Praegustator – slave testing food

In ancient Rome, there was a praegustator – usually a slave- whose job was to taste food intended for important people (patricians or emperors) to make sure it wasn’t poisoned.

Interestingly, Columella (the author of the first-century Roman agricultural treatise De re rustica) reported that some households and homes of wealthy patricians employed dairy tasters who assessed the quality and freshness of dairy products before they were served or sold. This was not just about safety (e.g. sour milk), but also about quality and aroma – especially in the case of maturing cheeses.

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