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The Ancient Roman cuisine was greatly influenced by Greece and the Middle East. It is also directly related to many modern western European cuisines. This can be seen in the types of food eaten and the time food is devoured. The majority of the information we know about Roman food comes from ancient texts. Apicius wrote one of the earliest cookbooks from Roman food. Food was also very ritualistic and related to the gods. Food was also an important social construct that separated the Romans from the other groups conquered or living near the Roman Empire. The main attraction to Roman eating culture is their banquets. The social gathering centered around food is widely celebrated.

Diet

Dormice in a tree.

The cuisine was very much influenced by Greece and the Middle East. Most of their diet became based on grain with wine.A typical Roman diet consisted of bread with a cheese, relish of fish, or herbs. Cheese would have come from a goat, not a cow. They also ate a variety of soups and pork. Pork was the most widely eaten meat. Romans raised sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, horse, and dogs. They also ate wild animals such as deer, hare, fish, shellfish, frog, and birds. Eating meat other than pork was rare for the Romans however. Meat was either roasted, boiled, fried or stewed. The Romans also believed that to be civilized they must not live off only animal by-products.Higher class citizens may have eaten salads and eggs. They also ate a variety of foods that we do not have in modern times such as apsinthium, ram's peas, and salted dogberries. Jellyfish also sometimes appeared on the table. They also ate ostrich, flamingo, dormice, and dolphins. Because trade took several months, the only food that was shipped around the Roman Empire were dried, pickled, or salted. Sometimes special wines were also traded. With the conquest of additional areas, came the return of new foods. Britain gave the Romans several foods: peaches, walnuts, cilantro, and celery. Free bread rations were distributed inside the city and various types of grains were transported to Rome. Fish sauce, olive oil, and wine were used in almost every dish/meal. Grape syrup, honey, and dates were also used quite frequently. Onion, mustard, dill, rue, thyme, mint, cumin, and ginger were commonly used spices and seasonings. A typical meal would consist of bread, wine, and a stew which comprised of legumes and meat. Sometimes the stew would be replaced with cheese or roots. The wealthy could afford to eat only certain portions of meat, but ordinary citizens ate almost every part of the animal. The poor would eat tripe, blood sausages, leftover ground meat, and sheep heads.

Meals

In the beginning of the Roman era, breakfast was light, lunch was the main meal and there was a light supper. Days were not planned around meals, though, they ate when they were hungry. Breakfast consisted of cheese or fruit, bread, and water or wine. Lunch was eaten between 10 A.M. and 2 P.M. and was usually comprised of bread, cheese, vegetables, and a drink. Sometimes a soup or sausage could be purchased from vendors.As time progressed, the lunch time meal became lighter and dinner was the largest meal of the day. If dinner was a banquet, it would last from afternoon until late into the night. Dinner was served in three phases. The first had shellfish, eggs, and vegetables. The second included seasoned meats and vegetables. The third had cakes with honey and fruit, puddings, and could also include oysters and snails. There were typically two types of meals according to the Romans: nourishment and pleasure. Breakfast and lunch were usually nourishment for a hard day's work while dinner was more of a relaxing, pleasurable experience. These two meals marked the polar ends of the spectrum: frugality and lavishness. The Romans worked to be frugal, but also made opulent displays of their wealth for all to see especially when it came to food. The poor citizens and soldiers rarely had a hot meal and receiving a meal including meat and warm bread was a special experience. They also liked to drink warm beverages on occasion.

Banquets

A scene from what a Roman banquet might have looked like.

Gatherings of nine or more were usually considered banquets which were held in celebration of a special occasion. Attendees would receive an appetizer, main dish, and dessert. Dormice, eggs, orioles, hares, and fish were common foods eaten at the banquets. The upper-class members of the banquet would be served the best food while the other members would be given an inferior meal. Sometimes the important guest would get full meals while peasants would only receive a glass of wine. The less important guests would also sit at the end of the table. Slaves would serve the guests with each slave having a specific task. There would be provided entertainment in the form of music, poetry, and dancing. Guests would expect to be entertained at a banquet while at a smaller dinner party, conversation dominated. The banquet took place in a citizen's home with couches arranged for the guests to recline on. Three guests sat on each couch with the host sitting in the left most couch. The goal of a banquet was usually to network and pay respect to the host. A banquet held in honor of a special occasion like a coming of age, marriage, or death was called a cena. Other special occasions also called for more specific cena.

Amphora

The traditional containers of the Roman world were amphorae. They held mainly liquids like oil, wine, liquamen and fish sauce. Sometimes they would carry grain or other dry goods.

Alcohol

The Romans preferred wine to any other alcoholic beverage. Wine was not drunk undiluted however, the Romans considered that barbaric. Usually, it was diluted with spices or water. It was usually drunk less than a year after being made. However, towards the beginning of the empire, wine was being saved for future events. Beer was only drunk on the outer borders of the Roman Empire where grapes did not grow as well. The Romans looked down upon these regions because they considered beer a barbaric beverage. These regions include Egypt, Gaul, Spain, Middle East, Germany, and Britain.