer of flavor!

I hope you try this ancient recipe and that you enjoy it as much as I did!!