I think I'll mark down January 2 as St. Macaroon's Day and have
a bogus excuse for a blowout of amaretti and macaroons and all
things related---
And speaking of which: what IS related? 'Ossi di morti' maybe?
What else? What else would a 4th century Egyptian sweet merchant
have sold?

Perhaps much the same as what you'd find in an Istanbul pastry/sweet
shop today, only with more honey and less or no sugar? None of that
stuff (baklava, halva etc) needs New World ingredients or technologies
unknown to the Pharaohs. Wheat varieties from 2000 years ago should
make flaky pastry with no problem.

But we don't seem to have almond/egg/sugar macaroons cited, at least
in English, before 1611, which would leave a 1000-year uncertainty
about when any association with St Macarius might have been made.

Anybody know of any evidence of a cult of St Macarius? Churches
dedicated to him? - the statues and paintings round the walls would
presumably leave you feeling itchy and hungry at the same time.

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