However, it was the radish seed that was of high value. Radish seeds could be pressed into oil and used. It is unknown if they ate this oil, but it was probably the oil that less wealthy Egyptians might use for intestinal cleansing prior to mummification. Radish oil was also used medically, to treat a disease that apparantly affected the heart.

Garlic
We cannot be certain of the word or words the ancient Egyptians used to name garlic (Allium sativum), however evidence that garlic was cultivated is likely. Garlic was identified in the tomb of King Tutankhamun, and a clay representation of garlic was discovered in Naqada and at other pre-Dynastic locales.

Egyptian garlic is smaller than most we find in the supermarket today, and consists of as many as 45 pods. The garlic pods were separated then rolled back and forwards in a rolled up piece of papyrus or linen to remove the husk. It is a mildly-flavored garlic, which can be harvested in as little as three months after planting.

Onions
Onions (Allium cepa) have a long history in Egypt, being considered along with bread the mainstay of the masses. According to Herodotus, they were fed to the builders of Khufu's Pyramid. Some of the earliest known representations of this plant have turned up as carvings in the pyramids of Unas and Pepi II, and in several Old Kingdom tombs. Onions again make an appearance in artwork in the New Kingdom.

Onions were used in embalming as early as the 18th Dynasty, although there is an unconfirmed report that dates back to the 13th. Onion bulbs were placed over eye sockets, into armpits, and other body cavities in some mummies. Onions could be either revered, or forbidden. Pliny stated that oaths were taken on onions and leeks. It was noted in Roman literature that some priests avoided onions, and claimed that this was due to the fact that this plant thrives during the waning moon (the time of the devouring of the Eye of Horus by Set), and "it is suitable for neither fasting nor festival, because in the one case it causes thirst, and the other tears for those who partake of it." However, this might be limited to the Roman period. Ramesses III made large offerings of onions to the gods. As food goes, Apicus made use of onions in an Alexandrian fish sauce.

At the Sokaris festivals of Mennefer (Memphis), people would wear onions about their necks, and smell them. Onions also had many medicinal uses. What you may see referred to as the "Egyptian Onion" is a tree onion, and has no relationship to anything grown in ancient Egypt.

Leeks
Leeks (Allium kurrat) were also a mainstay of the Egyptian diet. This variety of leek, the Egyptian leek, is closely related to our regular leek (Allium porrum), but is smaller and lacks the bulbulous base. Presumably, they were consumed more for the leaves than the bulb, as they are today. Juvenal satirically wrote about Egypt as a place where "onions are adored and leeks are god".

Lettuce
The variety of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) found in ancient Egypt did not resemble your typical head iceberg lettuce. It is marked by a vertical surge that may grow nearly a meter (three feet) in height. The plant produces a milky exudate which might be linked to its alleged aphrodisiac qualities. Some writers claimed it caused impotence, however this does not seem universal. Lettuce is associated with the vegetative fertility god, Min. In early graphical representations of Min, he is often placed against vegetation which has been interpreted as Egyptian lettuce. Lettuce was often depicted being offered in paintings, and actual lettuce seeds have turned up in tombs. Lettuce was served with an oil and vinegar dressing, although it was probably often also eaten plain. It was a popular food of the masses because it was easy to grow, although its lack of "keeping power" probably meant that it was not a staple in the pyramid-builders diet.