Why did the children of Israel wonder at the dessert?

For forty years, God fed the children of Israel manna. Every morning (except Saturday), thin flakes like frost covered the ground. "The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil" (Numbers 11:8). Or, possibly, wafers made with honey (Exodus 16:31). Anyway, it was tasty.

Even so, the people grew tired of manna. They longed for cucumbers and melons and foods that gave them bad breath (Numbers 11:5). They complained to Moses and Moses complained to God.

While Moses was talking to God, however, Joshua had a wonderful, awful idea! No, wait. That was the Grinch. But Joshua had an idea of a competition cooking show. Contestants could make anything they wanted, but the primary ingredient had to be manna.

We don't know exactly what the winning dish was. Legend says it was a dessert of epic proportions. It was like a berry pavlova but without the berries. It was like a triple-chocolate lava cake except without the chocolate. Or the lava. It had the taste of crème brûlée, the flakiness of the perfect apple pie crust, and the texture of the season's best strawberry. Except it was in the shape of a peacock with its tail fanned out.

The children of Israel looked on in wonder. Such a delight for the senses! And it was made from ingredients they'd had all along!

Then Moses came back and the Israelites remembered they wanted garlic. Moses told them if they didn't change their attitude, he'd turn the caravan around and they'd have to wander around the desert for another forty years!

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