Origin of Roman Cuisine

Rome created the first great European culture of food. It invented the ancestor of fast food, laying the foundations of fine Italian cuisine , which

for richness and variety is the most popular in the world. They ate essentially a kind of polenta called puls with eggs, olives and fresh acid

cheese, in addition to lots of legumes and vegetables. The meat was rare: only pork and chicken. Until the third century BC, it was forbidden to slaughter and eat cows, which could only be used for farm work and

sacrifices . The most remarkable of the Roman cookbook is no doubt the De Re Coquinaria, written by the most famous ‘’ chefs’’ of antiquity :

Gavio Marcus Apicius

What did the Romans eat at the table? Spices and dried fruits Saffron Pepper Cumin Ginger Cloves Sesamo Oregano Sage Mint Juniper Onion Garlic Walnut Almond Plum Hazelnut Dates Raisins Pine nuts

Vegetables and fruit Asparagus Salads Chickpeas Peas Lentils Beans Turnip Rocket Cabage Fava Arbutus Raspberries Pomegranates Apples Figs Cherries Pears Dates Grapes Quinces Roasted chestnuts

The origins of Roasted chestnuts

Meat and fish • Pork • Sausages• Mullet• Snapper• Bream • Eels • Tuna• Octopus• Sole• Flounder• Sturgeon• Snails• Oysters• Lobsters• Shrimps• Prawns

Oleae caducae quam plurimum condito ;post oleas tempestivas (unde minimum olei fieri poterit), eas condito:parcito uti quam diutissime durent.Ubi oleae comesae erunt, hallacem et acetum dato. Oleum datum in menses unicuique S I ,salis unicuique in anno modium satis est.

Libum hoc modo facitoCasei p.II bene disterat in mortario; ubi bene

distriverit, farinae siligineae libram aut, si voles tenerius esse, selibram similaginis solum eodem indito; permiscetoque cum caseo bene; ovum unum addito et una permisceto bene. Inde panem facito; folia subdito; in foco caldo sub testu coquito leniter.De Agri cultura, c 75

Globulos sic facito : 1. Caseum cum alica ad eundem modum

misceto;2. inde, quantos voles facere,facito.3. In aenum caldum unguem indito.4. Singulos aut binos coquito;5. versatoque crebro duabus rudibus;6. coctos eximito;7. ita ponitoFamiliae cibariaQui opus facient:per hiemem tritici modios IIII,per

aestatem modios IIII S;Vilico vilicae,epistatae,opilioni:modios III;Compendis: per hiemem panis p IIIIubi vineam fodere coeperint panis pV; usque adeo

dum fico esse coeperint;deinde ad p IIII redito.

Pulmentarium familiaE