What did Ancient Romans eat?

If you think 2000 years ago Romans ate Carbonara and Amatriciana, you are terribly wrong. Here’s the question: what did Ancient Romans eat?

Different time, different food

Latin authors have all provided detailed descriptions of what Ancient Romans ate.
When they were still shepherds and farmers, Romans ate mostly something similar to polenta; then, after meeting other cultures, their “menu” changed. Apparently Romans ate many cereals, including spelt, barley and oat.
For what concerns tomatoes, eggplants, rice, corn and beans, forget them! They were introduced many centuries later.

Meals were made of 7 courses: a starter (gustatio), 3 first dishes, 2 roasts and the desert (secundae mensae).

Their favorite recipe was the garum, a liquid sauce made with salted fish and entrails – ew! They used is as condiment on everything. Then, if you added vinegar, pepper or spices, you got the oxygarum – still, ew!
 

Rules and habits

– At Dawn, there was breakfast (ientaculum) with flat bread, garlic, eggs, honey, fresh fruit and cheese;

– From mid-day to early afternoon, it was time for the main meal. At the beginning, it was the cena, but then it grew of importance and Romans decided to switch it in the evening. Since then, this meal became the praendium, a simple light lunch.

– At night it was time for the vesperna. When the cena was switched in the evening Romans stopped eating the vesperna.

When eating, Romans didn’t use fork. Spoons were made with wood, bronze or silver and could be for daily use (cochlearia) or more sophisticated (ligulae). No need of knives, since servants cut food for them.

They grabbed food with the left hand, while with the right hand they brought it to the mouth, paying attention not to get dirty.

After each corse, servants washed their hands with perfumed water. For any reason they could leave left-overs in the dishes: it was disrespectful to see so they just threw them on the ground.

Also, no tables or chairs: Romans ate laying down on the triclinium.
 

Superstition

No one is as superstitious as a Roman.

First of all, when laying down on the triclinium they had to place the right foot. Then, during the meal it was forbidden to mention the fire: if happened, they had to pour water on the ground.

Also, salt could never fall: in those few cases it happened, they had immediately to throw some of it behind the master of the house.

It wasn’t rude to include in the meal left-overs from the previous meal, but the owner had to inform the guests and place a hat on that dish.

 
Despite everything, a true honorable man never ate until throwing up nor he got drunk. He always let other people talking and he always congratulated with the owner for his ospitality – even if it was a lie.
Ancient Romans were extremely polite!

 
 
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