Food fit for Emperors
Lavish feasts there were, but also perfectly ordinary meals, very similar to what we eat today. The Romans dined on roast pork in spicey sauces, snacked on cheese with dates and nuts, ate omelettes with mushrooms and enjoyed desserts of cheesecake and figs in custard.
Apicius, a popular Roman chef, produced a cookbook which can still be used, allowing any of us to throw together a meal very much like that eaten by the ordinary people, the plebians of Rome. And, if you're feeling adventurous in the kitchen, you can also reproduce the more exotic offerings which once graced the table of Emperors.
Roman Ingredients
Caroenum : Very sweet cooking wine, reduced to one-third its volume by boiling, and mixed with honey. You can add honey to a sweet wine or grape juice.
Defrutum : Thick fruit syrup, or a sort of Roman marmalade.
Garum : Fish Sauce. This was used to make foods salty in taste. You can substitute sauce from the Asian Supermarket. Nuoc Mam, Nam Pha.
Liquamen : is "any kind of culinary liquid, depending upon the occasion". It may be interpreted as brine or another word for light fish sauce. Use a pinch of salt in white wine if you have no fish sauce.
Pepper : For 'pepper', use nutmeg or allspice.
Prepare an Ancient Roman meal
You can use chicken wings in any recipe which calls for quails, and replace dormice with chicken drumsticks.
Apicius directs that the dormouse meat be pounded with pepper, and placed in an earthenware bowl with caraway, cumin, bay leaves, dates, honey, vinegar, wine, liquamen and olive oil, then roasted in the oven. Like all Roman recipes, no measurement of any ingredient is offered and no cooking time stated. Fortunately, we know how to cook chicken.
Chicken substitute Let's coat some chicken drumsticks in a mixture of flour, caraway seed, 2 tsps cumin seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle, 2 tsps sweet paprika and 2 bay leaves. Toss the drumsticks in the mixture (in a plastic bag), add oil, toss again and leave for the flavours to mingle for a least two hours, or overnight.
Make a bed of the marinade in a roasting pan, place the chicken on top and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer pushed into the thickest part releases only clear juice.
Recipe : Globuli
A cup of semolina
honey
olive oil
Press curd cheese through sieve or let it hang in cheese cloth until it's drained well. Mix with the semolina into a loose dough. Let it sit for a few hours. (Have a sip of the Caroenum while you wait).
With wet hands form the mixture into dumplings. Quickly fry them in olive oil for a few minutes. Drain and roll in honey.
Globuli
Allspice
Allspice, Fructus Pimentae, with its pleasing clove-like aroma can be exchanged for the 'pepper' in many ancient Roman recipes.It's a handy liitle spice, used by modern cooks for stews, sauces and for flavouring pickled vegetables.
Allspice takes its name from its aroma, which smells like a combination of spices, especially cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. In much of the world, allspice is called pimento because the Spanish mistook the fruit for black pepper, which they called pimienta. (This is especially confusing since the Spanish had already called chillies pimientos).
Garum
One of the most popular was garum, a salty, aromatic, fish-based sauce. Apicius used it in almost all of his recipes.
We don't need to use the original recipe, just buy a bottle of fish sauce from the Asian Supermarket - either Nuoc Mam or Nam Plah. Look for sauce of a light amber colour and the words nhi or thuong hang on the label. These terms indicate that the condiment came from the first extraction of liquid from the fermented fish.
Grades of fish sauces are similar to that of olive oils. The first extraction is of the highest quality.
Garum, as the Romans made it
From Gargilius Martialis, De medicina et de virtute herbarum
Use fatty fish, for example, sardines, and a well-sealed (pitched) container with a 26-35 quart capacity.
Add dried, aromatic herbs possessing a strong flavor, such as dill, coriander, fennel, celery, mint, oregano, and others, making a layer on the bottom of the container; then put down a layer of fish (if small, leave them whole, if large, use pieces) and over this, add a layer of salt two fingers high.
Repeat these layers until the container is filled. Let it rest for seven days in the sun. Then mix the sauce daily for 20 days. After that, it becomes a liquid.
Eating an Ancient Roman Meal
Recipe : Isicia Omentata
------------
500g minced meat
1 french roll, soaked in white wine
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
50ml Liquamen (can be replaced by 1/2 tsp salt + a little white wine)
some pine nuts and green peppercorns
a little Caroenum
Baking foil
Method:
-------------
Mix minced meat with the soaked french roll. Ground spices and mix into the meat. Form small burgers and put pine nuts and peppercorns into them. Put them into baking foil and grill them together with a splash of Caroenum.
Quince Patina with defrutum, honey, and garum
Kydonion syn Meliti
Quince with Honey, from Apicius
With quince boil it with honey and a little wine, after peeling off the skin; or remove the core and steep in honey, mold dough made from spelt around the whole quince, place in the embers and let the dough burn away completely; then this burnt layer is removed and so the whole quince is cooked and all the honey absorbed.
More on the Quince
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I love Quince!
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The quince has fallen out of favour in modern times and there are quite a number of people who wouldn't recognise a quince if it were served up to them. Once it was prized throughout Western Asia and the seeds were carried, tenderly, to Europe and ac...
Recipe : Patina Versatilis Vice Dulcis
- Patina Versatilis
- From Apicius : "Pignolia nuts, chopped or broken nuts are cleaned and roasted and crushed with honey, mix in pepper, broth, milk, eggs, a little honey and oil".
Kitchen in Ancient Rome
Around the Roman Table : Food and Feasting in Ancient Rome
Around the Roman Table: Food and Feasting in Ancient Rome
Amazon Price: $18.00 (as of 07/04/2009)
150 recipes reconstructed for the modern cook!
Faas takes us through the culinary conquests of Roman invasions-as conquerors pillaged foodstuffs from faraway lands-to the decadence of Imperial Rome and its associated table manners, dining arrangements, spices, seasonings, and cooking techniques.
With recipes for such appetizing dishes as chicken galantine with lambs' brains and fish relish, it's an ideal book for food aficionados who wish to understand how the desire for power and conquest was manifested in Roman appetites.
Roast Tuna
Ius in cordula assa : piper, ligustcum, mentam, cepam, aceti modicum et oleum.
Sauce for roast tuna : pepper, lovage, mint, onion, a little vinegar, and oil.
For the vinaigrette
3 tablespoons strong vinegar
2 tablespoons garum, or vinegar with anchovy paste
9 tablespoons olive oil
4 finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon lovage seeds
25g fresh mint
Put all of the vinaigrette ingredients into a jar and shake well to blend them together.
Brush your tuna fillets with oil, pepper and salt, then grill them on one side over a hot barbecue. Turn them and brush the roasted side with the vinaigrette. Repeat. The tuna flesh should be pink inside so don't let it overcook. Serve with the remains of the vinaigrette.
A Taste of Ancient Rome
A Taste of Ancient Rome
Amazon Price: $15.30 (as of 07/04/2009)
Giacosa gives us the original Latin text of several recipes from the ancient world, translates them into simple English and then gives us a list of ingredients which are available in our modern world to make these dishes.
Easily create ancient Roman recipes with ingredients of today.
A Roman Banquet
How can you can talk about the food of Ancient Rome without at least one mention of a banquet?
Here's one of the menus from Apicius for a medium- sized banquet.
It tells us a lot about the extent of Roman trade, for the ostrich and flamingo came from Africa, the dates from Judea, and the spices from throughout the Empire.
Appetisers
*Jellyfish and eggs * Sow's udders stuffed with salted sea urchins * Patina of brains cooked with milk and eggs * Boiled tree fungi with peppered fish-fat sauce * Sea urchins with spices, honey, oil, and egg sauce
Main Courses
*Fallow deer roasted with onion sauce, rue, Jericho dates, raisins, oil, and honey *Boiled ostrich with sweet sauce * Turtle dove boiled in its feathers * Roast Parrot * Dormice stuffed with pork and pine kernels * Ham boiled with figs and bay leaves, rubbed with honey, baked in pastry crust* Flamingo boiled with dates
Desserts
* Fricassee of roses with pastry * Stoned dates stuffed with nuts and pine kernels, fried in honey * Hot African sweet-wine cakes with honey
In the Words of a Roman
Gaius Petronius (27-66 ) was the advisor to the Emperor Nero in matters of luxury and extravagance. Petronius boasted an official title - arbiter elegantiae. As befitted his office, he slept days and partied nights.
Here's an account of a light supper which he attended in the course of his research into the good life :
""After a generous rubdown with oil, we put on dinner clothes. We were taken into the next room where we found three couches drawn up and a table, very luxuriously laid out, awaiting us.
We were invited to take our seats. Immediately, Egyptian slaves came in and poured ice water over our hands. The starters were served. On a large tray stood a donkey made of bronze. On its back were two baskets, one holding green olives, and the other black. On either side were dormice, dipped in honey and rolled in poppy seed. Nearby, on a silver grill, piping hot, lay small sausages.
As for wine, we were fairly swimming in it."
Fast Food of Ancient Rome
It wasn't all banquets
An Ancient Roman could also eat at a thermopolium, something like a small wine bar selling warmed wines and the ancient equivalent of fast food.
There were plenty of these hot food shops and taverna, where a tradesman or minor clerk would pick up some hot sausage, bread, cheese, dates and, of course, wine, on the way home.
More on the Art of Ancient Cooking
Ova spongia ex lacte
Eggs with Honey
Lensmaster Lou16 remembers Ova Spongia ex Lacte from schooldays. Here's the full recipe from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria.
Ova spongia ex lacte: ova quattuor, lactis heminam, olei unciam in se dissolvis, ita ut unum corpus facias. in patellam subtilem adicies olei modicum, facies ut bulliat, et adicies impensam quam parasti. una parte cum fuerit coctum, in disco vertes, melle perfundis, piper adspargis et inferes.
Ingredients
3 tbsp honey
4 eggs
275 ml milk
25g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
Twist of black pepper
Method
Beat together the eggs, milk and oil. Pour a little olive oil into a frying pan and heat. When this is sizzling add the omelette mixture. Agitate with a fork until the mix starts to solidify (this will make for a lighter omelette). When thoroughly cooked on one side turn the omelette over and cook on the other side. Fold in half and turn out onto a plate.
Warm the honey and pour over the omelette. Fold this over once more and cut into thick slices. Sprinkle with black pepper and serve.
Roman Series : Murder, Mayhem, Mystery, Magnificence
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Whodunnits in Ancient Rome
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A good mystery novel transports us into another world, engages our mind and stimulates our logical thinking. The challenge in historical fiction is not just to deliver a decent novel - a difficult enough task, but to be accurate to the historical ti...
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Mars the Military God : Tales of the Ancient Romans
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Mars, the Roman warrior god, son of Juno and Jupiter, husband of Bellona, lover of Venus, was the most prominent of the military gods worshipped by the Roman legions. He is a soldier's god, bold and brave. In the great golden city of Rome, Mars was...
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How to Host an Ancient Roman Murder
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Now here's a way to entertain your friends and, while giving them an event they will talk about for ages, have an absolutely wonderful time yourself. How To Host A Murder is a fun-filled murder mystery game designed to keep party-goers guessing for...
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Saturnalia, an Ancient Roman Festival at Christmastime
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Saturnalia was the most popular holiday of the Roman year. The joyous celebration, described by the ancient Roman poet, Catullus, as 'the best of days', was no quick affair but a succession of exuberant festivals lasting for over a week. The holiday...
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Chalk a Message on the Kitchen Wall
Di vos incolumes custodiant
May the Gods guard your safety
Wash your hands before eating
prosperity66 wrote...
I'm passionate by History as well as ancient foods and bought a few ancient recipes books. You made a great lens! Rated 5 stars - and would have like to give more!
Posted June 24, 2009
jess wrote
very interesting and helpfull thanx
Posted June 24, 2009
hlkljgk wrote...
yeah, being a vegetarina, i am so glad i was't around then... :)
Posted June 23, 2009
JonitasKalimpo wrote...
This group of recipes is perfect for my Saturday birthday party! They're different, and that's what i really want. Thanks for share it with us, Susan.
Posted June 22, 2009
roamingrosie wrote...
Really great lens! Those Globuli look pretty cool and I'm going to have to try those eggs with honey! Lots of interesting info and nice pictures, too.
Posted June 19, 2009
DEVIL98 wrote
A purple star as always, CONGRATS!!!!!! Love it all especially the lens as always!!!!!!!!!!
Posted June 05, 2009
me wrote
Thanks this was a big help for me and my friend!!!!
Posted June 01, 2009
OhMe wrote...
This was so very interesting and the photos are great. Wow. I really enjoyed my visit here and learned a lot.
Posted May 31, 2009
Mariah wrote
This would be soo interesting for my roman project
Posted May 26, 2009
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Blindness is a significant public health issue in Cambodia. Over 160,000 people are blind and an additional 20,000 become blind each year. The main cause of blindness is cataract, which can be treated by a simple 15 minute operation at an average cost of $25 (AUD$35).
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About Susanna Duffy
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