A sweet made of sesame and honey, healthy and nutritionally very beneficial. Calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins are just some of the nutrients contained in this extremely simple, traditional concoction.
Pasteli has its roots in antiquity and has dedicated fans even today. It is well-known that honey was a basic sweetener for the ancient Greeks and its blending with nuts gave rise to some of their most common sweets. In particular, its combination with sesame is mentioned by Herodotus from the 5th century BC! It is also said that the ancient Greek word “intrion”, referred to in Homer’s Iliad is a kind of pasteli.
It is a celebratory confection whose ingredients are linked to fertility. Even today, in many of Greece’s islands, it is offered at weddings, engagements, and baptisms.
Today pasteli is made, in its many varieties, with pure honey or with a mixture of sugar and honey. The sugar hardens it, making it sugar-candy.
In the marketplace, it appears in a number of variations using sesame pasteli, almonds or walnuts pasteli, hazelnuts or pistachios pasteli (Aegina pistachios pasteli).
