According to Exodus, manna appeared on the ground for the Israelites in the wilderness.
After leaving Egypt, the Israelites complain that they lack food. Exodus says that God provides bread from heaven in the form of a fine, flaky substance appearing with the morning dew. The people ask, “What is it?” and the name manna is connected in the story with that question. They gather it daily, except on the Sabbath.
The Israelites are told to collect an omer per person. On the sixth day they gather a double portion, because no manna is provided on the Sabbath. The account says manna resembles coriander seed and tastes like wafers made with honey. It is described as the food sustaining the Israelites during their wilderness journey.
Quail are also provided in the wilderness narrative, but they are not manna. The two foods are therefore easy to confuse. Later biblical tradition remembers manna as a sign of divine provision, while the New Testament and rabbinic literature develop additional interpretations of it.