Black Broth of Sparta

Written By: Katelyn Abbott

Author’s Summary: Helen of Troy considers the famous black broth of Sparta.

Helen was aware that the food in Sparta was meant to be bland. Bland foods that Spartans ate were apples, bread made from grains such as barley and wheat, cheese, dates, figs, grapes, honey, lentils, and meat. Common drink among the people of Sparta to drink was wine, but excessive consumption of wine was discouraged as drunkenness would undo a person’s body and mind. Delicacies such as sesame seeds mixed with honey were turned away usually by most Spartan people. Eating food was meant for one’s necessary survival not a person’s enjoyment. Spartans ended up being frugal eaters as having light diets would produce healthy offspring who would grow into strong and tall Spartan men and women. Gluttony in Spartan people would produce weak Spartan men who would be ineffective soldiers and ineffective soldiers were something all Spartan people hated.

Helen enjoyed eating simple foods. Favorite foods of hers’ were apples, grapes, and venison to eat and good wine was her favorite drink to drink. She had a great love of clear almond broth, but she had a special fondness for the famous black broth of Sparta.

Assumedly the black broth of Sparta could be stomached only by true Spartans. Blackness of the broth came from pig’s blood and its sharply strong voice came from the salt and vinegar mixed with it. Helen came to grow up drinking it and she did not find it to be distasteful though other people who were not Spartans did. Drinking it for them was disgusting and they ended up looking like they were in pain when they forced themselves to swallow it down. Helen had found it funny to see them grimace in disgust from their distaste of the black broth of Sparta in the past.

It was ironic that she was no longer found it funny to see people grimace in disgust anymore since they did so to show their distaste of her for her being the cause of the Trojan War now that she was in Troy.