Curiosities of ancient Rome (Food)
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Dormouse – furry snack for rich
The gray dormouse (Glis glis) is a rodent similar in size to a rat, found throughout almost all of Europe. The ancient Romans valued it for its meat – initially, they only hunted it, but by the 1st century BCE, ... Read more
Lettuce – Roman way to sleep
Today, lettuce is a light appetizer or side dish, but for the ancient Romans it was much more functional. They considered it a medicinal plant — especially helpful for sleep and digestion problems. Roman physicians recommended eating lettuce for dinner ... Read more
Frumentatio – distribution of grain in ancient Rome
Frumentatio was one of the most important food distribution programs in ancient Rome, which played a key role in ensuring the social and political stability of the empire. It consisted of distributing free or subsidized grain (mainly unmilled wheat) to ... Read more
“On the Subject of Cooking” by Apicius – work of ancient master of culinary art
Antiquity is associated primarily with great philosophers, warriors and architecture, but one of the most interesting aspects of ancient life is culinary art. Among the preserved works of ancient Rome, a special place is held by “On the Subject of ... Read more
Olive oil – golden treasure of ancient Rome
Olive oil was not only a key product in the daily life of ancient Romans, but also a symbol of status, wealth and civilization. Its use went far beyond cooking – in Rome, olive oil was widely used in medicine, ... Read more
Roman mămăligă
One of the founding myths of the Romanian nation is its direct descent from those conquered by the Romans in the 1st century CE Dacians. To what extent is this true? An alternative theory is the origin of the Vlachs, ... Read more
Crocus de Nîmes recipe
Original antic Roman recipe for the Crocus of Nîmes. Ingredients 1/2 Pélardon, cut horizontally, 2 slices of wholemeal bread or sandwich bread, 1 or 2 teaspoons (depending on taste) of green tapenade (preferably Picholine), a few flaked almonds (a few, ... Read more
Flower bulbs – delicacy in ancient times
In ancient times, flower bulbs were widely used as medicine and an aphrodisiac. Interestingly, ancient people also often ate them; however, it was a delicacy of the upper classes. The most popular was sea onion, which was treated as an ... Read more
Partridges in world of Romans
Ancient Romans valued partridge meat very much. The partridge was an expensive bird, however. Martial mentions it in his “Epigrams”, which says that only the rich could afford them. Interestingly, however, preserved eggshells were found in Pompeii, which was subjected ... Read more
Pears in Roman cuisine
Pears were known and used in ancient Rome. Pliny the Elder states that there were 41 known varieties of pear, each of which had a different taste, appearance and name. They were known, for example “Tiberian”, from the name of ... Read more
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