Food

Earlier in the year we learned a little bit about the culture of Romans, including the food they ate. I was interested in that topic and wanted to learn more, which is why I chose food as my topic for this project. The Romans did not eat the kinds of food we have today such as McDonald's or Chipotle, but a lot of meat and vegetables, mostly things that you grew or hunted. What you ate depended on your class, the richer you were the more and better food you would eat, (Unknown 1). If you were rich, you would eat beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and fish, dormice, and snails ect. If you were poor, you ate mostly just the Mediterranean Triad, with vegetables like lentils and cucumbers and lettuce, fruit like apples and figs, nuts, and sometimes cheese and eggs. The foods the lower class ate did not fill them up well at all, they would end up being hungry again in a few hours, while the upper class would be good until they had to eat again the the morning.

    To start the day Roman would usually eat a light breakfast at dawn consisting of bread and water, around 11:00am they would eat lunch,which would also be light, consisting of either a little fish or meat with bread and or vegetables. Dinner, or Cena would be served early afternoon , around 4:00pm. This was considered the main meal of the day. There would be three courses included in dinner, the first one being Gustatio which usually consists of an egg dish that serves as an appetizer. An example of which would be the boiled eggs with pine nut sauce. The second course / main course was called Primae Minsae. Aside from the usual meat variety birds are also a very popular choice especially the peacock because it is very expensive. Boiled ostrich was another favorite where the meat along with pepper, mint, and roasted cumin, as well as dates, celery seeds, olive oil, honey, and a little vinegar were all boiled together. Then the third course, Secundae Mensae, the dessert. Desserts in ancient roman food consist of baked sweets, fresh nuts and fruits. The master of the house and his guests will feast on almonds, grapes, and dates among others, (Gill 2). The dinner is like our culture today when we go out to eat at restaurants. When you go out to eat usually order an appetizer (Gustatio), then order your actual meal (Primae Minsae), and then dessert (Secundae).

     


This is not exactly common if you were to have a dinner in your own home. You would usually not have an appetizer, but just the main meal, and a dessert if you pleased, also, we would typically not eat that early but between the hours of 5-7. Also, in our culture today breakfast is called "the most important meal of the day" and should not be taken lightly. A lot of people skip out on breakfast, but it is important you eat one so you can have enough energy to get you through the day. My product is what a typical menu would look like for a wealthy Roman back in the day. Here's my menu.





"Roman Food. All about Roman Food." Roman Food. 2014 Romanfood.org, 15 Mar. 2014. Web. 21 Dec. 2014.

Gill, N.S. "What Did the Ancient Roman People Eat at Meals?" Roman Meals - What Romans Ate. N.p., 2014. Web. 21 Dec. 2014.

Sutcliffe, Anthony. Roman Culture. S.l.: George Braziller, 1966. Print.

Roman Life. Lincolnwood, IL: Jamestown, 2001. Print.