Italiano Aeneas primique duces et pulcher Iuluscorpora sub ramis deponunt arboris altae,instituuntque dapes et adorea liba per herbamsubiciunt epulis (sic Iuppiter ipse monebat)et Cereale solum pomis agrestibus augent.consumptis hic forte aliis, ut vertere morsusexiguam in Cererem penuria adegit edendi,et violare manu malisque audacibus orbemfatalis crusti patulis nec parcere quadris:´heus, etiam mensas consumimus?´ inquit Iulus,nec plura, … Continue reading Libum Adoreum – Ancient Roman Ritual Spelt Cheesecake →

Italiano In Athenaeus’ Deipnosophists, an amazing source of ancient literature, poetry, and culture, we also find fragments from other authors about food and recipes, some of which refer not only to the Greek-speaking countries but also to ancient Rome. This is the case of the recipe we are presenting today, which is called katillos ornatos … Continue reading Ancient Roman Catillum Ornatum – Fried Pasta →

Italiano Conditum is a Latin adjective and participle that refers to something that is dressed, seasoned. This term (as well as related words, such as conditura) appears several times in De Re Coquinaria, often in connection with a type of wine, specifically a mulled wine for which the author provides two recipes in the 1st … Continue reading Ancient Roman Pork Shank with Conditum →

Italiano Tracta is an ancient Roman pasta, described in a few sources, such as Cato’s De Agri Cultura, Pliny’s Naturalis Historia, and Athenaeus’ Deipnosophists. From De Re Coquinaria, the source we use for today’s recipe, we also learn that it can be formed into circular sheets of dough (orbiculi) and dried.The basic recipes are described … Continue reading Puls Tractogalata – Ancient Roman Pasta with Lamb →

Italiano Turnip and rutabaga were important foods in the ancient world, as well as in the Middle Ages. Pliny places the turnip just below the cereals in the Naturalis Historia and writes that there are no vegetables more useful than these (alius usus praestantior ab iis non est), for human and animal consumption. Both the … Continue reading Ancient Roman Rutabaga Stew – A Plebeian Recipe →

Italiano In historical cuisine, quinces are often used not only as a sweet ingredient but also as a vegetable to prepare savory dishes. We find them in sources such as De Re Coquinaria, which we used for today’s recipe, as well asin medieval cookbooks such as Maestro Martino’s Libro de Arte Coquinaria, where they are … Continue reading Ancient Roman Patina de Cydoneis – Frittata with Quinces and Leeks →

Italiano In an epigram, Martial complains about a meager dinner at Ponticus’ house. In fact, while Ponticus eats costly foods such as oysters, boleti, turbot, and a golden dove, Martial is served mussels, fungi suilli, small annular sea breams (sparuli), and a dead magpie in a cage. The cost of the boleti is often mentioned … Continue reading Ancient Roman Plebeian’s Mushrooms →

Italiano The 7th book of De Re Coquinaria, the widest source of ancient Roman cuisine, is dedicated to miscellaneous recipes, mostly for meat. A large section includes preparations for roasts, stews, and boiled meat without specifying the type of meat to use. There are plenty of possibilities, keeping in mind that the most commonly used … Continue reading Ancient Roman Beef Skewers →

Italiano In the 3rd book of De Re Coquinaria, dedicated to vegetable dishes, we find a few recipes with chard, usually paired with sweet ingredients or mustard. Mustard and chard are a typical combination among the Romans and Greeks, as we read not only in this cookbook but also in Pliny’s Naturalis Historia and Galen’s … Continue reading Ancient Roman Stuffed Chard →

Italiano The 9th book of De Re Coquinaria is titled Thalassa, a Greek word meaning sea, and includes several recipes for mollusks, crustaceans, and fish. Other recipes can be found in the last book and in the second, among a series of fish cakes called isicia marina, in addition to a few scattered in other … Continue reading Ancient Roman Shrimp →