Eating Rome Like a Roman
…an exploration of
roman dining…
Ancient Roman history has been researched,
dissected, and interpreted as much, likely more so, than any other ancient
civilization. However, this blog will serve as a discussion for roman dining, particularly, how you can dine like they did
Roman diet was largely based on
class. Basic staples are found in all classes, but luxurious food items were
not ubiquitous. Lots of exotic fare made its way to the main city, but it was only
the wealthiest who could regularly afford them. However, there are
consistencies found among the classes; breads, sauces, wine, honey and dairy.
This summary is not meant to be an
all-inclusive research of the roman diet. Instead, this summary will provide the
reader with the tools necessary to answer the question, “How can I eat like a
Roman?”
First, the Romans were artisan
bakers. Romans loved their bread. Bread was eaten as a primary staple in most
meals, with the exclusion of peasants and slaves who lived on a diet of Emmer
cereals and porridge. Emmer, a not-so-distant cousin of wheat, is still in
existence today as a primary food staple for animals. For good reason, it is
not recommended to the reader that they go out to livestock stores and stock up
for their own consumption. Back to bread. Romans loved their bread. There was a
general rule for roman bread; the whiter the bread, the more expensive it was.
Therefore, brown bread was enjoyed by the lower classes and white bread was a
luxury for nobility. Most bread was made from Emmer, but the variety in which
it was baked is the same as what is made from wheat today.
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| Dark Emmer Loaf |
So, if you are to attempt to live
on an ancient roman diet, it is best to start with a healthy serving of bread
with each meal. Dabble in as many variations as you’d like, as this was also
the roman custom.
Ancient Romans possessed agricultural
mastery that did not exist again for many centuries after the civilization’s
downfall. As such, a huge portion of their diet, unlike our hearty beef-centric
American diets, focused on fruits and vegetables. There was a wide variety
of fruits and vegetables available to the ancient Romans, with even greater
amounts of sub-variations for staples like olives, figs and pears. In addition,
ancient Romans loved their apples, grapes, berries, plums, dates, melons, pomegranates,
cherries and apricots. Whole fruits were mostly there for the consumption of
the elite. With so many fruit variations came with it many variations of wine.
Because of its inexpensive production (diluted by water), wine was a staple of
the roman diet for all Romans. Therefore, it’s important to grab yourself
either a glass of wine as well as a healthy bowl of ripe and in-season fruits.
It can also be noted that in addition to its staple as a beverage, wine made
for a great dipping sauce for bread. Vegetables found in ancient roman society
include celery, garlic, taro, pumpkins, gourds, cabbage (especially cabbage),
kale, broccoli, lettuce, endives, onions, leeks, asparagus, radishes, turnips,
parsnips, carrots, beets, peas, chard, beans, artichokes, olives (especially olives),
and cucumbers.
Ancient Romans loved their sauces. There
are many historical records references a wide variety of sauce staples; olives,
honey, wine, milk. Oils (olive-based, especially) and honey were common place. However,
there is one additional sauce that is commonplace but mostly overlooked in popular culture and fiction; Garum. Garum, like present day fish sauce, was made
from fermented fish guts and was used as a condiment for many ancient roman
dishes. Garum was a popular product and came in a variety
of qualities/prices. Garum for the lower classes came in paste form
(Allec), a mid-grade liquid form (Liquamen) was ‘eaten’ by the middle classes,
while Garum itself was considered a luxury (most laborious to produce). Consider
Worcestershire sauce as a common modern-day equivalent.
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| Garum - $$$ |
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| Liquamen - $$ |
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| Allec - $ |
Believe it or not, the delicious beef
we (Americans) enjoy is the product of livestock raised specifically for
consumption. Ancient Roman society did not enjoy the same level of quality.
Most records depict ancient Roman beef as tough, and almost inedible. And for
good reason. Ancient Romans coveted dairy and thus, most cows were raised and
lived lives akin to that love. Additionally, bulls were used as labor animals
(plows, transport, etc). For those that could afford it, since these items were
quite expensive, were the likes of seafood, pork, chicken and eggs. Hard boiled eggs
were a more common occurrence than others. Similarly to eggs, most meats were served as a boiled dish (attributes to
the love of dipping sauces). Other than the previously mentioned proteins, game meats
pop up in ancient roman recipes (deer, squirrels, etc.) and were expensive, much like today (if available at all). Therefore, grab yourself some hard-boiled eggs and a nice slab of
[insert protein here]. For authenticity sake, make sure it’s boiled or roasted, with emphasis
placed on the inevitable sauce made from the delicious broth/drippings. Or just use the broth/drippings itself as the dipping sauce.
To summarize, here are the finer
points made if you don’t have time to read through my less than stellar writings:
- For breakfast, porridge with fresh fruits, honey
and/or milk.
- For lunch, a nice hunk of bread, with a small
side of meat and plenty of fruits and vegetables; olives if in abundance.
- For dinner, boiled/roast [insert protein here],
a beautiful bowl of sauce, and a large hunk of bread, served with plenty of
fruits/vegetables.
- And don’t forget to properly set-up your
triclinium for maximum pomposity and relaxation.
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| Triclinium room in ancient Rome |
