Mersu (also transliterated mirsu) is a simple, sweet confection made from dates and nuts, with occasional additions like honey or spices. Its earliest written record appears on Old Babylonian cuneiform tablets, dating back over 3,700 years to the time of Hammurabi (circa 1800 BCE). The tab
In Mesopotamia, which is modern day Iraq, the date palm was revered as a symbol of fertility, abundance, and divine favor. Mersu was not an everyday snack—it was crafted by temple cooks and royal pastry chefs as ritual offerings, served during religious festivals and placed in temples as gifts to the gods.
These tablets describe Mersu not as a precise recipe, but as a food category—a kind of sweet lump or cake made from pounded dates and nuts, shaped by hand. Sometimes flavored with ghee, honey, or sesame, these sticky morsels offered both nourishment and symbolism, representing the bounty of the gods and the richness of the land between the Tigris and Euphrates.
Related: this Iraqi sweet is made from cattail pollen
Authentic Mersu Recipe (Modern Interpretation)
This modern take is adapted from cuneiform-era ingredients. It’s naturally gluten-free, vegan, and requires no cooking—a testament to the timeless ingenuity of ancient foodways.
Ingredients:
1 cup soft, pitted dates preferably Medjool because they are soft and malleable. Other dates might be too dry.
½ cup chopped nuts (e.g., walnuts, pistachios, or almonds)
1–2 tablespoons honey (optional but traditional)
Optional Additions:
A pinch of cinnamon or cardamom
A drizzle of sesame oil or a few crushed sesame seeds
A touch of salt to balance sweetness
Cacao nibs/raw cacao powder
Chia seeds
Make an ancient versions of mamoul, a Middle Eastern date cookie by using an emmer wheat or Einkorn flour covering.
An emmer wheat coating, like a fig newton can be made from these ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 1/2 cup of artisan bread flour and 1 cup of Einkorn flour
- 2/3 cup ghee
- 70 g honey
- 1/2 Teaspoon of rose water
Instructions:
Mash the dates using a mortar and pestle or food processor until smooth and sticky. Our favorite way is to buy a rectangle of date paste. Find it in Middle East or Asian food markets. It makes making mersu so easy!
Mix in the chopped nuts, honey, and any optional spices or seeds.
Form into small balls or patties with your hands—about the size of a walnut.
Serve as is, or roll in extra crushed nuts or sesame for texture.
Serving Notes:
Mersu is energy-dense and sweet—think of it as a Bronze Age power snack.
Serve on a small plate with tea, or offer it as part of a ritual meal to honor the culinary traditions of ancient civilizations.
Some of the earliest references to Mersu appear in the context of offerings to Ishtar (goddess of love and war) and Marduk (chief god of Babylon), suggesting that these sweets were thought to please the divine palate as well as the human one.
“For me, let them bring in the man of my heart. Let them bring in to me my Ama-ushumgal-anna, the Power of the Date-Palm. Let them put his hand in my hand, let them put his heart by my heart. As hand is put to head, the sleep is so pleasant. As heart is pressed to heart, the pleasure is so sweet.” ~ A kunĝar (Sumerian religious song) to Inanna
These are great snacks to make for kids. Keep them in an airtight plastic container in the fridge for weeks. If you have a nut allergy in the school or family, sub out the nuts with seeds. The whole thing is really versatile. Dates are packed with natural sugars, fiber, and essential vitamins like B6, B3, and B5, which support energy, brain health, and metabolism. They also contain vitamin A for vision and immunity, and vitamin K for bone strength and blood clotting. Rich in antioxidants and minerals like potassium and magnesium, dates are a naturally sweet, nutrient-dense food that has sustained people for thousands of years.
New research suggests that vitamins and amino acids like taurine found in health snacks and energy drinks may not be a biohacking secret. They might actually lead to cancer. Follow the secrets of the ancients, and biohack from the past!
If you love this idea, jump ahead where our writer Kelly Milone makes energy balls from dates, and coconut. No doubt her history is informed by mersu!
