Ancient Gastronomy – Ancient Eats Epic Feats

EXCELLENCE IN ANCIENT GASTRONOMY AWARD

The Excellence in Ancient Gastronomy Award recognizes an ancient dish that is made exceptionally well, that authentically captures the essence of an ancient cuisine and is prepared and presented with precision, respect, and outstanding taste

The ‘Excellence in Ancient Gastronomy Award’ identifies and promotes dishes that follow an “ancient concept” which refers to the preservation, adaptation, or revival of culinary traditions, ingredients, and cooking methods that originate in early human societies or historic civilizations. These concepts are rooted in the foundational ways people engaged with their environment — through foraging, farming, preservation, and ritual. In gastronomy, the term signifies not just old recipes, but enduring ideas about nourishment, balance, and cultural identity that have persisted across centuries. Ancient culinary concepts often emphasize seasonality, communal eating, and the deep interconnection between food, land, and spirituality. When reinterpreted in modern kitchens, they offer both a sensory link to the past and a reminder of humanity’s shared culinary heritage.

Purpose and Vision

The award’s mission is to acknowledge specific dishes from establishments who recreate ancient flavours and use time-honoured techniques that illuminate people’s diverse food history. It highlights how ancient gastronomy can continue to inspire modern excellence, cultural appreciation, and sustainable cooking practices in contemporary dining.

Unlike other culinary awards, the ‘Excellence in Ancient Gastronomy’ Award focuses on a single, extraordinary dish from a restaurant that demonstrate:

Authentic ancient recipes, ingredients, and cooking methods.
Excellence in taste and presentation that meets the highest culinary standards.
Faithful reproduction of the spirit, flavour, and form of the original ancient dish.

The awarded dish must be served at the restaurant and based on credible historical or archaeological evidence, representing the cuisine of an ancient civilization such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Mesoamerica, China, or Indigenous cultures around the world.