Cooking

As meet did not form an article of ordinary diet among the Jews, the art of cooking was not carried to any perfection. Few animals were slaughtered except for purposes of hospitality or festivity. The proceedings on such occasions appear to have been as follows:—On the arrival of a guest, the animal, either a kid, lamb or calf, was killed, (Genesis 18:7; Luke 15:23) its throat being cut so that the blood might be poured out, (Leviticus 7:26) it was then flayed, and was ready for either roasting or boiling. In the former case the animal was preserved entire, (Exodus 12:46) and roasted either over a fire, (Exodus 12:8) of wood, (Isaiah 44:16) or perhaps in an oven, consisting simply of a hole dug in the earth, well heated, and covered up. Boiling, however, was the more usual method of cooking.

COOK'ING was not carried by the Jews to any perfection, because meat did not form part of their ordinary diet. It was done in early times exclusively, and in all periods of their history usually, by the matron of the family, apparently irrespective of her social condition, Gen 18:6 , although professional cooks were sometimes employed in later times, 1 Sam 8:13; 1 Sam 9:23. As is evident from the expeditious way in which meals were gotten up, the animal, usually a kid, a lamb, or a calf, was cooked immediately after killing. For roasting, a fire of wood or else an oven, which was merely a hole dug in the ground, heated by ashes, and then covered up, was employed. When the animal was boiled, which was the usual way, both in the case of sacrifice other than the paschal lamb, Lev 8:31, and for domestic use, it was cut up, the flesh separated from the bones and minced, and the bones themselves broken up, and the whole mass thrown into a caldron filled with water, Eze 24:4-5, and boiled over a wood-fire, and the salt or spices thrown in to season it. The meat and broth were served up separately, the latter being used as a sauce to dip bread into. Gen 18:8; Jud 6:19. Vegetables were usually boiled and served as pottage. Gen 25:29; 2 Kgs 4:38. Fish was probably boiled. Luke 24:42.-Smith: Diet, of the Bible.