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Manna and the Bible -

Manna is referenced 17 times in the Bible. It's first mentioned in Exodus 16, described as being "a fine, scale-like thing, fine as the hoar-frost on the ground."

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Bread from heaven -

More specifically, when the Israelites, wandering the Sinai Desert after leaving Egypt, begin complaining to Moses about the shortage of food, God promises Moses to “rain bread from heaven” to feed the people.

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Feeding the people -

Miraculously during the night, a dew falls from the sky, which crystallizes in the morning into an edible substance that serves to nourish them all.

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"Mann hou?" -

The first time they see this, the Israelites ask, "What is it?," or "Mann hou?" in ancient Hebrew. This is the origin of the name manna (mann in modern Hebrew).

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Appearance and taste -

In the same chapter, manna is described as being "like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey."

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Preparing manna -

In the Book of Numbers 11, manna is defined as having the appearance of bdellium (a semi-transparent gum resin). The Israelites are instructed to ground it and so they pound it into cakes, which are then baked, resulting in something that tastes like bread baked with oil.

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Quran narrative -

The word mana appears three times in the Quran at 2:57, 7:160, and 20:80. In the Sahih Muslim, the second hadith collection of the Six Books of Sunni Islam, it is narrated that Muhammad says: "Truffles are part of the 'manna' which God sent to the people of Israel through Moses, and its juice is a medicine for the eye."

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Identifying manna -

Theories of manna's exact identity have ranged from the improbable—a type of lichen not found in the Sinai Desert—to the plausible: a sweet secretion from a plant caused by scale insects or aphids feeding on it.

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Manna and tamarisk -

Medieval Persian writings on the Quran, as well as a medical pamphlet compiled by the Persian scholar Al Biruni (973–after 1050), describe manna as the sweet drops that form on the tamarisk tree, which is common in the Sinai Peninsula as well as in modern-day Iraq and Iran.

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Biblical manna? -

These droplets can be ascribed to the mana scale, an insect that feasts on tamarisk. After feeding, the insect excretes a sweet substance often considered to be the prime candidate for biblical manna. It the Western world, this excretion is known as honeydew. 

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Harvesting manna -

The manna, or "bread from heaven" that the Jewish people ate on their journey, is still harvested and used in parts of Iran and Iraq.

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Dual meanings -

In Iran and Iraq, the word refers to either sweet sap of any plant (tree or bush) that appears in the region, or the excretion from insects that feed on trees such as the aforementioned tamarisk.

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World's biggest producer -

Acacia trees produce gum arabic, a key ingredient in the food industry and also used in printing, paints, glues, and cosmetics. Sudan's vast woodland savanna, or gum arabic belt, stretches from the border with Ethiopia in the east to Chad in the west, providing the ideal habitat for the two gum arabic producing acacia trees, known as Talha and Hashab, making the Arab-African country the world's biggest producer of the gum.

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Manna and the Ark of the Covenant -

It's said that a jar of manna was placed in the Ark of the Covenant as a reminder to Israel that God had miraculously provided for the Israelites during the 40 years in the desert.

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Natural sweetener -

Certainly, the white mineral-rich resin referenced in the Bible has been used as a natural sweetener and medicinal aid for centuries.

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Manna in antiquity -

In fact, according to the biblical story, manna had been known for at least a millennium before Christ.

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Precious medicine -

Ancient Greek, Roman, and Arab doctors considered it a precious medicine for the beneficial and healing properties that were recognized in it. Furthermore, it didn't come from the sky but was extracted from selected ash trees, from which "manna dripped like a whitish resin," according to one chronicler.

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Fraxinus Ornus -

The ash species commonly referred to in antiquity is Fraxinus ornus, or South European flowering ash.

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Harvesting manna in the Mediterranean -

Manna harvesting (the practice of cutting the bark of Fraxinus ornus trees to collect their sap) used to be a common practice throughout the Mediterranean region.

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Valuable commodity -

Until the end of the 19th century, manna was brought to Northern Europe from Calabria, a region in southern Italy, and from Sicily. The sweet substance was sold for food and also used in medicines, mainly as a laxative.

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"White gold" -

However, the last 100 years or so has seen this traditional practice almost lost to urbanization and industrialization, especially in Sicily where manna is spoken of as "white gold." But some farmers are starting to revive the centuries-old custom of manna harvesting.

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Heart of the gold -

Sicily's Madonie Mountains, a rugged range of ridges located in the northern part of the island about 40 miles (65 km) east of Palermo, have always served as the heart of Italy's manna cultivation.

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Days of Arab rule -

Manna harvesting in the Madonie National Park dates back to at least the 9th century. when the island was under Arab rule.

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A way of life -

During the first half of the 20th century, manna farming was a way of life for many Sicilian families. Medieval hill towns like Pollina served as local hubs for the collection of the sweet sap, which tastes like cane sugar with almond undertones.

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Decline in Sicily -

Once harvested, the valuable commodity was usually sold to pharmaceutical companies to extract mannitol, a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener and a diuretic. In the 1950s, scientists found a way to synthesize mannitol, a breakthrough that sounded the death knell for manna harvesting in the region.

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Reviving the tradition -

Sixty years on, local farmers have set out to revive the waning tradition. Furthermore, some have developed a more efficient way to harvest the substance with far less risk of contamination from bark or insects.

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Chef's favorite -

Manna is now being sold to restaurateurs, bakers, and chefs. The ingredient is incorporated into a variety of foodstuffs, anything from cannoli to chocolate.

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Vital ingredient -

Regional restaurants in a number of picturesque villages, including one in Castelbuono, list dishes infused with manna. Indeed, chefs have enthusiastically embraced the revival of this much vaunted "white gold."

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Uses for gum arabic -

Meanwhile, gum arabic remains a key ingredient in Middle East cooking, especially as a thickening agent in icing, fillings, soft candy, chewing gum, and other confectionery.

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Sweet treat -

And in keeping with the narratives of old, mann al-sama is an exquisite treat combining manna, corn syrup, honey, cardamom, honey date, and crunchy pistachios, the food cited in all three monotheistic religions—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

Sources: (University of Washington) (Palermoviva) (BBC) (Bible Study Tools)

See also: Unique foods from around the world you have to try

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