Genesis 43:11

If it must be. After the eloquent plea of Judah, whose logic was irrefutable, Jacob submitted to the inevitable. Now that he was reconciled to Benjamin’s going, Jacob set about doing everything within his power that might contribute to the success of the journey. The present he suggested was to be of the choice products of the country, ones that were highly valued in Egypt (see on ch. 37:25).

A little honey. That this was probably not bee “honey” appears from the fact that honey was abundant in Egypt. A small quantity of bee honey from Palestine would not have been considered a respectable gift, even by the giver. More likely, it was grape honey, prepared by boiling grape juice or new wine down to a half or a third of its original volume. The Greeks called it hepsema, “the boiled matter.” It is still imported into Egypt from the Hebron region of Palestine.

Nuts. This fruit, the oblong nut of the Pistacia vera, is mentioned in the Bible only this once. It has an oily kernel and is considered a choice delicacy by Orientals.

Almonds. The almond tree is called shaqed, “the watcher,” from the verb shaqad, “to be sleepless,” “to be awake,” “to watch.” It is the first of all the trees to blossom in the spring. Though it flourished in Syria and Palestine, this tree seems not to have been known in ancient Egypt.