Robert Curzon, the Victorian-era English explorer who rescued, (or plundered, depending on who is telling the story), the manuscripts being stored in the world’s monasteries, wrote of a test that he had to pass in order to gain entrance to the library at Great Lavra. He was required to breakfast with the abbot on a paste made of garlic, sugar and cheese shreds. He attempted to decline “the honour,” but only way to gain access to the literary stores was to consume this lessthan mouthwatering dish.
Source: Visits to Monasteries in the Levant, Robert Curzon published in 1849