Food of Ancient Rome

Варнаков М.С.

Food in ancient Rome varied with wealth, region and period. Grain, bread and porridge, pulses, vegetables, olive oil and wine formed the basis of many diets. Emmer and other wheats were used for puls and baking. Meat, fish, dairy products and fruit supplemented these staples, but their availability differed.

Descriptions of luxurious banquets are not representative menus for all Romans. Food remains, cooking vessels, bakeries and shops allow literary accounts to be compared with everyday consumption.

Sources distinguish ientaculum, a morning meal, prandium, a daytime meal, and cena, the main meal. Timing and contents varied with work and household resources. An affluent banquet might include starters, main courses and a final serving of fruit or sweets. Such a meal required cooks and household staff; it was not a universal Roman dining standard.

Among the numerous food items, the Romans primarily valued fish. Fish was expensive, and therefore popular among the aristocrats. The most expensive fish was considered red mullet. Next came the following species: sea eel, flounder. Less appreciated: common eel, sea pike – they were popular among ordinary, poor citizens. Also, you can not ignore shellfish: murex (edible snail), shells, oysters. They ate not only fresh, but also salted fish. Salted, mostly, sturgeon, tuna. Salted fish was used as a snack, so it was served seasoned with olive oil and vinegar.

It is worth paying special attention to the bird that was served to the table. The most interesting thing is that the Romans used birds such as peacock, stork, crane. Partridges, grouse, thrushes, and pheasants were also put on the table. Naturally, this was only typical for an aristocratic table. Ordinary residents ate yard birds: chickens, ducks, but they rarely put them on the table, as it was said earlier. In addition to all of the above, it is necessary to say about those animals that the inhabitants of Ancient Rome ate. Aristocrats, most often, ate hares, they were raised in special menageries. They also consumed deer, fallow deer, roe deer, rabbits, and sheep. The most important dish was considered to be a domestic or wild boar.

Romans ate cabbage, lettuce, turnips, cucumbers, onions, garlic, herbs and pulses such as peas, lentils and beans. Mushrooms and truffles were also known. Ancient plant names do not always correspond neatly to modern species. American squashes, tomatoes and potatoes were not part of the Roman diet and should not be included through a modern vegetable name.

You also need to say a few words about fruits. Apples, pears, grapes, olives, dates were always on the Roman table. No preparation of an ancient dish is complete without the use of seasonings. Olive oil played a big role: it served as a seasoning for dishes, and without it it was impossible to prepare food for the future. Also ancient seasonings include: salt, vinegar, pepper. Dill, anise, mustard, and thyme seeds were used for cooking. During the time of the Empire, ginger and cinnamon were added to food. Cookies were prepared in various forms: in the form of animals, birds, putting honey, raisins, nuts, etc. inside. Such cookies were distributed to guests at the table and taken as a gift home.

Related topics

• Thermopolium
• Roman wine
• Household utensils

Literature and sources

1. M. E. Sergeenko "The Life of Ancient Rome" 2. F. F. Velishsky "Life of the Greeks and Romans"

• Pompeii Archaeological Park: food at the Regio V thermopolium