Lopado...pterygon

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Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphioparaomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyph- ophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon, variously spelled, is a fictional dish mentioned in Aristophanes' comedy Ecclesiazusae.

In its complete form the word is:

Lopado­temacho­selacho­galeo­kranio­leipsano­drim­hypotrimmato­silphio­-

paraomelito­katakechymeno­kichl­epi­kossypho­phatto­perister­alektryon­-

opte­kephallio­kinklo­peleio­lagoio­siraio­baphe­tragano­pterygon

λοπαδοτεμαχοσελαχογαλεοκρανιολειψανοδριμυποτριμματοσιλφιοκαραβομελιτοκατακεχυμενοκιχλεπικοσσυφοφ- αττοπεριστεραλεκτρυονοπτοκεφαλλιοκιγκλοπελειολαγῳοσιραιοβαφητραγανοπτερύγων in the Greek alphabet (1169-74). Liddell and Scott translate this as "name of a dish compounded of all kinds of dainties, fish, flesh, fowl, and sauces."

The original Greek spelling had 183 characters (something which is not obvious in the Roman transcription, depending on the variant) and for centuries it was the longest word known.

The dish was a fricassee, with 17 sweet and sour ingredients, including brains, honey, vinegar, fish, pickles:

• Fish slices
• Fish of the Elasmobranchii subclass (a shark or ray)
• Rotted dogfish or small shark's head
• generally sharp-tasting dish of several ingredients grated and pounded together
• Silphion "laserwort," apparently a kind of giant fennel
• A kind of crab, beetle, or crayfish
• Eagle
• Cheese
• Honey poured down
• Wrasse (or thrush)
• On top of a kind of sea fish or Blackbird
• Wood pigeon
• Domestic pigeon
• Chicken
• Roasted head of dabchick
• Hare, which could be a kind of bird or a kind of sea-hare
• New wine boiled down
• Dessert fruit or thing eaten raw
• Wing, fin

The word-by-word translation is in the wiktionary entry.

[edit] Role in the play

The gynecocracy of this play attempts to treat everyone equally. They create this dish so that they can serve one food that fits everyone's needs.