Now the man was like coriander seed, and in color it was like bdellium. The people would go about and gather it, grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar, boil it in a pot, and make it into cakes. It tasted like rich cream.

The peoples of the world were not able to taste it because in their mouths it became like bitter wormwood. What did they do? They caught a deer that had drunk of it, and they took from it a taste of manna. Then they said: "Blessed be the nation which has this."

Rabbi Yossi bar Ḥanina said: "The babies who tasted it were not like the old people who tasted it.

How?

To the babies, it had the taste of milk, as stated, 'And it tasted like rich cream' (Num. 11.8);

to the youths, it tasted like honey, as stated, 'and its taste was like wafers in honey' (Ex. 16.31);

to the old people, it tasted like bread, as stated, 'Behold, I will rain down bread from the heavens for you' (Ex. 16.4);

to the sick, it tasted like fine flour mixed with oil and honey, like barley grits, which they make for one who is sick, as it is said, 'They boiled it in a pot' (Num. 11.8).

And where is it shown that it had the taste of fine flour and honey?

Where it is stated, 'Also my bread, which I gave you: fine flour, oil, and honey...' (Ez. 16.19).

Each and everyone tasted it according to his physical ability:

Whomever was active went out and gathered it from the field, as stated, 'And the people shall go out to gather' (Ex. 16.4).

Those who were fairly <active> went out to their tent doors [to gather].

And the lazy lay down, stretched out their hands, and it came down right into their hands, as it is said, 'When the layer of dew had gone up...' (Ex. 16.14)."

For the small ones it was like milk from their mother's breast, as stated (in Numb. 11:8): AND ITS TASTE WAS LIKE THE TASTE OF FAT CREAM. And the sick savored it as the taste of fine flour mixed with oil and honey like barley grits as one prepares it for the sick {fankokha' in the Arabic language}. It is so stated (ibid.): BOILED IT IN A POT. It also says (in Ezek. 16:19): ALSO MY BREAD, WHICH I GAVE YOU, FINE FLOUR, [OIL], AND HONEY, WHICH I HAD YOU EAT.

Zavdi ben Levi said: "Two thousand cubits (of manna) came down each day and remained four hours. As soon as the sun rose over it, it melted and became countless torrents as it flooded and ran down.

For whom is it destined now? For the righteous in the age to come.

Whoever believes has the right to eat of it, but whoever does not believe, 'may not look upon the streams, [the torrential rivers of honey and cream' (Job 20.17). As soon as it ran down in rivers, the peoples of the world came to drink from it; but it became wormwood and gall in their mouths, as stated, 'Now the manna was like bitter seed' (Num. 11.7). For Israel, however, the manna became honey within their mouths, just as it says, '[and its taste was] like wafers in honey' (Ex. 16.31)."